Onward to the Navy Pier. Let me preface this by saying I was there on a weekday in November, it was pouring down rain, and it was truly windy. I'm not surprised that the Navy Pier, which is mostly an outdoor thing, was shut down for the most part. It seems like it would be more of a spring and summer thing. But I was really looking forward to the ferris wheel, which was closed due to wind. Now I ask you, in the Windy City, doesn't it seem like a ferris wheel affected by wind might be a bit of a problem? I mean, I wonder how many days a year it must be closed. But I did wander around, and it was fun to read about the Navy Pier.
Apparently I walked around a lot longer than I thought, because I realized that I needed to head back to the hotel to get to the train on time. I had time to meander, though, and Chicago is so gorgeous that I really enjoyed just walking around and looking. It is a miracle that I didn't trip, though, or walk into something since I was looking up more often than not. As I looked up, I saw a Weber Grill actually hanging from the side of a building. It indicated the Weber Grill Restaurant. I had never heard of such a thing! Of course I am curious about whether they grill everything on an actual Weber Grill. And if they do, do they use an old-school one like the one hanging on the building, or a snazzy Weber Grill?
As I was almost back to my hotel, I saw the coolest thing. There was road construction (surprise!), and one small area around a manhole was repaved. There was a construction worker who had this thing like a jackhammer, except it was an asphalt slammer. It pushed the asphalt down, just like a big roller truck would, except for a small area. It was so cool, and I really wanted one. For what, I don't know. But I was fascinated. Could it be that the small kids at the library who are fascinated with construction are wearing off on me?
The other thing that made me really happy in Chicago was the honking. I really miss car honking in Seattle. All of the drivers are so polite that they never honk. I am not kidding. You might find yourself behind someone paying so little attention that they sit through an entire stop light change. Seattlites don't honk. They just sit there patiently. I am a honker, and I think I've given many Seattlites heart attacks by honking at them. Anyway, in Chicago there was honking galore! It made me so happy.
So a taxi picked me up lickety-split. Normally I would not bore you with tales of my taxi ride except that it was so windy that when we crossed a bridge, the wind was actually blowing the bridge around! For those of you in Seattle, have you ever crossed the 520 bridge over Lake Washington when it's super windy? The bridge (which is a pontoon bridge, for those of you who are not Seattlites) actually flings back and forth on the water, and even though you are driving in your lane, it feels like you are driving like a drunk or crazy person. Anyway, my point is that this bridge was like that. It was a tad unsettling.
When my driver dropped me off at Union Station, I walked down the sidewalk to the entrance. I was literally walking at a 90 degree angle pulling my luggage behind me. A couple of times I could not move. I honestly could not move. Good grief! Thanks for the demo, Chicago!
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