The James, Chicago, IL

Gord and I have been in Chicago since Monday afternoon ... our home away from home was The James.  It was just a couple blocks from the Grand subway station (which made getting to and from the airport easy).

Here was the lobby ...

Here was our room ...

West Egg Cafe, Chicago, IL

Gord and I had breakfast this morning at the West Egg Cafe (on N Fairbanks).

Gord ordered The Grabowski.  He said it was good and he'd get it again.

Goose Island Wrigleyville, Chicago, IL

After the ballgame, Gord and I had supper at Goose Island (it's about a block from Wrigley Field).  It is a brewpub and Gord likes their beer.

Chicago Cubs 3, Colorado Rockies 2, Wrigley Field, Chicago, IL

Gord is a big baseball fan.

This afternoon we went to Wrigley Field for the Chicago Cubs - Colorado Rockies game.  It was my first ball game other than the Toronto Blue Jays games.

Me and Gord

The main floor is a hub of activity as that's where the bathrooms, food vendors and drink vendors are.

The Irish Oak, Chicago, IL

Gord and I had lunch today at The Irish Oak, which is a block or so from Wrigley Field.  It was hot out so we sat inside with the a/c.

Gord ordered Beer Batter Fish and Chips.  He said the fish was good, though he found the fries a bit too salty.

Blackfinn Ameripub, Chicago, IL

Gord and I had supper tonight at Blackfinn Ameripub (on W Kinzie Street).

Gord ordered the Pub Burger with mac 'n cheese on a lettuce cap rather than a bun.  He said they were excellent.

I'm a big fan of chicken parm and that's what I ordered.  The pasta was good (oil and garlic) but the chicken tasted funny.  I gave Gord a piece and he agreed.  I let Brittany, our server, know and she had me order something else.

Buckingham Fountain, Chicago, IL

Remember the water fountain in Married With Children?

It's the Buckingham Fountain in Chicago ... and Gord and I walked to it this afternoon.  There's no charge to see it.

It's a beautiful fountain and it was fun to see it up close!

Millennium Park, Chicago, IL

Gord and I walked to Millennium Park this afternoon.  There's no charge to walked around the park.

We headed to Cloud Gate and had a lot of fun with it.

There's Gord

There's Gord and I

Architecture Boat Tour, Chicago, IL

Gord and I did the 12:30pm Architecture Boat Tour today.  It was 75 minutes and about $32.  It is a guided tour.

Discover hidden architectural gems as well the city’s most renowned landmarks along all three branches of the Chicago River while you relax with a drink from our cash bar.* Chicago River Architecture Tours depart from Shoreline’s dock at Polk Bros Park at Navy Pier (southwest corner) and also from the Michigan Avenue Bridge (northeast corner). 

Off we went ...

Centennial Fountain, Chicago, IL

Gord and I walked to Centennial Fountain this morning.

Nicholas J Melas Centennial Fountain is located on the north bank of the Chicago River at McClurg Court in Near North Side, Chicago.  It was dedicated in 1989, to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago, perhaps best known for its major achievement in reversing the flow of the Chicago River in 1900; and in 1999, this system was named a "Civil Engineering Monument of the Millennium" by the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE).

The fountain is designed by Lohan Associates, architects. Every hour, on the hour, the fountain shoots a massive water arc across the river from a modernist tiered waterfall for 10 minutes.

The fountain was named after Nicholas J. Melas who was elected in 1962 to the Board of Commissioners of the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago. Melas was re-elected 5 times, serving for 30 years; the last 18 as President of the Board.

Standing inside it provides a nice background

We walked around to the river side of it.