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Chicago is the third largest city in the U. S. and is a true melting pot of world cultures, so I ventured into this grand city last month to spend a week immersing myself into Chicago’s culture.
This perfect blend of world cultures makes an interesting concoction. Much like New York and other huge cities, it almost seems as if you are walking through different countries as you go through the different neighborhoods.
The train system running around Chicago isn’t exactly a subway even though part of it goes underground. The majority of it runs above ground and loops around the heart of downtown, called “the loop.” The tracks are elevated with roads running underneath, so the train is sometimes referred to as “the el.” My hotel was conveniently right next to one of the stations in Wrigleyville, so I was able to zip all around the city in no time at all.
I’ve been a Chicago Cubs fan since I was a kid, so I felt this would be a good year to go see a game. It looks like they have a good chance of going all the way this year, on their 100-year anniversary of not winning a World Series. I have come to accept that they will probably blow it in some fashion like they always do however.
Wrigley Field, the historic stadium where the Cubs play, is basically like a huge party. Every game is sold out and it is jammed with people having a great time. Wrigleyville, the area surrounding the stadium, is packed with hundreds of pubs and restaurants, which contributes to the rowdy Wrigley atmosphere. With the Cubs doing great this year, this atmosphere is very wild, and I can only imagine how crazy it would be if they actually won the World Series.
An interesting sculpture in downtown Chicago is this huge mirror ball in Millennium Park. The distorted reflection of the city surrounding it is amazing.
Another area I visited was Chinatown, and after asking around at a few Chinese markets for the best place to eat, I ate some authentic Chinese food. The Olympics were going on during the time I was in Chicago, so it was neat to walk around Chinatown while the eyes of the world were on China. The buildings around the area all had Chinese lettering and traditional Chinese architecture.
A major area I wanted to visit was the Polish village, due to my Polish heritage. I have been to Poland, but other than Poland’s capital, Warsaw, Chicago actually has the largest Polish population of any other city in the world, including the rest of the cities in Poland. Much like Chinatown, all the business names were written in Polish and many living in the village couldn’t speak English, so I really felt like I had teleported to Poland. A favorite snack for my family are these dried Polish sausages called kabanos, so I purchased about a dozen to bring back.
Now lugging this big bag of sausages all over Chicago, I then went on what I like to call a “Ferris Bueller” tour. The sausages and I made our way up the Sears Tower to get a bird’s eye view of downtown Chicago. It was amazing how fast the elevator booked it up through several stories to the observation deck, and in no time I was looking down at the city from the tallest building in America.
The sausages and I then ventured to the Art Institute of Chicago, but the sausages were not allowed inside. My friend Bill and I then took turns babysitting the sausages outside and walking through the Art Institute. Inside the Art Institute is the famous painting “American Gothic” by Grant Wood. The painting depicts a farmer with a pitchfork standing next to his daughter. I had always assumed he was standing next to his wife, as most people do, but she is actually his daughter. I also viewed the famous dot painting “A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte,” popularized by the movie “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off.”
After a night on the town I stopped of at the world-famous Pizzeria Uno, the originators of the Chicago deep-dish pizza. Chicago deep-dish is basically like a regular piecrust filled with cheese, sauce and toppings, with the cheese under the sauce instead of on top like traditional pizza. The pizza was gooey goodness, but it takes about an hour for them to make one.
Another famous Chicago delicacy is the Chicago-style hot dog. There is so much stuff on one of these that you can barely fit it in your mouth. A hot spot to grab a Chicago-style dog is a restaurant called the Wiener Circle. They make a great Chicago dog but the thing that makes this place world famous is the banter that goes on between the employees and the customers. These people are professionals at trash talking and I could barely eat because I couldn’t stop laughing.
This Chicago trip was incredible, though I am sure I put on a few pounds with all the highly unhealthy food. Chicago is a wonderful city and I am looking forward to visiting again.
Coming Up
Next month I am back in Chattanooga and heading to Raccoon Mountain. I will check out the sites of the area both above ground and in the underground caverns.
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