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TRAVEL TENSIONS: THERE ARE TWO SIDES TO EVERY FAMILY VACATION. Volume 2: Chicago – Green River and No Time To Shop
March 11th, 2010
St. Patty’s Day in Chicago: Caroline’s Intro
In the spirit of St. Patty’s day, I’m sharing how my Dad and I celebrated it last year when we drove to Chicago for a long weekend. The main reason I wanted to go to Chicago, other than my love of big cities, was the green Chicago River I heard so much about. Chicago celebrates St. Patty’s Day in style with a leprechaun pouring green dye in the river to turn it bright clover green. Check out the picture I took.
Hundreds of people stood on all sides of the river to watch as the boat glided back and forth slowly releasing the dye. The crowd cheered as the leprechaun slowly worked his magic turning the entire river green. It was such a cool thing to see — the Irish spirit filled the city immediately!
Dad’s response:
Chicago is one of my favorite places to visit because there is so much to do and see. However, watching the river turn green is not one of them. We got up pretty early, so we wouldn’t “miss anything” and walked out in the freezing cold to stare at a boat. It was at least forty five minutes before the “leprechaun, started his magic.” Once the river turned completely green I will admit it was pretty cool to see, unlike anything I’ve seen before, but I wouldn’t make it the reason I visit a city that already has plenty to do.
Everything else we did and see in Chicago was really cool though. After staring at the green river for a bit longer, we walked to Millennium Park and saw this giant reflection beam.
Then we headed to Navy Pier where we rode on the Ferris wheel and the boat tour, both of which allowed us to see great views of the city. There were also some St. Patrick’s Day festivals going on that was fun to watch for a little bit.
We also took a Segway tour where we drove around the city on our Segways seeing cool things like where President Obama spoke before the election and where the Great Chicago Fire started in 1871. The Shedd Aquarium was also interesting. It’s the largest aquarium in the world — I didn’t know that so many fishes even existed. One of our evenings was spent on top of the John Hancock building where we had a lovely dinner and breathtaking view. The city offers so much to do other than watching a river turn green in the freezing cold!
Caroline’s response:
Oh, we did do plenty of other fun things other than watch the St. Patty’s celebration kick off. However, I’m getting exhausted just reading over what we did while we were there.
We ran from site to site in the city without much relaxing in between. I think cramming everything we did in over a long weekend was too much. Plus there was way more shopping at Navy Pier that we could have done and more St. Patty’s Day festivities I would have liked to enjoy. And we could have limited ourselves to one tour. Did we really have to see the buildings on a Segway, a boat AND from a Ferris wheel? I’m not going on vacation to learn that the John Hancock building was at one time the largest building outside of New York City! And I’m definitely not looking to eat a fancy dinner on top of the building. Famous Chicago style pizza was a much more authentic meal; maybe there wasn’t a view but at least I didn’t have to dress up to enjoy it.
I did like the Shedd Aquarium; that was fun because we took our time and really enjoyed seeing all the crazy different type of fish. That place was so big we probably could have spent all weekend there alone.
I still think the green river was the coolest thing we saw because it’s so different and only happens once a year! Yes, the wait in the morning chill wasn’t the best, but it was the reason I wanted to adventure to Chicago that time of year and I’m so glad we went then. If we ever go back, I suggest we: plan on staying a week or cutting down on what we do; enjoy more of the St. Patty’s Day festivities around town; and have more time to spend in the fun shops.
Dad’s response:
You can shop anywhere, that shouldn’t be the reason you go on vacation! Not that standing outside to watch a river should be, but I think when you’re visiting a city it is important to see and do as much as possible. St. Patrick’s Day festivities are fun but a bit childish at times. And I still don’t understand how you can enjoy standing outside for almost an hour to watch a river but you can’t enjoy seeing the city view from multiple aspects? I think if we do go back for St. Patrick’s Day I should spend the extra money for us to stay in a high rise hotel so we can watch the river being dyed from our room and not have to stand outside in forty degree weather. That way we won’t be as tired to still enjoy all of the sites.
Caroline’s response:
That would be cool to see the river from a high view. However, I still think I’ll need to plan a relaxing weekend right after any busy city trips we take together again!
Colleging In Chicago (Part II)
March 9th, 2010
Between campus visits, my Mom and I had enough time to visit Willis Tower (better known as the former Sears Tower, the tallest building in the Western hemisphere) and the Art Institute of Chicago.
Seeing Willis Tower was actually really awesome. I was sort of expecting an Empire State building experience: you wait a really long time, go up, oooohhh, aaaaahhh, and come back down. While waiting in line for the Skydeck (the part of the Willis Tower you’re able to tour), however, there were loads of statistics about the building on the walls as well as touchscreen quizzes you could play around with. The line was pretty short and security was fast, but I have one complaint to throw in: they made you stop and take a picture in front of a green screen in case you wanted to buy a picture of you and your mother in front of a fake Chicago panorama. But whatever points the tower lost in my mind for the photo were regained during the elevator ride. As we went up, a plasma screen told us exactly how high we were and what famous structure we just surpassed in height… oh look, we just passed the Taj Mahal! Hey, there goes the Eiffel Tower!
At the top, the view was extraordinary. My favorite part of the whole experience, however, was standing in one of the four glass boxes that jut out the side of the building. They are perfectly transparent, so when you walk out into one, you look down and see… well, 1,450 feet of Chicago beneath your feet. It was SO crazy and so worth it!
The Art Institute of Chicago was also really worth it (in fact, much more than worth it– we got in for free)! We first went to look at the Impressionist wing (my Mom and I both love love love the impressionists) and saw a bunch of famous, beautiful paintings including Seurat’s Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte, Caillebotte’s Paris Street, and Van Gogh’s Bedroom in Arles. Being so close to such masterpieces was even better than seeing the Mona Lisa because they’re aren’t behind a thick glass barrier.
Before I tell you the other exhibit we visited, I want you to carefully study this picture:
No, that isn’t some historical house or even a room in the museum… technically. It’s a miniature room, scaled down to 1/12 of its original size, but constructed completely with authentic materials. The rooms range from an ancient cathedral to an 18th-century Colonial kitchen to a modern Japanese living room. There are 68 in total, and all of them are fascinating down to the tiniest details. The key to enjoying the miniature rooms is paying close attention to that detail– you’ll find yourself pretty amazed.
Walking around the Central Loop of Chicago and down Michigan Ave. (known as the “Magnificent Mile”) was just so enjoyable. I loved the array of bookstores and art supply stores. There were enough cute tea salons and cafés to make each street block original but there were also all the usual chains to satisfy my inner consumer.
Stay tuned for one final installment in which I actually talk about the colleges I visited– now there’s an idea! And don’t forget, visit www.smartcollegevisit.com for more excellent tips on planning a good college trip.
Jerash, Jordan: Where East Meets West
March 9th, 2010
Check out the video over here!
Day two in Jordan began with a trip to Jerash, known in antiquity as Gerasa. Reaching the height of its power in the late first century, Jerash was a place of power and prosperity. Today visitors can see the many influences of the West, especially the ancient Romans.
Three of the most notable features of this ancient city were the columns, Hadrian’s Arch, and the Roman forum.
- The columns are the most recognizable feature of Jerash and were in surprisingly good condition! Though, our guide, Khaled, showed us one that wobbled ominously above us. You can’t see it move, but when you put your hand at the bottom, you can feel it sway. We were also surprised by another incredibly long set of columns that formed a colonnade for charioteers. Grooves in the stone from years of use were easily visible. The road went straight into…a hill. This is evidence of the nature’s wear and tear on the city and that there is still something to be excavated!
- While it was Emperor Trajan who is responsible for opening up trade routes, it was Emperor Hadrian who had a triumphal arch erected in his honor at Jerash.
- The Roman forum is a third example of the Western influence in Jordan. While most forums were synonymous with a town square, this forum was built in an unusual oval. It was interesting to see the differences in masonry. The inner oval was constructed with rounder, less exact stones of varying color whereas the outer oval was cut more precisely and evenly, indicating a development in architecture and pleasing the art historian in me (AP Art History in action)!
Paris: Let Them Eat…CREPES!
March 8th, 2010
Hi you guys,
I know I recently talked to you guys about how amazing Singer Island is, but I am now here to tell you how perfect Paris, France is. This summer I went to Paris for five weeks. It was one of the most spectacular experiences of my life.
Now, I am the kind of girl who loves food! I don’t eat half my plate and say I’m done. If it is good I won’t stop until it is completely done! This means that Paris is perfect for me. Not only is it one of the most romantic cities in the world, but it also has the greatest food in the world.
I studied this summer at the Sorbonne, which is right next to the Notre Dame. In between classes my friends Alex, Taylor, and I would go and get crepes. There are so many great creperies, but we liked our crepes in a certain way. We liked them well done, also know in French as “bien cuit”.
I highly recommend trying French cepes while in the beautiful city of Paris. 
Singer Island
March 7th, 2010
Hi you guys. I am Liz and I am a new blog member. I am from New York, but my favorite place to relax in is Singer Island, Florida. There is everything a girl needs in a 5 mile radius.
Singer Island is a 2 mile long island with a beach everywhere you turn. The best hotel to stay in is the Singer Island Resort. You can feel refreshed and relaxed when you spend time on the beach. Another way to unwind in Florida is by going to my favorite nail spa called the Venetian Nails, which is a couple miles from Singer Island. You’ll need to get both a manicure and a pedicure since they do an amazing job! You can spend up to 3 hours there and it feels like only minutes.
Last, but certainly not least, the best place to go for dinner while staying in Singer Island is a restaurant called Spoto’s Oyster Bar. It is right outside Singer Island, but it is very close. If you love seafood (like I do) then this is the best restaurant to go to . They are fun and friendly with the most amazing food.
