Morning 1 in Chicago : Optimistic walk. Drizzle. Snow. Starbucks. In that order.
Wow moment: 2 storied Ralph Lauren super-store (museum?!) with adjoining Bar and Grill. Being a fan of the brand, I was pure stunned with the range of apparel, accessories and collectibles on offer. There were collections from times bygone, and rooms dedicated to the culture called 'Ralph Lauren'! Of course I shopped ... for what else ... a neat (and very expensive) dress shirt from their Black Label range.
Oh, saw this up-market car showroom, with a Ferrari 430 standing in the snow outside. And the $300k Black Bentley Supersport inside was a complete dream.
Day 2:
At the Museum of Science and Industry, got a chance to get on-board 1 of the 5 (museum ships and exhibit) surviving German U-boats from WW2. ~1200 were made in all. 2 remain in Germany, 1 in England, 1 in Finland.
Not much else was worth the $23 ticket in the museum, apart from the section on shipping and it's development over the last 2 centuries which got me mighty interested after a second look.
Day 3:
Cabbed it to Lincoln Park, a quieter neater older area in North Chicago. Walked the cold to get a feel of the line of eclectic shops and the small wonders on show here and there.
Saw the amazing 'Black Swan' in a red brick theater in old Chicago today. Ended the day drinking on the 95th floor of the 6th tallest building in USA, with a stunning view and an irresistible Romanian accent from the server.
Day 4:
Though I was hitting that mood on the trip where too much touristy behavior and window shopping start feeling mundane, I'd read enough about the Art Institute of Chicago to not miss it despite the odds.
Having left that 1 hr 35 min well behind now, I'll safely say that it was perhaps the best Art Gallery experience ever! Sure, the Art Gallery of New South Wales, Sydney will be a close close second. Fabulous collection of French (Renoir, Sisley and Monet!) and European Impressionist, Modern European (Picassos) and classic American paintings.
A final shopping trip did bag me my elusive fit in jeans ... from a maker I've been wearing for years but had forgotten to check in the States, Levi's of course. Phew! Good Asian food to close out the trip and a much needed holiday had left me all smiles. Wait, did I miss my flight on the return :P Hell, part of the excitement let's say!
Afterthought:
Looking at my facebook page makes me wonder why everyone is asking, "Are you returning from America?" :-) Maybe because I've been mighty impressed with what Chicago had to offer! Well, of course I am. I'm playing this game called life with a plan, and regular quality time with the people and in the county that define the best and worst in me, remain at the center of that plan.
0 comments:
Post a Comment