We Bring You ..A Special 48 Hours Report.....

48 Hours in Chicago...

A Mother, a Daughter, one small bear, and a lot of friendly Chicagoans..uh..people of Chicago..Illinoisians??

We're at the gate...we're on the plane...we're enjoying the plane cookies and the view...do you see Chicago in the distance, Bear?

Cool! We're here! And did you notice Mayer Daley left a sign to welcome us? Yay! We get to ride in a cab!! Hey, does he have a license??

OK, so take us to the Hotel Allegro...in the theater district..and make it snappy..


Long day, Huh Bear? Great room..why doncha take a wee nap...
Great older hotel with a whole new look...

Look at this cave...great for hibernating :-)

Get off the furniture..you are so not funny...


OK, time to go exploring! Tall buildings, huh Bear?! Oh, and that's the "el" - the elevated train..I remember riding on one with my Mother when I was about 5 years old...it was as exciting now as it was back then..

Let's go to the Sears Tower! Wait, what? It's not called the Sears Tower anymore?

OK, so it's the Willis Tower...It's still a ...Big...tall...huge...scary building..

This is what happens when they try to shove a lot of people in one elevator..with a mirrored ceiling...someone has to stand facing the crowd...and if it's me...well, I just have to take a picture of the smiling faces..."Say Willis Tower?"

"I'm Bear-King of the world!"

...ew, wait, I think I may be afraid of heights...
Oh hell no...you're not getting ME out on a 4 foot ledge, made of glass, OVER the city..103 stories straight UP!!

Oh...HellNo..

I think I fainted..I'm not sure...but Mom and April, even though they were terrified, went out and had these photos to prove it...

Next it was going on a Double-Decker tour bus to see the city ..

Look at that great architecture!
And Millennium Park? Soooo fun!

Mom and I came across this wonderful little sanctuary right on Michigan Avenue..the Fourth Presbyterian Church...{ makes you wonder what One, Two and Three looked like..}

Once in the courtyard, it seemed to go silent...but just a few feet away was all the hustle and noise of one of the world's best shopping avenues...Michigan Avenue..The Magnificent Mile...although I was told it wasn't quite a mile long..somehow "the magnificent three-quarter mile just doesn't "roll" right..)

Chicago has some of the best smiles anywhere..just look..

Bear was very pepular with the poople...I mean, popular with the people..


Bear got a little mischievous...sliding down banisters, almost falling into the fountain..what a ham...er..bear

The weather changed and the bright blue skies are now a thing of the past...a soft,
fog- enshrouded rain fell...showing another side of this beautiful city..

Ah, the Night Life...

.Bear stayed home..so we could go to Kitty O'Sheas..took the el..wow. F.A.S.T. !!

..so now I can order my very first Guiness..and get my very first Guinness mustache..the beer was pretty stout...and I can't imagine why they got all huffy when I asked for Sweet-n-Low??!

Listened to Irish music, and they even sang Happy Birthday to me :-)

Well, they said "to you"..not "Happy Birthday to me" ..that'd be silly..unless their birthday was that same day..then it would totally make sense!

Time to go..just one more stop to play a set with the Blues Brothers..then it's off to Utah..

See you in another 60 years, Chicago!

Have a great Saturday..I had a wonderful Birthday and that you all for the good wishes and happy messages..

I love you all :-)
-me