Chicago in January

Bizarre Moderator The artist formerly known as blue74l

12,789 posts · joined Aug 2002 · 29 Oct 2008, 12:50 pm

#677219

Any one have some leads for what to do in Chicago for a couple of days in late January

Yep - swimming or sailing ISNT on the list of to do.

Going for a conference for a couple days and i will have a couple of days spare.
2 days free
3 days conference
2 days free

LONG way to go to freeze my arse off

Last time we went to Texas and got a few leads for what to do from here.

Futue te ipsum!!!

Sides Veteran Volks Folk

2,220 posts · joined May 2007 · 29 Oct 2008, 1:16 pm

#677223

Oh yeah - you're DEFINITELY gonna freeze... I was there in the middle of November 2 years ago, and MAN was it cold. Locals all wearing lightweight sweaters, me in 3 and 4 layers and still shivering.

- They have a pretty good Planetarium there right down by the lake, which usually has roaming exhibits... when I was there they had John Glenn's Gemini capsule and other early space program stuff on display - REALLY cool (I'm a space nut)
- Right next to the Planetarium is a big, old-style museum like those that you only see in movie's - dinosaur skeletons in the foyer, stuff like that.
- Al Capone's grave... they do a cemetary tour and other gangster related stuff (didn't get to do it, but I hear it's worthwhile).
- Plenty of Jazz bars and good restaurants - Chicago likes to compete/better New York for that big city vibe. Plus they have an L-train rather than subway, so just taking a ride on that is kinda interesting since you can see out still
- There'd be ice skating in the parks, most neighbourhoods have an angle'd park setup for tobogganing etc.
- Football would normally be big thing to do, but it'll be pretty much all over by then (I don't think the Bears are gonna make the finals this year)
- if you're a techno geek, they have apparently one of the biggest Frys in the US. If you don't know who Frys are, believe me you have to go.... Radio Shack, Circuit City etc. have generally got nothing on Frys
- Finally, one the women in my life said they'd do if they were there was go see Oprah (needless to say I didn't go 😉 )

VWDCQ vice pres & web dude - vwdcqinc.org.au
Join a car club - get car peeps

My toys
'70 Hillclimb Bug 'Jezebel' w/- Haltech EFI - http://bit.ly/VwTNtQ
'60 KG Coupe - resto kinda started
01 New Beetle - gf's car, but I turn the spanners

xornge666x Wolfsburg Wizard

460 posts · joined Sep 2006 · 30 Oct 2008, 7:58 am

#677358

I was just in Chicago this past weekend.
Millennium park is awesome, and will still be good to see despite probably being under 18ft of snow by then!! The art in the park is amazing. CloudGate, the Crown Fountain and Pritzker Pavillion are amazing works.... even if the pavillion ran over 60 million over budget!!

It was pretty mild there on the weekend, but by Jan, it will not. Lake effect snow, and winds like you have never seen before make for a very chilly city in Jan.
Depends what you are into really.
The Jazz and Blues clubs are really good there. Head to where Rush St and N State meet, and there is a lot of Jazz clubs and restaraunts, and pretty much a lot of bars in general.
Chicago style pizza.... a must! Yeh pizza is 'boring' in the US to a lot of Aussies, as we are used to 20 toppings on it. But Chicago stuffed pizza is the sh!t!!
One of these places is best
Giordano's Pizzeria on Rush Street, Pizzeria UNO, or Lou Malnati's..... any of them are good.

Navy pier is cool, but will be very COOL in Jan, and the carnival will be over by then I think. Again plenty of bars and things to see around there. The Childrens museum is really cool. There is also a contemporary art museum which is good a little further north of Navy Pier.

The train system is really good, with a city loop in the downtown area, and a lot of stops in each direction. Buses are frequent too.

Check out the Marina City buildings too, they are round cememt buildings, with the coolest car park down the bottom....

Heres some chicago pix of what im talking about..

vw54 Administrator Always Waiting 4 Friday

16,723 posts · joined Aug 2002 · 30 Oct 2008, 8:41 am

#677370

Giordano's Pizzeria on Rush Street,

I saw that place on the food channel the other day looks tops

I went to Seattle in 1987 and made contact with a local VW shop and one of the guys who worked there by the name of Steve Wood ( hes dead now ) what a VW fanatic he was also a drug dealer anda few other things i found out about him later LOL we went toa Hot rod show and crusin in his VWs and a Delorian among other things

Still catch up with Bill Dierickx every time i go to LAX he was the owner of the VW shop

Put a Wanted advert on Samba for anyone in the Chicago area

I read it on FACEBOOK so it must be true

http://forums.aussieveedubbers.com/viewtopic.php?tid=91278&page=1#pid848630

http://forums.aussieveedubbers.com/viewtopic.php?tid=63561&page=1#pid624099

http://forums.aussieveedubbers.com/viewtopic.php?tid=4832&page=1#pid452603

http://forums.aussieveedubbers.com/viewtopic.php?tid=60650&page=1#pid574409

Sides Veteran Volks Folk

2,220 posts · joined May 2007 · 30 Oct 2008, 9:01 am

#677374

Oh yeah, Chicago pizza - how did I forget to mention that !?!?

If you go to Cloud Gate, be real careful if you try to walk under/into it... so damn shiny you can't see where it starts and finishes - don't know how many times I banged my head on it !!! (slow learner I guess)

Something else I remembered is they have the fountain there from the opening sequence of Married with Children - pity it won't have water in it in Jan tho !!!

VWDCQ vice pres & web dude - vwdcqinc.org.au
Join a car club - get car peeps

My toys
'70 Hillclimb Bug 'Jezebel' w/- Haltech EFI - http://bit.ly/VwTNtQ
'60 KG Coupe - resto kinda started
01 New Beetle - gf's car, but I turn the spanners

xornge666x Wolfsburg Wizard

460 posts · joined Sep 2006 · 31 Oct 2008, 7:46 am

#677521

oh, and stay out of the south chicago area... unless you like the excitement of gunfire.
430 murders in the last 10 MONTHS.

Thats where Jennifer Hudsons family was just killed.
Thanks to the Chicago police for locking up around 25 of the top members of the Latin Kings, the cities gang and drug wars are out of control.

Didnt stop me going there as a band was playing that I wanted to see, but cab there, straight inside the venue, and then out into a cab and back to downtown!!

Bizarre Moderator The artist formerly known as blue74l

12,789 posts · joined Aug 2002 · 31 Oct 2008, 10:52 am

#677537

Mmmmm................ might find a pizza / blues on the north side

Seems like a few things to do there

Thanks guys

Futue te ipsum!!!

Bizarre Moderator The artist formerly known as blue74l

12,789 posts · joined Aug 2002 · 26 Jan 2009, 12:51 pm

#691573

COLD!!
IT IS FREEZING

Today was a MAXIMUM of -15C
Now add (or subtract) wind chill factor
It is a cold as anything i have ever experienced

Blues and Jazz are amazing.
Been to Andy's and Chicago Blue
I will try and youtube a clip from Chicago Blue
UNBELIEVABLE what is just played in a bar

We are near Rush street
Trying to go see Buddy Guy
Was booked out last night. Hope to get in tomorrow

Yep - Giodarno's is BRILLIANT
So is Gino's East

Saw the Chicago Bulls get stomped by Toronto

Yep - Millenium Park is fun
Chicago's Saturday In the Park blasting while i kidded my self i could skate

It has been a BUSY 3 days
Next 3 days is going to be hard work though trapsing round a trade show
Still have a couple spare days after that

See ya's

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Futue te ipsum!!!

zjm Officially Full-On Dubber

230 posts · joined Jan 2003 · 26 Jan 2009, 10:55 pm

#691676

hire a yank car piss off the cops and then re enact the blues brothers car chase

squizy Thinking about another dub...maybe

4,082 posts · joined Dec 2002 · 27 Jan 2009, 7:13 am

#691709

Good to see you've got your beanie on mate. I reckon you should go see Oprah! 😂