CHICAGO IN THE “SPRING”

By Angela Rocco DeCarlo, copyright, 2008

Everyone should be in Chicago in the springtime…and that’s right now.

Baseball fans know the city will be on high excitement as the Chicago Cubs clinched their National League Division and are in the running for the World Series. The Cubs last won a World Series in 1908, so they are overdue. Meanwhile, on the city’s South Side, the Chicago White Sox, American League, are doing well and, as of this writing, may be in the playoffs.

Notorious for its perfidious climate, Chicago is perverse enough to offer up its best springtime weather in the fall. October is, without a doubt, the most felicitous time to visit this world-class city to enjoy its many delights. In the fall the crowds are gone and the weather is usually delightful.

A compact convenient city, visitors can catch the Impressionist paintings (the largest collection outside Paris, but in a much better venue) at the Art Institute of Chicago, on Michigan Avenue. Here’s where you’ll find some of the most iconic paintings in the art world: such as Claude Monet’s “Haystacks;” GeorgeSeurat’s “A Sunday on La Grand Jatte;” Grant Wood’s 1930s painting of a farmer and his daughter (not his wife) in “American Gothic.” Many people have seen pop art imitations o fEdward Hopper’s evocative painting “Nighthawks.” The imitation’s images include actors Marilyn Monroe and James Dean. The original does not.

Not to be missed are the 68 exquisite miniature Thorne Rooms, of European and American room interiors from the 13th century through the 1930s. The rooms were created between 1932 and 1940, by talented artists to the specifications of Chicago’s Mrs. James Ward Thorne. Also, in the lower level with the Thorne Rooms, are many children’sattractions.

The new Millennium Park, next to the Art Institute, offers unique fountains, delightful open green spaces, a band shell, sculpture, gardens and cafes. It’s a must-see park, amid one of the world’s most lovely lakefronts. Several miles north of this park is Navy Pier, a perfect playground for families with children who relish giant ferris wheels and lavish merry-go-rounds. Plenty of restaurants here, too.

Outside the Art Institute, on Michigan Avenue, you can jump on a trolley or city bus for a short run south to the Field Museum of National History. Kids love meeting Sue, the 67-million-year old T-Rex. Sue is not a plastic or plaster cast or collection of bones from various sources. Sue is intact and real. You can walk around the 13 feet tall, 42 feet long creature. Named in honor of Sue Henrickson, the person who first saw the fossils, in the summer of 1990, in the hills of South Dakota. Sue, the t-rex, has resided at the Field Museum since May 17, 2000, and is the largest, best preserved and most complete tyrannosaurus rex fossil yet discovered. Of course, the Field’s extensive exhibits also offer a scientific record of the Earth’s climatic history, demonstrating the various natural ice and warm eras in Earth’s long life.

The magnificently ingenious Museum of Science and Industry is a short ride south of the Field Museum. This is the place where you can go down into a real coal mine or explore the interior of a WWII German submarine. This is a museum on a grand scale to inspire and delight the curious of mind.

First-time visitors are often shocked to realize that Chicago is among the most beautiful cities in the world. The city, perched on the shore of Lake Michigan, with a front yard spanning hundreds of acres of public parks, is best viewed from the water, looking back at the parks and the iconic towering sawtooth skyline – the skyscraper was born in Chicago. A boat tour will highlight the history of the city shown through various styles of architecture.

The Wendella Boat tours, longtime guides of the city’s waterways, provide tours through December. These include Wine Tasting Architectural tours, Lake tours and Chicago River Architecture tours. The Lake tours begin in the Chicago River and pass through the river locks, (sort of a mini Panama Canal experience) which were installed when the river’s flow was reversed to preserve the purity of Lake Michigan water, which is the city’s source of drinking water.

To secure the full flavor of this surprisingly sparkling city there are four things visitors should do:
1) Visit one of the world-classmuseums;
2) Take in a river or lake cruise or Cubs game (if you can score a ticket);
3) Eat Chicago style pizza – Lou Malnati’s on Wells St. is yummo;
4) View the city from the observatory atop either the Hancock Building or the Sears Tower.

Luxury hotels such as The Drake on Michigan, the Ambassadors, the Palmer House, the Four Seasons and many more offer special packages throughout the year. Try having English tea in some of these hotels...a civilized meal. Those who prefer more casual accommodations will find a wide range of hotels to suit their needs and budget.

Chicago is known as an “eating and entertainment city” featuring many distinct ethnic neighborhoods with theaters and upscale restaurants, as well as down home establishments. It’s a walking city, so bring comfortable shoes, as you’ll want to walk at least one of the many Chicago River bascule bridges, (the city holds the record on the number of these opening bridges) especially the Michigan Avenue double-deck bridge. The Bridgehouse Museum, which highlights the city's history through the development of the river, s located on the Michigan Avenue bridge and is open until October 31. There, you can see the giant gears which lift and divide the 200-ton bridge to allow boats to pass beneath.

Of course, if you are traveling with a little girl, you’ll have to add a fifth must-do; a visit to the American Girl Place, off North Michigan Avenue. It is a world unto itself…all things girly, including a beauty salon for dolls, and tea room for dolls and their human firiends. Having a birthday party in the tea room is a much sought-after experience for young ladies. And pampering grandmamas. As an extra treat grandmama may surprise her special little girl with a look-alike American Girl. So cute.

Centrally located, Chicago offers excitement, culture (Lyric Opera of Chicago, etc) and a wide range of exciting opportunities for fun. This is a city second to none…it’s my kind of town, and will be yours, too.

For information on trip planning:
www.cityofchicago.org/tourism
1-877-244-2246
Visitors Information Centers:
Chicago Water Works, 163 East Pearson St.,@ Michigan Ave.
Chicago Cultural Center, (holds the largest Tiffany dome) 77 E. Randolph St.
From outside the United States please call 1-312-201-8847

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Credit: Angela Rocco DeCarlo, former Chicago journalist.
copyright, 2008