April 10,2026
The rain has stopped but it’s really cold in Chicago this morning. I went on a walkabout to catch the sunrise on the bean and it was only 37 degrees with lots of the famous winds. I layered up but it was cold.
I manage to get pictures of the original start of Route 66 which will be my starting point next year when I drive Route 66 from Chicago to California.
After the walkabout I met up with Kim and Ernie and we headed out to explore the city. A local told us if we went to the Law Library we would have a 360 view of the city from the 27th floor. Well she was not really right but we could see a bit of the city but the fun part was the display of bobble head doll of the past Supreme Court justices and the books from the Obama presidency made it a fun experience.
We headed underground to visit the Billy Goat Tavern that has been serving Cheezborger’s since 1934. Saturday Night live did a famous skit there where John Belushi was a line cook saying the phrase…..Cheezeeborger, Pepsi…no Coke.
After our stomachs were full we headed down Michigan Ave to Watertower Place shopping center. This place holds a special place in my career history as it’s where Bath & a-half’s flagship store was located. I was a partner in the business and my life changed dramatically when it failed. I include a couple of historic pictures of the store. The space on the 7th level is now occupied by Spirits and spice. Emotionally I now hold on the good parts of that experience and not the ugly end.
Late afternoon we went out on the river for an architecture tour of. Chicago is considered the birthplace of the skyscraper, marked by the construction marked by the construction of the 10-story Home Insurance Building in 1885. The Chicago skyline is a collection of modern and retro skyscrapers that makes it unique. It was cold on the boat but we were warmed by hot chocolate with a bit of Baileys!!!!
When the tour ended we were cold and hungry so we continued our pizza quest at Lou Malnati’s. Rated the number 1 pizza in Chicago for the last five years. Sorry that the picture has a few pieces missing…..I did mention we were hungry. Lou’s is my favorite and I was not disappointed.
By the time we had finished our pizza the sun had set and the temperature had dropped significantly so we walked quickly back to the hotel while enjoying the city lights
Even though it was cold we had a great day exploring Chicago!!!
