Chicago - Chicago

It's time for our Sisters' Trip - and the destination this year was Chicago!!  Since Teri and Jay frequent Chicago quite often, she did all the research and planning and both Patty and I so appreciated it!!  Not that booking the hotel was that tough but researching all those subway lines and trains and printing off maps for tours - yikes!!  I was glad it was in her hands!!

 

Glenn and I both went to Denver the night before as he was flying to Idaho to bring home a new truck (watch for that blog too) so we got to see all 4 grand kids and spend a little bit of time with Jessi and Jaime!

 

I guess I didn't check the weather in Denver well enough because we woke up to a blizzard!!  It was coming down pretty hard and was the wet, wet stuff!!  With it being pitch dark at that time of the morning, I knew it was going to be a tough ride to the airport!!  I had put on my sandal type walking shoes with socks and didn't really think about the snow at that time since the car was parked on Jaime's cement - but by the time we got to the airport, my socks were soaked!

 

Glenn did a great job driving to the airport but it wasn't a fun trip - the snow was blowing sideways and the slush on the pavement was awful - the snow was sticking in spots but mostly kind of melting as it hit!!  We both let out a sigh of relief when we reached Pikes Peak Shuttle to park the car - and even though we were close to the little shelter for pick up, we got pretty wet just getting there!!

 

I took off my wet socks and stuffed them in the suitcase before I checked my bag and then we were off to our gates!!  Glenn's flight was on time but I was an hour late departing due to the snow - and then of course they had to de-ice on the runway!  It would have been a pleasant flight to Chicago EXCEPT we had a crying baby for over 1/2 of the flight - yikes - I felt sorry for the parents holding that child as I was only a couple of seats ahead and the noise was deafening!!

 

Patty flew in from Omaha also on Southwest and our flights were supposed to land within minutes of each other but since I was late, she went ahead down to baggage to meet Teri who had ridden the train into Chicago, checked into the hotel, and then took the "L" (subway) to meet us!  It was great to see both of them again!!

 

Here's a picture of the L that took us into Chicago to the Loop where we stayed!

 

We stayed at the Congress Hotel - and no, it really doesn't lean like the Leaning Tower of Pisa - I actually think this leaning picture can be chalked up to the photographer!!

Although it's an old hotel, the rooms have been updated but many parts of the hotel retained their old world charm!  The lobby was beautiful!

Our room was on the 12th floor - the top one - so in this picture you can see our room at the top with the fire escape.  And no, none of us decided to try those scary steps to the bottom!!

We were expecting a very small room but it wasn't small at all - we had plenty of room and a nice bathroom too!  Notice the little door next to the TV - that leads out to the fire escape!

Yes, it was a LONG ways down!!

But we had fun taking pictures out on the fire escape!!

To Be Cont'd...............