Vacation 2013

10 September - 7 October 2013
Mini-vacation in Wisconsin and Upper Michigan

Page 4b

Monday - 23 September 2013

We left the University of Chicago campus, jogged over to Lakeshore Drive
and headed north to experience another Chicago attraction - Navy Pier.

On the way we passed the Museum of Science and Industry (which is very near the Univ. of Chicago)

where the captured WWII German submarine U-505 is on display

and the Shedd Aquarium (on Lakeshore Drive)

which houses a spectacular collection of marine species.

Traffic was moderately heavy as we approached downtown on Lakeshore Drive.

Aproaching Navy Pier
which has a large Ferris Wheel.

As soon as we parked in one of the large parking garages we entered the long hallway and found
A major, probably semi-permanent, exhibit of stained glass on Navy Pier.
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Some of the stained glass was not religious themed. -

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Celebrating the printing trades.

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The entrance through the breakwater into the harbor.

The sun was beginning to set, and the breeze off Lake Michigan was cold.
Jenny - and Mona in a pea jacket.

The beer garden, and most of the other businesses were closed this late in the day.

fine architectural detail

The evening skyline of Chicago, South of Navy Pier.

The pier is supported by quite a forrest of pilings.

~ ~ ~
Looking East from mid-way out on the Pier.

Schooner Windy of Chicago.

Aft part

Forward part

It is a 4 masted schooner and has a very modern rig, for a gaff rigged vessel.
The jibs are roller reefing as are the 3 staysails rigged between the masts above the gaff sails.

Note the cute electric drive on the longboat (lifeboat).

A look at the rigging from aft.

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Looking West from mid-way out on the Pier

We entered the hallway which was mostly lined with closed shops.
It was rather late in the day, on a Monday.

We found a section of small restaurants which were open,
and an opportunity for Jenny to have a Chicago hot dog.

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After having a taste of Chicago and getting some of the storied popcorn available at a specialty shop,
we walked back to where the Suburban was parked and headed for the hotel.
~ wait ~
The story of the day is not over yet.
One leaves Navy Pier on E. Grande Ave. Then turns North on Lakeshore Drive looking for a place to turn left into downtown.
We found such a place and found ourselves driving UNDER downtown Chicago
in what I can only describe as a high speed catacomb... a series of streets under the city.
Every now and then there was a turn-off and a street name sign giving some indication of where the turn off went.
(no GPS signal... we were underground.)
I tried following a car with an Illinois license. No good. He was lost too.
He took us to a dead end, which was just wide enough to turn around and get back to the main roadway.
After passing a few exits (missing them due to traffic speed) I gambled and took one up to the surface.
As luck would have it, we emerged 2 blocks away from a street I recognized... which was very near
Lou Malnati's pizza restraunt on Main Street, where we had eaten supper 2 days previous.
From there it was easy to navigate back to our hotel.
We were tired beyond any reasonable measure. Sleep came easily.

Tuesday - 24 September 2013
Checked out of the hotel
Had another good breakfast at Epples restaurant. It was well worth going back there.
They remembered us, and even remembered what we had ordered before.
After a leisurely breakfast we were off to OHare Airport where Mona and Jenny got on an airplane
and had a comparatively leisurely flight back to McAllen.

I drove back to Sheboygan, Wisconsin and began a mini-vacation to the northlands of Wisconsin and Michigan.

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Next - page 5 - Wisconsin - Michigan etc.

previous - page 4 - Chicago - entering the University

Oriental Institute Museum - page 3b -

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update 18 November 2013

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