Chicago (our kinda town)

In The Hancock Tower
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Back on route 66 we stop off in Elkhart, a lovely one horse town with the Horse Feathers diner.  All home prepared home cooked stuff it's really really nice.  Then it's heads down to Chicago.  Course I get pulled for speeding. It's very disconcerting to say the least to see a heavily armed state trooper approaching, we remembere to keep our hands in full sight (fortunately we're not packing heat) Fortunately our cop is an anglophile.  Soon as he hears the accents he's all smiles. "I'm not going to ticket you, but you were a little over the limit" (95 in a 65 area) He wants to see in the trunk which is just jammed full of stuff, when he sees it all he just asks if we have anything illegal in there.  I can only just stop myself from saying "only the drugs and guns" but figure now isn't the best time.

Chicago
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"no we have nothing illegal in there"

"Ok sir, God bless you, be safe"

We drive off vowing to follow the speed limits from now on, which we do until 7 minutes later we get gunned at 65 in a 55 limit, perhaps we'll get away with it, we felt like rushing back and saying "it's ok we're British".

WE make our way to Angie and Dan's home who have invited us to stay.  They have a beautiful home in a really nice neighbourhood, we go out for beers and take home pizza and chicken then just enjoy being in a home again.  Dan drops us in downtown chicago nexct morning and we have a great day and night in the city.

Down town
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It's a really stunning city, the buildings are absolutely magnificent, the huge sears and hancock towers, the huge lake (up to 900 feet deep!!) indredible parks bursting with art works, full of life, free concerts everywhere.  We make our way to the 96th floor cocktail bar in the Hancock building, the views are simply jaw dropping in every direction.  Walking back through downtown chicago is just a trip through the Dark Night film set (it was mostly shot here) and of course seeing the famous theatre distict is an enormous buzz.

At the ballgame
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In the evening we cab into the city to Buddy Guys legends club where we learn that Phil Guy died this week (the curse is still working!!) and see a couple of outstanding bands in a really great atmosphere with cool beer and food.  Buddys' is a good place allright.

Dan and Angie have organised tickets to a ball game for us and we drive along the lake shoreline to beautiful Wrigley Field.  Most folk "tailgate" a few beers from coolers before heading into the ground and what a spectacular ground it is, packed to the rafters the anthems are spine tingling.

With our pals Dan, Angie and Dylan
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Wrigley is apparently famous for being a "huge bar with a ball game attached" Beers hotdogs and what all are all brought to the seats by vendors, passed along the rows with money going in the opposite direction.  It's a fantastic setting, the home team wins, everyone sings "take me out to the ball game" everyone's happy and it's a great day out, followed by a great barby in the hot steamy evening.

Sooooo already it's time to plan out the last leg of our trip, kind of sad about that, but we're also looking forward to getting home and seeing all our pals who we have missed so much..................so where next?

....................................Read next weeks thrilling instalment.