Happenings – Page 15 – Travel Smart With Jodie

Where to be August 21 in 2017

If standing in the right place at the right time, your world will start to get cooler as the sun seems to disappear. Then, it will be dark and chilly. And no, you won’t be watching a sci-fi movie or be experiencing the end of the world as described in mythology. You will be experiencing a total solar eclipse.

The Adler Planetarium's "Chasing Eclipses" exhibit simulates a total solar eclipse that includes the cooling air and sounds. Jodie Jacobs photos — The Adler Planetarium’s “Chasing Eclipses” exhibit simulates a total solar eclipse that includes the cooling air and sounds. Jodie Jacobs photos

Unless you plan to be in the south Pacific or South America on Dec. 14, 2020 or in Dallas, Indianapolis or Cleveland, April 8, 2024, your best bet to experience a total solar eclipse is in the United States Aug. 21, 2017 along a diagonal path from Salem, Oregon in the northwest through Carbondale, IL in the Midwest to Charleston, South Carolina in the southeast.

Direct Time and Place

In the Midwest, people who travel to Carbondale in southern Illinois will see the moon totally blocking the sun for about 2 minutes and 41.6 sec. It’s actually safe to look when the sun is totally covered then. but not before or afterwards. If you don’t think that’s a long time to be in the dark try watching a clock tick off the seconds.

Carbondale, home of Southern Illinois University, is one of the best places to go to because of the long blockage beginning at 1:20 p.m. CDT and because it is one of NASA’s official sites. The Adler will have an event in Carbondale where astronomers and eclipse chasers will converge. Total coverage last about 2 minutes and 42 seconds.

You can draw your own line on a map from Salem, OR to Charleston, SC to see what other towns are in the eclipse path. Even though the blockage won’t be as long as in Carbonadale they will have a total eclipse. The towns along the path are all expecting visitors so are hosting eclipse events.

For example for Oregon visit Salem, Madras and Oregon for festivals, where to stay and what to do. If near Salem the eclipse is at 10:19 a.m. PDT and lasts 2 min, 4 sec.

For Carbondale, go to SIU. Totality there happens at 1:20 CDT. Also check out Charleston where the eclipse ends on US soil. Charleston is in the dark for about one minute, 40 seconds. For other places in South Carolina visit Great American Eclipse SC .

Accommodations have been going fast along the eclipse path so if planning to travel to a city where there will be total darkness don’t wait to find a place to stay whether camping or looking for an inn.

Chicago

Those places mentioned are dead center on the path but that doesn’t mean you wont have a great eclipse moment several miles away.

At the Adler's "Chasing Eclipses" exhibit, astronomer Larry Ciupik points out where Carbondale is on the 2017 eclipse path that goes from left to right. It is bisected by the eclipse path that will run from southeast to north west in 2024. — At the Adler’s “Chasing Eclipses” exhibit, astronomer Larry Ciupik points out where Carbondale is on the 2017 eclipse path that goes from left to right. It is bisected by the eclipse path that will run from southeast to north west in 2024.

In Chicago, the moon will begin blocking the sun about 11:54 a.m.CDT, reach maximum coverage about 1:30 p.m. and be all the way through by 2:30 p.m.

“While it won’t be absolute total blockage in Chicago, the city will experience a 90 percent eclipse,” said Adler Planetarium astronomer Larry Ciupik. And that is with Chicago located about a six and a half hour drive north of Carbondale.

Thousands of people are expected to join the Adler’s watching party, according to Ciupik. Proper glasses will be handed out until the supply is gone. For the Adler’s big eclipse bash visit Adler Eclipse. For official NASA viewing sites visit NASA Event Locations.

Safety

It’s not OK to look while the moon is moving across the sun even when a little bit of the sun is peeking out. Looking at the sun when there is not total blockage will damage the eyes. See NASA for more eclipse information and NASA Safety for viewing tips.

You have to use certified glasses to watch. Another way is to look at the events shadow on the ground by turning your back to the sun and making a peep hole with your hands, one in front of the other as described on the NASA safety site.

So take advantage of the event by making it a summer vacation but don’t wait to make arrangements.

Five Memorial Day Weekend ideas

Chicago Memorial Day Parade is on State Street May 27. City of Chicago photo

Say Memorial Day to some folks and the response is it’s the time to commemorate people who died while in military service. To others it signifies the beginning of summer vacation.

On some town’s websites are parades, ceremonies and even a history note explaining that Memorial Day was originally Decoration Day and started shortly after the Civil War.

On others, it begins the period from the end of May through Labor Day when beaches are open, lifeguards are on duty, several outdoor fests and tourist activities take place and bus routes are added.

Five suggested Memorial Day Weekend activities in the Chicago area range from fireworks and festivals to a parade and party plus there’s a bus route bonus.

Parade

The City of Chicago is holding a Wreath Laying ceremony in Daley Plaza at Dearborn and Washington Streets at 11 a.m. Saturday, May 27, 2017. It will be followed by a parade that starts at noon from nearby State and Lake Streets and travels south on State to Van Buren Street. The Grand Marshal is Marine Corps Commanding General Robert S. Walsh. The parade, among the country’s largest, includes veterans’ groups, marching bands and antique military vehicles. Visit Chicago for more info. The national Memorial Day remembrance is 3 p.m. Monday, May 29, 2017. For an excellent government-based web-site with history and other info visit Government.

Parties

View the city while partying at Roof on the Wit Memorial Day Weekend. Mike Reeves photo

Chicago House Party – DJs and performers take over Millennium Park,’s Jay Pritzker Pavilion and North Chase Promenade Tent May 27, 2017, from 2 to 9 p.m. Expect a variety of “house music” a style started in Chicago that is danced to throughout the country. The grassy areas are good for picnics or dancing. For performer schedules check City of Chicago. Millennium Park is at Randolph through Monroe Parkways along Michigan Avenue.

ROOF on theWit, a fun space with great cocktails and views of the city is starting its JETSET s series May 26-27, 2017. The party transports guests to Barcelona, Spain minus the airline hassle. ROOF on theWit is 27 stories above the Wit Hotel at 201 N. State St. at Lake Street, Chicago. For reservations visit Roof. JetSet weekends start at 2pm. For more information and reservations, visit Roof or call (312) 239-9502.

Festivals

The Belmont-Sheffield Music Fest runs from noon to 10 p.m. May 27 and May 28, 2017. A street party that has been going on for more than 20 years, the fest attracts excellent bands, good food, beer and wine booths and also features arts and crafts. A $5 entry donation benefits the Lakeview East Chamber of Commerce. Entry is at 3200 N. Sheffield, Chicago. Vist Chicago Events for more information.

Dovetail owners Hagen Dost and Bill Wesselink welcome visitors to their brewery.

Celebrate “Mayfestiversary,” a block party at and around Dovetail Brewery, 1800 W. Belle Plaine Rd. Dovetail is celebrating its first anniversary with Begyle Brewing which is marking the second anniversary of its taproom. There will be food trucks, live music and games. B elle Plaine Avenue will be closed from Ravensood to the CTA line. Part of proceeds benefit Foundations of Music.The festival goes from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. May 27 and 28, 2017. For more information visit at Dovetail or call (773) 683-1414.

Fireworks

Navy Pier is always good for a holiday outing but the Chicago attraction restarts its summer fireworks display Saturday, May 27 at 10:15 p.m. Among the ways to celebrate the weekend is to cruise on the Spirit of Chicago or Odyssey or stop in at the Miller Lite Beer Garden to hear Hot Rocks do Rolling Stones tributes from 2 to 11:30 p.m. BTW the Rolling Stones Exhibitionism upstairs at Navy Pier is worth seeing. Navy Pier is at 600 E. Grand Ave. , Chicago, IL 800 )595-PIER (7437) For more information visit Navy Pier or call (800) 595-PIER (7437).

Bonus

The CTA’s No 10 Bus that goes to the Museum of Science and Industry starts again Memorial Day weekend. That means it will be easier to get there from downtown Chicago to see the terrific Robots exhibit.

Shout out for World Penguin Day

Zoos and aquariums are celebrating World Penguin Day today, April 25, 2017. The date was picked because that is when Antarctic penguins annually start migrating north.

Penguins at the Shedd Aquarium. Jodie Jacobs photo

In Chicago, the Shedd Aquarium is celebrating with a wonderful series of videos showing penguins making a nest at the aquarium, a new-born penguin being fed and a Shedd program that rescues African penguins in trouble.

Click Shedd to watch the videos. And visit the Shedd, 1200 S. Lake Shore Drive, to watch penguins play.

The Lincoln Park Zoo in Chicago is also is a good place to watch penguins. Go to LPZoo for more information.

A good online site to learn about penguins and find excellent photos is EarthSky. A not for profit site, EarthSky is a good place for space information and our planet’s news.

On the west coast, the San Diego Zoo is celebrating World Penguin Day with special penguin themed activities. Go to SDZ to see the events.

Sky happenings: Launches and meteors

Launches to Space Station. on TV Photo courtesy of NASA

Space events April 16 to 23 make this is a good week to link to NASA and look up.

If “Hidden Figures” rekindled interest in NASA, its launches and its people, now is prime time to see what’s happening.

Beginning at 10 a.m. CT today, April 18, NASA is launching Orbital ATK CRS-7, a cargo mission to resupply the Space Station. Click here for more information and to watch it.

Secondly, very early in the morning of April 20 at 2:13 a.m. CT is the launch of the Expedition 51 crew to the Space Station. Visit launch for information on the Expedition 51 crew and how to watch it on TV.

Then, during the predawn hours of April 22 , look up to the north east to spy meteors streaking across the sky. They are the Lyrids which are debris from Comet C-1861 G1 Thatcher near the bright Vega star. Vega is in the Lyra Constellation.

The Geminid meteor shower is greater than the Lyrids but meteor showers are still awesome to see. segment of a NASA photo

The Lyrids actually began Sunday, April 16 but they peak early Saturday after Vega is high in the sky well after midnight.

Considered the oldest observable shower, it was first noted more than 2,600 years ago.

A good site for more Lyrids information is Time and Date

Sunday Lollapalooza tickets sale

Special tickets to Lollapalooza are already sold out. However, general admission tickets to Grant Park for Sunday, Aug 6, 2017 went on sale this morning (Wednesday, March 22) at 10 a.m. Concert goers can catch performances on 8 stages from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Among Sunday’s features are Arcade Fire, Justice and Zeds Dead. For the full concert lineup see Lineup. For Sunday tickets go to Lollapalooza tickets.

Lollapalooza returns to Grant Park in 2017 City of Chicago Photo — Lollapalooza returns to Grant Park in 2017
City of Chicago Photo

Five ways to ease the change to daylight savings time

You know that with seasonal change you are supposed to “spring” ahead sometime really early Sunday morning, March 12, right?

Well yes, it does depend on where you live because not all places in the United States go from standard to daylight time. Your friends and relatives in Hawaii and in many Arizona locations probably remind you they just don’t do daylight time.

Are you really going to reset your clock ahead an hour sometime around 2 a.m. Sunday morning? Photo by Jodie Jacobs

However, the US official time when clocks skip an hour is 2 a.m. whatever local time you’re at.

According to a US Navy site, Congress designated that beginning in 2007 daylight time started on the second Sunday of March and ended the first Sunday of November when clocks would “fall back” to standard time.

Mark your calendar Nov. 5 for your extra hour of sleep if you think the date applies. You can click policy act for more information.

Here are five suggestions to help get through the tough change.

1. Change different clocks at different times. Change the clock by your bed before you go to sleep. So if it’s 10 p.m. move it to 11 and tell yourself you are becoming a night owl. Change the kitchen clock in the morning and think how nice it is have slept in so that what was 8 a.m. is now 9 am.

2. Don’t set the alarm for Sunday morning. See what time you can sleep to if given the chance (Unless you are in the church choir but maybe others will also be late).

3. Now, go around the house to check all the other clocks you don’t always look at such as the one on the oven, microwave and coffee pot. Even in this era of automatic computer time adjustments those don’t usually change by themselves. If you would rather not have to do this again in the fall, get a new appliance that does change automatically.

4. If you have one of those bird clocks that sounds lovely when it tweets on the hour but which you hate when you have to take out the batteries and go back to a specific time, put batteries back in and reset, then ask a friend to come over. Tell the person you want to share the joy of learning the different bird sounds and show your friend how to turn the tiny wheel in back until the right time appears.

5. Call a friend to see if that person is up. Say it’s a friendly wake-up call but actually misery likes company.

How to feel a bit Irish this weekend and next

“Faith and Begorrah,” it seems everyone is already in an Irish mood.

Restaurants, grocery stores and neighborhoods are taking the phrase “Go Green” seriously now through St. Patrick’s Day March 17.

Chicago celebrates St. Patrick's Day by turning the Chicago River green. City of Chicago photo — Chicago celebrates St. Patrick’s Day by turning the Chicago River green. City of Chicago photo

Here are just a few of the places in and around Chicago where you might hear céad míle fáilte (a hundred thousand welcomes) and Irish music, see Irish dancers and feel you ought to be wearing something green.

The Suburbs

Walk into any Hackney’s, a 76-year-old family run restaurant and pub this week to see how leprechauns expressed the family’s Irish roots and pride. The menu has lots of choices including the famed Hackney Burger but during the weeks leading up to St. Pat’s Day you might want to go for the corned beef, straight up or in a Reuben.

For Irish music with your grocery shopping check out the Sunset Foods stores in the northern suburbs. Irish dancers will be at Sunset’s five store on March 5. They will be in Libertyville at 10:30 a.m., Lake Forest at 11:45 a.m., Highland Park at 1 p.m., Northbrook at 2 p.m. and Long Grove at 3 p.m.

Chicago

The city has several St. Patrick’s Day parades but your first stops should be on Saturday, March 11, 2017.

Greening the River

The Chicago River at Michigan Avenue and Wacker Driver will be turned green when vegetable dye is poured in at 9 a.m.

Downtown Parade

The city’s St. Patrick’s Day Parade has bagpipers, bands, dancers and dignitaries step off at noon from Grant Park at Columbus Drive between Balbo and Monroe Drives.

Irish Festival

Lots of folks go over to the Irish American Heritage Center at 4626 N. Knox Ave. after the parade for an all afternoon-evening party. Tickets: $12-$15 adults; free for children 12 & under. The festival continues on Sunday.

Neighborhood Parades on March 12

South Side Irish Parade http://www.southsideirishparade.org/
Time is noon from Western Avenue between 103rd St. & 115th St.

Northwest Side Irish Parade
Time is noon from Onahan School at 6634 W. Raven St.

Six tips for a fun Oscar Night party

You know the Academy Awards will be going to movies you loved and those you haven’t seen on Oscar Night, Sunday, Feb. 26, 2017. But you haven’t made it out to LA and tuning into ABC beginning at 6 p.m. CT to see who wore what, said what or grabbed a gold plated statuette is just more fun with friends, so ….

The Oscar statuette is used here by permission from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences

Invites

Get those invites out now! Fortunately you don’t have to go the old snail mail route. Free online invites are available thanks to Punchbowl at Oscars Red Carpet

Dress to impress

Take a page from those interviews on the Red Carpet and suggest guests do black tie (bow tie and shorts would do for the guys and slinky or low cut anything for the gals)

Or ask guests to wear something in keeping with a favorite movie from any year.

Food and drink

If guests ask what can they bring say you’ll provide the champagne, sparkling wine and whatever other drinks favored but will say thanks to dips, patés and cupcakes.

Decorations and favors

Pick up little Oscar-like statuettes, a red carpet if so desired, plates, decorations and Hollywood fun stuff from a party store such as Card & Party Giant, 1318 Waukegan Rd., Glenview, IL (847-657-7770).

Handouts

Run off copies of the 2017 nominees from Oscars.org ceremonies for everyone to follow along, check off and make their predictions. And pass out statuettes or other awards to the winners.

Trivia and fun facts games

Use the thank-you times and commercials to ask trivia Qs or share fun info.

Wallet-Hub has come up with a couple of tidbits such as the current Oscar statuette is valued at $696.
Look at the timeline on the Oscar site to pull some fun Qs from itsuch as when was the First Best Picture. A It was “Wings” in 1929.
Or Q. Who Won Best Actress and Actor in 1960. A Simone Signoret for “Room at the Top” and and Charlton Heston for “Ben Hur.”
Or Q. When and how was the International Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences founded. A. In 1927 at a dinner at M-G-M studio head Louis B. Mayer’s home followed by a meeting of like-minded movers and shakers a week later at at Los Angeles’s Ambassador Hotel.
Or Q. Who was its first Academy President. A. Douglas Fairbanks 1927-29
Go to Oscar Go for more fun facts

Have fun!

It is maple syrup time

You don’t have to go to Vermont to hike around maple trees and learn about that yummy syrup folks love to pour on their pancakes and French toast.

Lake County Forest Preserves District Environmental Educator Jennifer Berlinghof is tapping a sugar maple tree for liquid sap to make into maple syrup. Photo by Jodie Jacobs

The Lake County Forest Preserves District holds Maple Syrup Hikes the second, third and fourth weekends in March.

The hikes are a chance to learn about the trees’ plumbing that makes late February and early March the best time in our area for collecting sap.

Actually, the sap is already running up Lake County’s sugar maple trees.

LCFPD Environmental Educator Jennifer Berlinghof has been out at Ryerson with her drill, hammer, spigot and pail to tap a few mature, sugar maples. She said the sap which is very watery has to be processed.

“It takes about 40 gallons of sap to produce one gallon of syrup. It takes a lot of boiling,” Berlinghof said.

She pointed out that the resulting maple syrup becomes a tiny taste treat given to people on the March hikes.

Hikes are every half hour from noon to 2 p.m. starting at the Ryerson Woods Welcome Center, 21950 N. Riverwoods Rd., Deerfield, but preregistration is necessary.

Cost is $6. Children age 3 and under, free. To register and get more details call (847) 968-3113 or visit LCFPD.

Music, discussions and other activities celebrate King

Most schools will be closed Jan. 16. Government offices and banks will also be closed because the third Monday in January is Martin Luther King Jr. Day, a federal holiday honoring the great civil rights leader born Jan. 15, 1929 and assassinated April 4, 1968.

A Baptist minister, an organizer of the 1963 March on Washington where he gave his famed “I Have a Dream” speech and the 1964 winner of the Nobel Peace Prize, King also worked with the Southern Christian Leadership Conference to change segregated housing in Chicago in 1966.

Martin Luther King Jr monument in Washington D.C. Photo by Jodie Jacobs

Chicagoans may wonder what he would say now, half a century later, if he saw the violence that plagues some of the city’s neighborhoods.

The question might be discussed at some of the events this weekend, or Monday and during the week when several organizations celebrate his birth.

Here are some of the places to go for those celebrations.

Chicago History Museum

Lyric Unlimited, an outreach arm of the Chicago Lyric Opera, and the Chicago History Museum, is doing Chicago Voices TALK beginning at 5 p.m. Jan. 15 at the History Museum. The program includes panel discussions and gospel music.

While at the museum see civil rights artifacts. Check details at Chicago Voices TALK.

The History Museum is at 1601 N. Clark St., Chicago. Public admission $10, CHM members $5.

Brookfield Zoo

Zoo general admission is free Jan. 16. But also go to the Discovery Center for a noon musical celebration by the Chicago Metamorphosis Orchestra Project and the Shift’s Englewood Youth Orchestra. For information visit Brookfield Zoo.

The North Gate entrance is at 1st Avenue and 31st Street, Brookfield. The South Gate is at 3300 Golf Road, Brookfield.

Lincoln Park Zoo

The zoo holds day camps during school holidays. For Martin Luther King Jr. Day, preK through fourth grade camps are Jan. 16 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

The theme is “All About Birds,” but camp groups will explore the zoo and have activities regarding animal diversity, conservation and how the zoo cares for animals. The youngsters will also learn interesting animal tidbits such as why hummingbirds build nests using spider webs.

Camp headquarters is the Judy Keller Education Center. Cost is $68 a camper ($58 zoo members). Visit zoo camp for more information.

Black Ensemble Theater

The theater hosts programs by the African American Arts Alliance of Chicago, 7 p.m., Jan. 19. There is also a pre-show reception 6 p.m. in the Black Ensemble Theater Cultural center

Go to see Sketch N’ Tyme, The Robbert Reddrick Trio, Alexis Rogers, Yahdina Udeen, Dawn Bless, Red Clay Dance and RIZE Youth Dance Company. The program is sponsored in part by the Driehaus Foundation and the Illinois Arts Council. Tickets are $12.

The Black Ensemble Theater is at 4450 N. Clark St., Chicago. Visit AAAAChicago for more information.

See more Martin Luther King Jr. Day options.