Chicago (the first planned stop)

So, we’re going pure Americana in our eating because we walked

to the Culver’s right by the hotel to have some lunch before going to the train.  Great music that we’re singing to and people probably think we’re crazy, but we’re in a good mood and going on an adventure.  Love Is in the Air was on and Oscar just kept saying, “I don’t see love in the air”.  Of course the philosopher asked him if he could see the “air”, but he answered “yes” like any 5 year old.  We took an Uber to the train station and had an uneventful ride to Millenium Station.  A really cold, windy, snowy walk to the Blue Line station where Oscar fell in love with a street performer that was singing in the station.  John has decided that we already need to pare down the stuff we’re taking.  Really, I don’t think that we can make it any smaller, but we’re going to look again when we get to Malta and do some more public transport.  We get out at O’Hare and get lost trying to find the bus station.  They have “musical” levels in the elevator….neat, but how does “Chicago Cubs, Harry Caray, Take Me Out to the Ball Game” tell me that the bus center is on that floor?  Anyway, after traumatizing Oscar by telling him to get off the elevator and the doors starting to shut in between him and us, we finally figure out the right place and just in time, because as I push the button to call our hotel to have the shuttle pick us up, I see a Best Western van out the window and tell John to catch it.  It’s not the right Best Western, but that shuttle bus is just two cars up and we hop right into the crowded bus to the hotel.  There are some people who have been travelling all day because they were supposed to go to Puerto Vallarta, but couldn’t land in Houston because of the tornados and storms, so got rerouted here, where they can’t take off either and now have lost luggage.  They probably paid $150 for a room tonight at the hotel that we got for $60 because no one knew there was going to be a storm tonight… I have to hand it to Susan at the Best Western Elk Grove, she handled a crazy mass of people flying at her desk, delivery guys, people on the phone and added two hours to our check out time and set us up on the 2pm shuttle to go back to the airport because they were trying to make people’s lives easier tonight.  She also was sending one of the shuttles to take some people to the liquor mart for liquid help.  The snow is finally piling up here and I’m shocked to still hear planes taking off and landing when we’re in the hotel.  Delivery pizza is on the agenda tonight and again, we’re getting our fill of Americana food before we leave, that’s for sure.