Lewis and I travelled 800 miles (1,287 kilometers) by plane to the Midwest: America's Heartland. We flew aboard United Airlines, which is based there... and it is unremarkable.
The niftiest part was soaring over the tops of the Appalachian Mountains.
O'Hare International Airport is another American airport that resembles a shopping mall.
Thankfully, Chicago is one of the few cities in America that is connected to its airport by rail. However, it is not a train route; it's a subway route. Lewis and I used it. Unimpressively, the subway required one hour to go the distance to the city center. That was ridiculous because our entire flight required 2.5 hours. Alas, like all American cities, the trains were outdated.
It is called "L" because it is an elevated subway... similar to NYC: a blight of rusty trestles that was built above communities (cheaper than being put under them), which overshadows them and adds ceaseless "window rattling" noise pollution to inhabitants.
We visited Chicago for the first week in November. It is USA's third-most populated city, and the largest in Illinois (a.k.a. the Prairie State).
Many people think that Chicago is far north, but it isn't; all of New York State is further north than Chicago.
The last time we visited Chicago, Lewis and I booked a room at the 4-star Ambassador Hotel, which is iconic in the city and located in the Gold Coast area. Here are images of our king-size room, lobby fireplace, and restaurant where we celebrated our anniversary. It was a fine hotel.
This time, we stayed with a friend, named Ron, who lives in a posh neighborhood on Lakeshore Drive. Ron was delighted to host us, and Lewis was delighted to explore his culinary skills... and liquor cabinet (seen below).
Upon arrival, we made Old-Fashioned cocktails, using the BEST jarred cherries I've ever had.
In advance, Ron prepared roast pork, which had been brined overnight, then rubbed with spices.
We savored a fortifying dinner, then enjoyed Ron's second bedroom en suite, which is better than everyone sharing only one bathroom. We enjoyed Ron's decorating style, too.
Ron even had a second faux fireplace (with its own lifelike sound effects) in that bedroom for us to fall asleep to.
In the morning, we enjoyed the mild weather and sunshine to explore the park and beachfront that abuts Ron's cul-de-sac community.
Crossing the sand, we viewed the huge greatness of Lake Michigan, one of the Great Lakes between the USA and Canada.
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Canada is a constitutional monarchy, and its Sovereign is the Head of State. You probably heard of the Queen of Canada; she’s an Englishwoman named Elizabeth II.
As a lakeside city, Chicago feels the brunt of Arctic winds that race unobstructed over the water. That is why Chicago was nicknamed "the windy city". Eventually, the windchill blowing inland from the lake encouraged us to leave the shore. We admired the pretty buildings in Ron's residential area.
Ron lives 45-minutes from the "city proper"/downtown, otherwise known as "the Loop". Chicago's mass transit is far superior in timelines and cleanliness than NYC's.
An automatically refilled metro-card allows you to "swipe" multiple times for friends/guests. NYC's MTA metro card works only once at each turnstile... then you must wait 20 minutes before you can use it again at the same place.
The stations and platforms are spotless, as are the trains!
The stations and platforms are spotless, as are the trains!
We liked how subways and buses are bike-friendly!
Nearing the downtown area, we saw where the last of the original mansions; all others were engulfed in the Great Chicago Fire of 1871.
Unlike NYC, cities like Paris, London, and Chicago had reasons to be torn down & rebuilt. Doing so allowed city planners to create a more modern & beautiful layout... all before the Victorian era ended. Thus, the city has old-world glamour and charm, with better urban mapping.
We enjoyed a free concert of Chamber Orchestra music at the Cultural Center, formerly a grand old library. Built in 1897, its interior is breathtaking in its glimmering detail and décor.
I adore when grandness and artistic thoughtfulness is applied to public buildings Just look at the intricate and whimsical tile-work that runs throughout all the hallways--shimmering to brighten your day!
The concert took place under the stained-glass dome.
Afterwards, we lunched at Toni Pâtisserie and Café. Freshly-made crêpes (one stuffed with ham & Gruyere, and one filled with ratatouille & chicken), an espresso, and quiche Lorraine.
A few blocks away, we entered the Chicago Art Institute, a grand and well-stocked museum. The most helpful staff greet you upon your arrival! Then, after buying tickets (no suggested donation, so it's $25 each), a greeter asks if you're looking for anything specific and steers you thataways.
Map in hand, we explored the second floor. (We'd done the basement and first floor, on our last trip, two years ago).
In awe of human skill and majestic creations, we toured the Renaissance Art, Medieval Art, armor, weaponry, Native American Art, African Art, and Furniture gallery.
More elaborate than European book illustrations (above), we enjoyed the Chinese scrolls exhibit (below), which tell stories and exhibit life in that era.
Why can't anybody carve like that anymore? Look at the wood carving below (circa the end of the Chinese empire)... or the rhino horn beneath it? Beneath that, an inlaid wooden box is made with gold dust to show moonglow.
It's amazing to see that--even in darkest times of history--humans had such eye/hand talent!
In any great-big museum, I feel like I'm exploring a treasure-trove that, previously, only nobility caught glimpses of.
The beading artistry of the Native American Indian headdress (above) is so pretty. Don't forget, they had to MAKE each colored bead.
Whether for weaponry or ornament, metalwork is a lost art.
I can't imagine anyone actually using it, but the two-handed sword (below) was made for the bodyguard of the Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg and Prince of Wolfenbüttel in 1573.
(As a State of the Holy Roman Empire, the duchy existed from 1235 until 1806, when the "Empire" ended. The principalities of the duchy became part of the Kingdom of Hanover, which was absorbed by the Prussian Kingdom in 1866, which itself was conquered by the German Empire in 1871, which became Germany in 1918. The duchy and its dukedom are long-gone, but Brunswick County in North Carolina is still named for it).
*To see our experiences with Prussian heritage in Germany, please use this link:
https://halfwindsorfullthrottle.blogspot.com/2022/11/our-trip-to-berlin-germany-part-1-of-6.html
Lewis and I marveled at the ingenious blacksmith skills that made suits of armor. How each foot and hand was able to move under the heavy plating!
Obviously, knights were barely able to see where they were going, though... unless straight ahead.
It's even more amazing that they wore the equipment on horse-back.
If Marie-Antoinette had a knight, hers would be festooned like this...
Despite all the metal, "between the legs" was easily accessed when the codpiece was off.
The development of thinner "fencing swords" and armor-piercing arrows from crossbows made armor obsolete.
Guns replaced archery skills.
Back then, masculinity wasn't challenged by a gunner having angels and bunnies carved on his rifle. Funny, huh.
As The Da Vinci Code enlightened everyone, ancient artwork was a way of allowing homosexual erotica into society.
*It's significant that Leonardo Da Vinci was a genius artist, engineer (centuries ahead of his peers), and an expert in the study of anatomy and botany... and he was proudly gay. Here is a statue that he posed/modeled for, when he was a young man.
*Please click this link to see our excursion to Italy when we admired Da Vinci's (and Michelangelo's) masterpieces...
It's no surprise that museums are treasure-troves of homosexual masterpieces and homo-erotic amusement. That's why art museums can be fun "date places", where you can insert some coy playful talk. As seen below, it's still somewhat easy to spot a gay guy in a museum.
We spotted an artist who'd won the museum's lottery for space/time to hone her skills replicating the "masters". Our friend, Gordon Fan --who painted/illustrated the cover art of my self-published book, Two Chameleons, was trying to do the same at NYC's Metropolitan Museum... without success. Maybe next time, Gordon... or in another city!
We also think we saw a man painted "in drag"! Ha ha!
Venturing upstairs, we opted for a meal at the sleek restaurant named Terzo Piano. Lewis and I chose items from the menu with an Italian-theme. Everything was quite tasty.
*To see our best meal at a restaurant within a museum, please use this link:
A warm welcome as we entered, and sincere thoughtfulness as we exited via a Survey Kiosk. Great idea!
Adjacent to the museum is an elaborate public garden, designed in 1927. It is centered around Buckingham Fountain. It is near an Illinois landmark titled Queen's Landing. In 1959, Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip arrived there on the royal yacht Britannia, after using the newly-opened St. Lawrence Seaway from Canada (a Commonwealth Realm of the UK).
*To see our visit inside Buckingham Palace (and tea in the royal garden), please use this link:
We took the bus back to Ron's home. Way ahead of NYC, Chicago's bus shelters have time-stamped arrival schedules!
That evening, Ron hosted a 6-person dinner featuring 2"-thick NY Strip Steaks (in honor of Lewis' hometown of NYC).
His other guests were new neighbors who recently moved into his apartment building.
Before guests arrived for cocktails (that I shook up), we helped with mashed potatoes & creamed spinach, toasting a baguette in the oven, and selecting a Merlot.
After dinner, we bade farewell to the guests, and Ron drove us--under a glowing full moon--for drinks at a speakeasy.
The Green Mill was part of mobster Al Capone's empire, and as we arrived, a gang shooting had just occurred across the street in Starbucks. Neighborhoods gentrify, but a criminal element stays the same... such is Chicago.
In no way did the triple murder deter bar-goers from filling the small historic (albeit run-down) jazz club.
Trendy youths, after-office cliques, and tourists packed the place against inconsiderate bartenders and tight tables.
Its 12-piece Big Band did a slew of Benny Goodman songs. A duo of vocalists added era-accurate phrasing. Another fellow read radio commercials from the 1930s-1940s, and he had the typical deep-sounding "announcer's voice" of that era. The whole ensemble was very entertaining.
Afterwards, we witnessed the Halloween Parade in Boystown, which is a "gayborhood".
The parade was heavily-policed and contained within barricades, so it felt confined. (Lewis and I don't understand America's fixation on militaristic police-control of public parades because that doesn't happen in other first-world countries). Since the parade occurred in a gay neighborhood, many costumes were slutty and erotic.
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*To see an eye-popping array of Halloween costumes, please use this link:
We popped into a few bars, but the dim lighting ruined our photos. The vibe everywhere revved-up for sex.
After a few hours, we happily returned to Ron's home. With our flameless fireplace on, Lewis and I nestled into our bed.
The next day, we breakfasted at The Common Cup, a perfectly wonderful coffeeshop located a few blocks away.
Using Counter Culture beans, the barista staff (a "mature woman" and a young lad in skull-cap and tight sweater) was cheery and efficient. The clatter of crockery, the hiss of steam, the aroma of freshly-ground beans for each order... Heaven!
With my latte, I couldn't resist a slice of such delectable-looking apple crumb pie! Apples are great for breakfast! Lewis had coconut chia pudding and an herbal tea.
A "good place" is filled with good energy and attracts good souls. An honor-code lending library supplied a book that I took back to NY... where I'll leave it at my local lending library. A young man recognized Ron and came over to say Hello. He works as a waiter downtown and served Ron, the week before, during a business luncheon. A handicapped elderly woman made her way to the front door, and a girl sitting nearby leapt up (faster than Lewis could) to open the door for her. Another young woman was happy to chat with her, while she sat and awaited her order. Such friendliness.
Above, a public toaster is for clients, and a cash box exists for weekly-changing donations.
Below, reusable water cups and ice cubes are for clients.
Braced against the chilly daytime, we walked along the beach.
We picked up some colorful autumn leaves to adorn Ron's dining table. In the afternoon, we had martinis and Ron's famous Seafood Boil.
Before our flight, that night, we had Chicago's best deep-dish pizza at Lou Malnati's. They source their veggies from a farm that exclusively supplies them. Their meat comes from healthy pastures. Even their buttery crust is a mystery recipe.
We thanked Ron for his hospitality. In reciprocation, he said that he still fondly remembered when he visited NYC and I gave him a Walking Tour of Astoria. He said it was one of his best experiences in the city! *To see the type of Walking Tour that I gave him, please use this link:
Overall, we enjoyed sampling the "Windy City's" parks, suburb, city-center, cultural milieu, late-night life, and public transit. Like many cities, it surpasses Manhattan, but its high cost of living and political malaise make it only a place to visit... not live. That's why Ron will retire in St. Petersburg, Florida, next year. He gave a "standing invitation" to visit him there.
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