Sunday 13th October 2019

Dateline: Chi Town.

Here we are in Chicago, outside, dawn was coming, and Michigan Avenue outside our room was silent and empty Wouldn't stay like though. I had slept through to half six, and felt much, much better. Though the pizza had laid rather heavy.

First thing, once we had showers and dressed, was to find something to eat for Jools. The hotel is a tad pricey for us to eat in, but opposite is Starbucks, which is more in our range. I mean we could could eat there, but we have The Big Easy to come, I think we will be eating well for the next two weeks.

I have another pumpkin spice with an extra shot and a sandwich, Jools has the same, and feels much better with food inside her.

Three blocks further east is the shore of Lake Michigan, a lake so big it is really an inland sea.

So we walk down the deserted sidewalks, past condos and hotels until we come to the shore. Or as close as we can get to it. Separating us from it is a road, then a four lane dual carriageway, with no obvious way to get to the path we can see joggers and cyclists using it, but there seemed no way over.

So we turn round and go back to the hotel, as if I am honest, it was chilly.

We hang around whilst our friends, Mark and Abbey, wake up and drive from their hotel to near where we are. At which point they message us, and when we go down, Mark is waiting in the car and Abbey in the lobby, so we climb in their car and after a drive up and down the lake shore drive, before heading across the city and river to take me to snap a railway intersection.

This was the one thing I wanted to photograph once I knew we were coming to Chicago, and thanks to the internet, I was able to find the exact location where to go and that the shot is accessible from a parking garage.

Chicago has an elevated railway, The L, and there are several lines, so there are junctions and intersections, and from this location a view right down to what is an impressive set of points and flat crossings. We drive under the L, came to the junction of the two roads, I pointed to the garage, and we agree to go up in the car. All the way to the top level.

And from there, I get the view I wanted, and trains rattled their way round the tight bends, or across the flat crossings. I take many, many shots, even borrowing Mark's wide angle lens as I had left mine in the hotel, meaning I got the shot I pretty much wanted.

Thanks Mark.

And as we were in the heart of the city, by the banks of the river, we go down to street level for a walk, that ends up being quite a walk.

First stop, though, is Dunkin Donuts for a vanilla chai, then to the river where the Chicago Marathon is under way, and the backmarkers were runing and walking over it, with cheers and applause echoing round the bridge. I take their picture.

From there we walk along the river, amazed as bulding rise straight from the water edge in places, to 50 or 60 stories. Briight sunlight casts dark shadows, but it is warmer than yesterday.

Most of the buildings were glass and steel oblong boxes, but the Marina Towers are different; round with parking on lower levels and condos further up, but the patterns and shapes the parking levels create is very pleasing indeed, even if you would need to be a millionaire to live there, as the building has is own marina in its basement.

I snap that well too.

We walk north, looking for a place to eat. Portillos does great hot dogs and burgers we are told. So we go looking.

And along the road on which we were drive only the day before, we find it, and get a table on the first floor. It is a cross between a restaurant and fast food joint, but the food is great. You wait in line to place your order, then wait to get food and drink in a scrum, like some kind of food related bingo!

I have Italian beef sandwich, Jools has gyros wrap. And it is pretty darn good I have to say.

Abbey wanted to see the city from the top of a building, so we decide to walk to the John Hancock Tower where there is a viewing platform on the 94th floor.

We walk the dozen or so blocks back to Michigan, then up three more blocks to the bottom of the tower. A walk into the basement, and after waiting in line, get tickets to go up. Another short wait lets u into the elevator for the ride to the viewing level, 94 floors at 20 mph.

The viewing level wasn't too crowded, so we were able to see out at the city spread out on 180 degrees to the west. The other 180 dregess is all lake. A lot of water, which stretches to the horizon and well over it.

I get shots from all four sides, and then we sit and talk over what to do next. It was half three, Mark and Abbey had to get back to their car, then drive out to their new B&B, so they said they will leave, and Jools and I will head back to the hotel to chill and watch dusk fall from our huge bedroom window.

As you do.