flying belgian
Well-known Member
Took a 5 day trip to Chicago from Southern Mn. over the 4th. weekend. Concentrated on the down town sky scraper area. I gotta say I was impressed. What a clean city. I looked down alleys and saw the dumpsters and loading dock areas and they were really clean and well kept. In our local city of Mankato ( pop. 50,000) there is garbage swirled and blown in corners around dumpsters and loading docks but not Chicago. Very clean and well kept. Another thing that surprised me is the number of people on the side walks. Not use to that. I mean it was solid people. And this went on until we went back to our hotel at about midnight. And then when we went out in the morning at about 9:00 side walk was already packed with people. I don't know if they walked all night or not. In down town Mankato you can walk for 10 blocks and maybe meet one other person on the side walk. Very different. We and some friends rode Amtrak out there and took a cab from station to hotel. My first time riding on a train and first time riding in a cab. Hooked up with other couples son and his girl friend. Girlfriend had gone to grad school in Chicago for two years and really new her way around town. Her personality is that of a take charge kind of person and she had the whole 5 days planned out for us. Showed us how to ride the city bus and tram all of which was a first for me as well. Took us to all the sites and scheduled time for us to relax back at hotel. She was the perfect hostess and "tour guide" You people from that state can be very proud of that city. I'm sure there are some bad parts of the city but I sure did not see any. Very impressed. Went up the Sears tower and they have four kinda bay windows built out on the top floor with glass floors that you can step out on. woo, scary. When it was my turn to step out on there I was hesitant, but finally did it. It held me. Any way, really a fun trip for this back woods farmer from small town Mn.
