National Tonkoon's Vacation

[CT III]

Okay, guys: we're going shopping on State Street this morning and bearing in mind that it may take STonk a little longer than the rest of us to locate what she's looking for (women need more than shirseys, it turns out), is there something around there where I can take the kids for an hour to amuse them?

This morning?  Like before bars/restaurants are open?  It's nice out you could sit on the rooftop of Rock Bottom and have lunch before the work crowd gets there.  If you're by the river, they're almost done over here with the riverfront walkway thing, so that's kind of cool now.  You can probably see a body floating around if you look thru the murkiness.  

I can't wait until you have your kid.  Your world will be turned upside down.

Tonk--I'd suggest walking them over to Millenium Park, not even two blacks east of State Street between Lake and Jackson or thereabouts. Don't  cost nothin' and you may well be able to stretch your time to an hour or even an hour-and-a-half just walking around.  Also what Dubbs said about the Riverwalk, which is kind of in the other direction north but if your woman be shoppin' for like 3 hours you can do both.

Dubbs may have underestimated what it takes to amuse a child, but the lunch tip sounds good.  Millennium Park seems like the answer to my prayers, indeed, although I probably should have been able to come up with that idea myself by this point in my Chicago-visiting career.  Thanks, Mike.

I'm not sure how Huey passes himself off as a local guy when he doesn't know that Millennium Park is between Randolph and Monroe, not Lake and Jackson.

Anyway, since you're with the kids, keep going east of Millennium Park and cross Columbus Drive using either the BP (ugh) Bridge on the south side or via upper Randolph Street on the north end.  This will land you in Maggie Daley Park which has all kinds of crazy crap geared towards children.

Also, if your kids want a quick tour of soul-crushing corporate America, let me know and I'll put your names in at the security desk of the Aon Center.  Some say the building is still haunted by the ghost of RV...

[World's #1 Astros Fan]

Okay, guys: we're going shopping on State Street this morning and bearing in mind that it may take STonk a little longer than the rest of us to locate what she's looking for (women need more than shirseys, it turns out), is there something around there where I can take the kids for an hour to amuse them?

This morning?  Like before bars/restaurants are open?  It's nice out you could sit on the rooftop of Rock Bottom and have lunch before the work crowd gets there.  If you're by the river, they're almost done over here with the riverfront walkway thing, so that's kind of cool now.  You can probably see a body floating around if you look thru the murkiness.  

I can't wait until you have your kid.  Your world will be turned upside down.

Tonk--I'd suggest walking them over to Millenium Park, not even two blacks east of State Street between Lake and Jackson or thereabouts. Don't  cost nothin' and you may well be able to stretch your time to an hour or even an hour-and-a-half just walking around.  Also what Dubbs said about the Riverwalk, which is kind of in the other direction north but if your woman be shoppin' for like 3 hours you can do both.

Dubbs may have underestimated what it takes to amuse a child, but the lunch tip sounds good.  Millennium Park seems like the answer to my prayers, indeed, although I probably should have been able to come up with that idea myself by this point in my Chicago-visiting career.  Thanks, Mike.

I'm not sure how Huey passes himself off as a local guy when he doesn't know that Millennium Park is between Randolph and Monroe, not Lake and Jackson.

I included a caveat that I was being approximate.

[Tony]

Took an UberX car (excellent, fast, cheap service: good shout, Dubbs) up to Logan Square this morning for breakfast - ATonk nearly shit herself with happiness when they brought her pancakes - and then walked back to the apartment via the park.  I guess it was nothing special really, but we ended up talking to all sorts of people on the way, checked out the 606, and then visited the big Puerto Rican supermarket on North and California and it was a really, really nice morning.  It was also really, really fucking long morning, having been up at 0530 with the jetlag.  At one point I asked STonk what time she thought it was and she replied "I don't know... about one?".  It was quarter past ten.

Shoulda come by the house as long as you were down the street

Where do you live, dude?

Logan Square.  Logan and California.  The northern suburbs.  I can barely see the skyline from the rooftop, so I know I'm still in the city.  Watch TV dude. 

We walked right through that junction this morning.  I was amazed to see that you have Starbucks in America, too.

If a Logan Square meetup is planned with the Dubbs and Tonker families, let me know. The Butthead clan would like to get in on that if possible. My boy has never met anyone from Australia. This will be a good learning experience for him.

TDubbs' wife is very nice. I'm sure your family will enjoy her company. She might even be nice enough to offset TDubbs being there.

How long are you staying in the area?  Thru the weekend?  Want to do a Parsons night one of these days?  Huge outdoor area and so much fried chicken that even Tonker, Fork, and SKO together couldn't eat all of it. 

CHALLEGE: ACCEPTED!

I have no idea what Parsons is, but I'll be very happy to eat all their chicken.  We leave for Menver on Monday morning, so we're here until then and other than Saturday morning, have no concrete plans.

Hey Logan Square people, or anyone willing to come to Logan Square... how about Saturday late afternoon/early evening for Parsons? There's a big open patio so it could work for a large gathering of Desipiots.

And CT is right... Maggie Daley park is supposed to be great. Definitely do that with the kids.

[CT III]

Okay, guys: we're going shopping on State Street this morning and bearing in mind that it may take STonk a little longer than the rest of us to locate what she's looking for (women need more than shirseys, it turns out), is there something around there where I can take the kids for an hour to amuse them?

This morning?  Like before bars/restaurants are open?  It's nice out you could sit on the rooftop of Rock Bottom and have lunch before the work crowd gets there.  If you're by the river, they're almost done over here with the riverfront walkway thing, so that's kind of cool now.  You can probably see a body floating around if you look thru the murkiness.  

I can't wait until you have your kid.  Your world will be turned upside down.

Tonk--I'd suggest walking them over to Millenium Park, not even two blacks east of State Street between Lake and Jackson or thereabouts. Don't  cost nothin' and you may well be able to stretch your time to an hour or even an hour-and-a-half just walking around.  Also what Dubbs said about the Riverwalk, which is kind of in the other direction north but if your woman be shoppin' for like 3 hours you can do both.

Dubbs may have underestimated what it takes to amuse a child, but the lunch tip sounds good.  Millennium Park seems like the answer to my prayers, indeed, although I probably should have been able to come up with that idea myself by this point in my Chicago-visiting career.  Thanks, Mike.

I'm not sure how Huey passes himself off as a local guy when he doesn't know that Millennium Park is between Randolph and Monroe, not Lake and Jackson.

I included a caveat that I was being approximate.

A CHICAGO GUY would never use a caveat like that. At least not one who I'm sure has at some point bragged about his savant-like ability to navigate the city thanks to its excellent grid system.

[World's #1 Astros Fan]

Okay, guys: we're going shopping on State Street this morning and bearing in mind that it may take STonk a little longer than the rest of us to locate what she's looking for (women need more than shirseys, it turns out), is there something around there where I can take the kids for an hour to amuse them?

This morning?  Like before bars/restaurants are open?  It's nice out you could sit on the rooftop of Rock Bottom and have lunch before the work crowd gets there.  If you're by the river, they're almost done over here with the riverfront walkway thing, so that's kind of cool now.  You can probably see a body floating around if you look thru the murkiness.  

I can't wait until you have your kid.  Your world will be turned upside down.

Tonk--I'd suggest walking them over to Millenium Park, not even two blacks east of State Street between Lake and Jackson or thereabouts. Don't  cost nothin' and you may well be able to stretch your time to an hour or even an hour-and-a-half just walking around.  Also what Dubbs said about the Riverwalk, which is kind of in the other direction north but if your woman be shoppin' for like 3 hours you can do both.

Dubbs may have underestimated what it takes to amuse a child, but the lunch tip sounds good.  Millennium Park seems like the answer to my prayers, indeed, although I probably should have been able to come up with that idea myself by this point in my Chicago-visiting career.  Thanks, Mike.

I'm not sure how Huey passes himself off as a local guy when he doesn't know that Millennium Park is between Randolph and Monroe, not Lake and Jackson.

I included a caveat that I was being approximate.

A CHICAGO GUY would never use a caveat like that. At least not one who I'm sure has at some point bragged about his savant-like ability to navigate the city thanks to its excellent grid system.

I've long held the belief that my internal savant magnetism gets scrambled as soon as I traverse east of Michigan.  The "east side" of Chicago is a nightmarish hellscape which I have never pretended to have committed to memory.  I have driven on endless loops through those awful streets like Stetson and St. Claire and the like and the experience only further alienates me.  I stand by my caveat.

[CBStew]

I'd suggest the Art Institute, but that may be pricey and not to everyone's taste.  The Lego Store is fun for all. 

[SKO]

I'd suggest the Art Institute, but that may be pricey and not to everyone's taste.  The Lego Store is fun for all.  

Well and given that Tonk's stated goal is to try and find purely "american" things to do, I doubt he's interested in looking at a lot of art from Europe. I do love the Art Institute, though.

[CBStew]

I'd suggest the Art Institute, but that may be pricey and not to everyone's taste.  The Lego Store is fun for all. 

Well and given that Tonk's stated goal is to try and find purely "american" things to do, I doubt he's interest in looking at a lot of art from Europe. I do love the Art Institute, though.

Across Michigan Ave. from the Art Institute is the old Public Library Building. It is worth a trip to just climb the marble staircase to see the magnificent stained glass skylight.

[CT III]

I'd suggest the Art Institute, but that may be pricey and not to everyone's taste.  The Lego Store is fun for all. 

Well and given that Tonk's stated goal is to try and find purely "american" things to do, I doubt he's interest in looking at a lot of art from Europe. I do love the Art Institute, though.

Across Michigan Ave. from the Art Institute is the old Public Library Building. It is worth a trip to just climb the marble staircase to see the magnificent stained glass skylight.

Thank you Stew, for reminding me to take advantage of being downtown every day.  I walk past (or in bad weather, scuttle beneath it in the tunnels like a CHUD) the Public Library building on a daily basis but have never ventured inside. 

[R-V]

Took an UberX car (excellent, fast, cheap service: good shout, Dubbs) up to Logan Square this morning for breakfast - ATonk nearly shit herself with happiness when they brought her pancakes - and then walked back to the apartment via the park.  I guess it was nothing special really, but we ended up talking to all sorts of people on the way, checked out the 606, and then visited the big Puerto Rican supermarket on North and California and it was a really, really nice morning.  It was also really, really fucking long morning, having been up at 0530 with the jetlag.  At one point I asked STonk what time she thought it was and she replied "I don't know... about one?".  It was quarter past ten.

Shoulda come by the house as long as you were down the street

Where do you live, dude?

Logan Square.  Logan and California.  The northern suburbs.  I can barely see the skyline from the rooftop, so I know I'm still in the city.  Watch TV dude. 

We walked right through that junction this morning.  I was amazed to see that you have Starbucks in America, too.

If a Logan Square meetup is planned with the Dubbs and Tonker families, let me know. The Butthead clan would like to get in on that if possible. My boy has never met anyone from Australia. This will be a good learning experience for him.

TDubbs' wife is very nice. I'm sure your family will enjoy her company. She might even be nice enough to offset TDubbs being there.

How long are you staying in the area?  Thru the weekend?  Want to do a Parsons night one of these days?  Huge outdoor area and so much fried chicken that even Tonker, Fork, and SKO together couldn't eat all of it. 

CHALLEGE: ACCEPTED!

I have no idea what Parsons is, but I'll be very happy to eat all their chicken.  We leave for Menver on Monday morning, so we're here until then and other than Saturday morning, have no concrete plans.

Hey Logan Square people, or anyone willing to come to Logan Square... how about Saturday late afternoon/early evening for Parsons? There's a big open patio so it could work for a large gathering of Desipiots.

And CT is right... Maggie Daley park is supposed to be great. Definitely do that with the kids.

Maybe too late here, but I can vouch for Maggie Daley Park. Not sure how old your kids are Tonk (or what units of measurement they have in Australia to describe their age), but I've got a 2 and a 4 year old and they fucking love that place.

[Quality Start Machine]

I'd suggest the Art Institute, but that may be pricey and not to everyone's taste.  The Lego Store is fun for all. 

Well and given that Tonk's stated goal is to try and find purely "american" things to do, I doubt he's interest in looking at a lot of art from Europe. I do love the Art Institute, though.

Across Michigan Ave. from the Art Institute is the old Public Library Building. It is worth a trip to just climb the marble staircase to see the magnificent stained glass skylight.

Thank you Stew, for reminding me to take advantage of being downtown every day.  I walk past (or in bad weather, scuttle beneath it in the tunnels like a CHUD) the Public Library building on a daily basis but have never ventured inside. 

The Rookery is closer to my office. I always take a couple minutes to walk inside and look at the atrium when I'm over there.

[Tony]

I'd suggest the Art Institute, but that may be pricey and not to everyone's taste.  The Lego Store is fun for all.  

Well and given that Tonk's stated goal is to try and find purely "american" things to do, I doubt he's interested in looking at a lot of art from Europe. I do love the Art Institute, though.

[SKO]

I'd suggest the Art Institute, but that may be pricey and not to everyone's taste.  The Lego Store is fun for all.  

Well and given that Tonk's stated goal is to try and find purely "american" things to do, I doubt he's interested in looking at a lot of art from Europe. I do love the Art Institute, though.

Yes I'm aware there's some good 'Merican stuff in there, just saying that Tonk said before museums and tourist-y things weren't really what he was after. He wanted real 'Merica, and as that includes rabid anti-intellectualism, no museums!

[Quality Start Machine]

Of you're going to be in Chicago on a Sunday morning, the House of Blues Gospel Brunch is pretty cool. Here praise for the Lord while engaging in gluttony and sloth, at least.

[InternetApex]

I'm in for Parsons Saturday.

Saturday Parsons Yes.

RT if you're down with me.