My Kind of Town, Chicago is my kind of razzamatazz and all that jazz!!!

Chicago...........growing up in the shadow of this big city had no impact on me whatsoever. Yea right. In fact, I was supposed to go to school right downtown Chicago at the Harris Institute but that plan was waylaid by a scholarship to a Illinois state supported school. So now, years later, my only experiences have been an occasional visit to the museums, football games or the airport. But now that I am close again, although it is still a good day's drive to get there, I plan on checking it out more. I do remember when I was growing up, I belonged to an organization called Job's Daughters. And every year, we had a convention in Chicago and it was held at the Conrad Hilton Hotel, which is now called the Hilton Chicago. This is a very nice hotel and rooms are exquisitely appointed. It is expensive but worth it.

It is also conveniently located on Michigan Avenue overlooking Grant Park, Lake Michigan, Millennium Park and the Museum Campus. Guests at the Hilton can use the hotel's free shuttle service to the Magnificent Mile and great shopping. I always liked staying there, waking up early in the morning and walking over to Lake Michigan. It was peaceful and gorgeous.

Chicago offers a multitude of lodging options. You will pay dearly to be downtown. Priceline prices run from $129 - $359 for a downtown hotel. There are a few other options. Again I will mention http://www.vrbo.com/, which lists several condos in the area. They run about the same price but you would have a kitchen and this helps with meals. Although the restaurant selection in Chicago is to die for, so you would want to give the restaurants some of your business. What about a Bed & Breakfast, check out http://www.bedandbreakfast.com/ for offers.

I have found a couple of hotels that appeal to my tastes. Hotel 71, located at 71 E. Wacker Drive, is a modern boutique hotel experience. Some friends and I will traveling to Chicago in November to catch Phantom of the Opera, we have opted to stay at this hotel based on location, price and the size of the rooms. For two rooms, two queen size beds with a sitting area facing the river, $643 for the night. Splitting this between 5 people and our costs are running around $130.

The second hotel, The Cass Hotel, which is located on the Magnificent Mile, has been renovated this year and is now designated as a Holiday Inn Express hotel. Located at 643 North Wabash, this hotel is decorated very nicely and has great amenities.

Entertainment abounds in this wonderful city. Not only in the downtown area but in the suburbs as well. I am concentrating on downtown because that is where my interests lie. I will be covering Navy Pier, Field Museum, Museum of Science and Industry, Shedd Aquarium, and Adler Planetarium, to name a few.

So let us begin..............our 6th grade field trip was to the Museum of Science and Industry. This is a huge museum and has all kinds of hands on exhibits. I remember walking through the human heart. Going into a World War II Japanese submarine. Talking on telephones where you could see each other. A wonderful electric train layout, a coal mine, so many many things. But that was many years ago, we won't say how many, just take my word for it. Today some of the best attractions are as follows:

THE U-505 SUBMARINE

On June 4, 1944, the German submarine known as the U-505 was off the coast of West Africa looking for American and Allied ships. Depth charges from the USS Chatelain blasted the u boat out of hiding. It was the end of the terror campaign the u boats ran in the Atlantic that almost altered the result of World War II. The U-505 Submarine exhibit is a part of your entry ticket but if you want to do a tour of the submarine, it is $5 per person. These tours are limited so it is best to buy your ticket and time in advance.

Colleen Moore's Fairy Castle

"Colleen Moore was always fascinated by dolls and doll houses. She owned several elaborate doll houses as a child, but later in life her father, Charles Morrison, suggested that she should pursue her passion for miniatures and doll houses by creating the "doll house" of her dreams. Her position as one of the
most popular actresses in Hollywood gave her the resources to produce a "Fairy
Castle" of fantastic proportions."

This castle today is worth $500,000, it measures 8'7" x 8'2" x 7'7" and contains over 2000 miniatures.

THE COAL MINE

Descend 600 ft underground and explore a working coalmine from it's humble beginnings to the technology used today. You explore Old Ben #17 which opened in the museum in 1933. This tour takes you through the stages of coal mining up to modern day with all of the safety precautions they now take.

FLIGHT 727

Explore the inner and outer workings of an actual Boeing 727. You will learn about the force of flight, cockpit, black box through hand-on and interactive displays

THE GREAT TRAIN STORY

The Great Train Story replaces the 60 year old model railroad exhibit (oh darn) but takes you through a journey across America, from Chicago to Seattle. The exhibit starts in Seattle harbor and moves you east across the nation to downtown Chicago.

HENRY CROWN SPACE CENTER

Here you will get a first hand look at the space crafts and artifacts that have been used through out our space program history. Two such spacecraft are on loan to the museum, Apollo 8 Command Module and Aurora 7 Mercury Space Capsule.

SHIPS THROUGH THE AGES

This is a collection of authentic ship models with reproductions of the first seacraft that sailed the ocean 5000 years ago to the luxury liners of the mid 1900's. They have a nearly life-sized mock up of a tall ship quarterdeck where you can experience handling a real ship at sea. They have an ancient Egyptian ship, copies of the Nina, the Pinta and the Santa Maria and the Mayflower.

WALK THROUGH THE HEART

The heart exhibit opened in 1952 and features a 16 foot tall model of the human heart. It has interactive exhibit units and has been updated with units on heart attacks and strokes. The human heart will outlast the normal activity of 7 automobiles each driven 10 years for more than 100,000 miles.

YESTERDAY'S MAINSTREET

A recreated 1910 street of yesteryear complete with cobblestones and brick takes you back to a time of silent movies and old fashion soda fountains. Included in the exhibit:

Dentist's office, Dr. John B. Murphy's office, Berghoff's restaurant, Jewel Tea Company grocery, Law office. Lytton's Clothing Store, Commonwealth Edison, Gossard Corset Shop, Chas. A. Stevens & Co., Chicago Post Office and Walgreen's Drug Company, Marshall Field & Co., The Nickelodian Cinema, Finnigan's Ice Cream Parlor and Photo Studio.

These are just a few of the permanent exhibits at the museum, which also features an Omnimax Theater, Foodcourt, and a parking garage. Admission is $11 for adults, $7 for children, and $9.50 for Seniors (65+)