One Damn Thing

Rick and I have made a tradition of going to Chicago for a “couples vacation” in the summer. Usually we time our trip around some kind of show (I’d link to the old posts, but I’m too lazy – just search “Chicago” on this site if you don’t believe me), but this year we decided to go just to enjoy the city. That and our travel and lodging package was so cheap (airfare and 2-night stay for $420 – for both of us!), we couldn’t justify going up another weekend. Say, Lolapalooza weekend.

Sigh. I would have really liked to see Band of Horses. And TV on the Radio. And Silversun Pickups. And Depeche Mode. Oh well. I’m sure all of those bands are likely to play in the same place at the same time next year. Right?

We may not have had a rock n roll weekend, but it was awesome and so completely relaxing to get away for a few days. We stayed at the Ambassador East hotel, which, despite one morning with no hot water, I highly recommend. It was right in the heart of the Gold Coast, so you could walk to the beach as well as the red and brown lines. Very central. The room was comfy and the hotel restaurant, The Pump Room, was classically elegant. With breakfast they served roasted red-bliss potatoes in a mini cast iron terrine. Very tasty. One gentleman dining behind me proclaimed to the waiter, “These potatoes have changed my life!” I wouldn’t go that far.

We got in town Friday morning and explored the city on our own until our friends got off work. Then we all headed to Wicker Park to have dinner at Piece, an award-winning microbrewery and pizza joint. Food was fantastic – and huge. Our pie was served on a full sheet tray and we did half pepperoni/sausage, half spinach/roasted red peppers/bacon. The beer shared by the table was the Dark-n-Curvy Dunkelweizen, silver winner at the 2008 Great American Beer Festival.

Saturday we went to the Museum of Science and Industry. Yes, the Harry Potter exhibit was there. No, we didn’t go. Why? Because the earliest reservations we could get were for 4:30, which seriously cramped our plans to get duck fat fries and foie gras hot dogs at Hot Doug’s, recently showcased on No Reservations. I did get this pic of the official Flying Ford Anglia prop from “The Chamber of Secrets,” which was apparently stolen in October 2005.

I am truly, truly grateful for it’s recovery.

What we did see at the museum were lots of cool trains, like this one:

But our favorite part of the museum – the part that made us wish we’d come with Tommy – was the ToyMaker 3000. With its Computerized Integrated Manufacturing (CIM) you can customize and then watch the whole manufacturing process of a little toy top, just like this one.

I could have watched the manufacturing process all day. (I actually to to watch it twice as our first Gravitron failed the QA.) But then again, I’ve always been fascinated by complicated mechanics.

Turns out Hot Dougs closes at 4, not 4:30. And at 3:50 there was a line wrapped around the building, so no duck fat fries or foie gras dogs for me. But we did have a fantastic dinner at a little place called The Orbit Room. Really just a fancier bar with an awesome patio and great pub menu. The French onion soup made with caramelized onions was *nom*. When we first arrived, a wedding party was there enjoying a few drinks before the reception. I felt very underdressed. When the wedding party headed out, the hipsters moved in. I felt very underinked.

After dinner we headed over to one of the dozens of block parties / street fairs happening throughout the summer in various Chicago neighborhoods. Ben Folds played one. We did not go to that one. We opted instead for the one where the headliner was a hairband tribute. Because, really, when was the last time you heard a good rendition of “Here I Go Again” by Whitesnake? I certainly can’t recall.

Our last stop Saturday night was a great bar called Old Town Ale House. The OTAH features some fantastic portraits by artist Bruce Elliot, some of which you can check out here, if you are not at work or surrounded by impressionable children.

Sunday we had just enough time to squeeze in a visit to the Art Institute of Chicago, where for two hours I quietly hummed “Please Please Please Let Me Get What I Want.” All those amazing Renoirs, Monets, Lautrecs, Matisses, and Seurats, and this is the one picture I took:

Yes, that is the $100 laptop. Yes, I am a ginormous geek.

The weekend was only slightly tarnished by the blue line being under construction. The detour and shuttle bus combination made us miss our early flight out (which I paid extra for), and we didn’t get home until after midnight.

But when is travel ever perfect? I would say pretty much never if you are flying into or out of O’Hare.