COLD Chicago!

Wednesday, Oct. 26, 2011--San Antonio to Chicago

The trip went fine today.  The guy sitting next to me was of the giant economy size, but we managed okay.  The flight actually arrived about 20 minutes early.  I managed to get my luggage, buy my train/bus pass, take the train and bus, and arrive here at the apartment before the owner!  Fortunately, I didn't have to wait more than 5 minutes for her, but that is one of the problems with using airbnb.com.  Last year in New York, the woman who was to let me inside the apartment arrived about 40 minutes late.

One interesting thing about O'Hare Airport is that they have Go Shuttle, the same company that the airport in San Antonio has.  I knew that the old Airport Express company was behind on their payments to SAT.  I just figured they declared bankruptcy and changed their name.  I may be right about the bankruptcy and the change of names, because the sign here in Chicago says, "Go Airport Express."  Using both the old name used in San Antonio and the new one.  Maybe it was a national company all along like Super Shuttle.  Anyway, I'm glad to know it isn't just a small-time local contractor in San Antonio.

The apartment is much bigger than I expected.  It's actually two floors.  The kitchen, living room, dining room and a half-bath are upstairs.  Downstairs is the bedroom, another half bath, and a huge bathroom with tub.  It looks just like it does at the website:  http://www.airbnb.com/rooms/220566

The bad news is the weather.  It is cold and windy here.  It feels especially bad when near the water.  Since my apartment is only half a block off Marine Dr. (Lake Michigan), the weather feels severe in this neighborhood.  The temperature was 51 when we landed.  Every sign I saw for the rest of the day showed that temperature or lower.  It's going to stay about the same through the time I am here.  There will be some sunshine some days, but there is a chance of showers 3 of the days.

Due to the weather, I am re-thinking my plans.  I had thought I would take the architecture boat tour which I have never done here and everyone says is so great.  But I don't want to do it in weather like this.  I need to search for indoor activities.  I'm going to check what is showing at the cinemas, what plays are in town, what exhibits are at the museums, etc.  It's going to have to be an indoor vacation.

Today, I explored the neighborhood.  The block I am in and the ones nearby are really quite nice.  In fact, the street just next to this one is in the National Historic Register.  But go westward a couple of blocks or southward, and the neighborhood is decaying.  Westward, however, it is being revived by an influx of Asians, mostly Vietnamese.

I searched for a place to have a Vietnamese sandwich for a late lunch.  Most of the restaurants looked like full-service places rather than sandwich places, and they had no customers at that time of the day.  I ended up buying a sandwich at a Subway two blocks away and bringing it back to the apartment.

After eating, I took the train to the northern part of downtown and walked around.  I mainly explored the northern part of Michigan Avenue which is known for its fancy shops and department stores.  Then I walked along Rush Street which feels quaint and has lots of restaurants and bars.  Finally, I was so tired from getting up early, that I returned to the apartment for the evening.