Ruth is always leaving on trips out of town. This summer, I got a chance to go with her on a trip to Chicago.
The first place we stopped was “Gene’s & Jude’s” for an authentic Chicago hot dog. Gene’s is often picked as one of the best places to get a Chicago dog. They only serve two things: hot dogs and tamales. It’s really a glorified hot dog stand with no seating inside. You can stand at a counter or take it with you. They serve what people in Chicago call the “depression dog.” It comes with mustard, onions, pickle, sport peppers and celery salt.
Later that night, Ruth and I went to a speakeasy type cocktail bar called the “Barrellhouse Flat” The downstairs bar looked like almost any other, but upstairs they had a dark lounge with big leather chairs, no TVs and jazz music playing. It felt like a speakeasy from the 20s and they had an interesting array of pre-prohibition and modern cocktails.
Afterwards, we walked over to “Kingston Mines” to see Carl Weathersby playing the blues. I had seen him in Chicago about 15 years ago with my Dad. Back then he hopped off the stage and played his guitar in the audience and all the way out in the street. This time he had to play his guitar sitting in a chair. During a break, I told him that I’d seen him years ago and I showed him the CD he had signed for me back then. He signed a few more CDs for me while I chatted with him.
The next day, Ruth had to work so I pretty much had the day to myself. I met with my cousin Pam who has been living in Chicago for 10 years. She loves the city and loves the cold. She told me to meet her by the big white sculpture below. She said I would know it when I saw it.
After lunch with Pam, I took my camera and walked around the city. I spotted the famous Chicago theater while crossing the street and snapped this one before getting run over.
I then made my way over to Millennium Park which has the big bean sculpture. It’s an interesting work the way it reflects the city and everyone who comes to view it.
And, of course, since it’s a big mirror, you can take a selfie.
More of the bean
Interesting that you can find seagulls so far away from the coast, but the lakes are so big it’s like being next to the sea.
Also, in the park there is an open air amphitheater. There was an orchestra playing while the big screen displayed ocean scenes.
Here is a skyline view from Millennium Park. Yes, the building with the diamond-shaped roof is the building Elizabeth Shue was climbing on the outside of in “Adventures in Babysitting” for those as old as me.
From the side, the big bean looks more like a globe shape with interesting reflections of the city and people that surround it.
There’s a big head in the park, but I don’t know whose it is.
The park has the interesting Crown Fountains. They are two big brick pillars facing each other with water running down the walls. They each display different faces projected on the wall. The faces smile and then spit water out of their mouths at anyone who wants to get wet.
The Chicago Museum of Art is also in the park.
Chicago had these bikes all over the downtown area. You can’t rent them to joy ride; they are specifically for transportation. You can use them as much as you need during the day, but they have to be returned to one of the many bike rack stands throughout the downtown within 30 minutes of taking one out of the rack.
This is the Buckingham Fountain next to Millennium Park that you may remember from “Married with Children”
From the Fountain, you can see the tallest building in North America. It’s called the “Willis Tower” now but it’s hard to think of it as anything other than the “Sears Tower.”
After strolling around the parks and taking photos, I was trying to end up in the area of town where Ruth was taking her deposition so we could go up the Sears Tower afterwards. But my phone died and I knew she couldn’t reach me. I also couldn’t find a pay phone–although I really needed a text phone because she couldn’t answer during the deposition anyway. So I made use of the transportation bikes. I hopped on a bike and took it back to the hotel returning it to a rack nearby. I plugged in my phone and Ruth called a few minutes later. I checked out another bike and took it back to the Tower. 
I don’t know what this building is but I’ve seen it in movies so I took a photo of it.
Any movie set in Chicago tends to show this street sculpture.
I snapped this photo while walking under the L before getting run over by Gene Hackman in “The French Connection.”
After Ruth finished with her deposition, we visited the Sears Tower to take in the views
Here’s Ruth at the top of the world.
And here is the view from the top of the Sears Tower (formerly known as the Sears Tower, that is).
We stood out on a glass ledge 108 stories up (it’s probably actually an acrylic ledge). It made you feel like you were suspended over the city 1,500 feet above the ground!! Don’t look down!!
Later that night, we celebrated Ruth’s birthday at Benny’s Chop House because you can’t go to Chicago without eating at a steakhouse. We closed the evening with a visit to another blues bar: “Blue Chicago” because you can’t come to Chicago and not see live blues!
Now Ruth wants to take me on all her out of town trips!