My son goes to college and lives in downtown Chicago across from Millennium Park. To say he loves it there would be a huge understatement - though he does get tired of the tourists! ;)

We spent a long Thanksgiving holiday there one year- but not long enough! It was colder than heck, but oh! so much fun! The kids still talk about the great caramel/cheddar popcorn we had (we travel on our stomachs!)

That must be Garrett popcorn. Every Garrett popcorn place we passed had a line out the door...even at 10:30 on Sunday morning, so we never got to try it. Even though I went sans children I noticed how child friendly the city is, so much for them to do as well. Maybe next time I'll bring the wee ones along.

I'm glad you had a great time, Skivino. The Christkindlmarkt sounds very cool (wine & booths-what's not to like!)!

when i was a child, i used to spend any money i received for christmas at downtown marshall fields toy department.

Ahhhh. State Street Marshall Fields. All the city's sick a bout Macy's taking over.

My son says everyone he knows is refusing to call is Macy's and several won't go shop there.

I'm glad to hear you had such a good time in our fair city!

Strangely enough, I am now planning a last minute trip to NY (to see the inlaws in the nursing home) and will have get them into the city for some sightseeing. Maybe when we get back I'll take the kids downtown to see everything even though they'd rather stay home and build snow forts!

Oh, that sounds SOOOOO fun - right up my alley! I long to go to Chicago. I have never been in any midwestern or northeastern state (with the exception of the airport in Bangor, Maine). Chicago sounds like a wonderful city to visit. Glad you had so much fun!!

Froeliche Weinachten, Skivino!

Waren Sie Austauch Shulerin? (Ich bin 1978 als Austauch Shulerin in Bielefeld)

Froehliche Weinachten, Sweeby!

ja, in 1982 war ich Austauschschulerin in Erkrath, ein kleines Stadt in der nahe von Duesseldorf. Meine Deutsches Familia wohnt immernoch in das Haus. Im Sommer 2002 war ich da zum besuch und fast nichts war veraendert.

Wo ist Bielefeld? Ich glaub ich habe was davon gehoert.

(Mein aufgeschiebened Deustche ist leider nicht mehr so gut!!)

Glad you enjoyed Chicago. We love it here. :) Although it took me 4.5 hours to get home from work the day we got 10" of snow. LOL!

Sorry Skivino - You've exceeded my remaining German! ;-) Bielefeld is right between Hanover and Dortmund on the edge of the Teutoberger Wald. I haven't made it back, but hope to send off my older son in a few years.

It's funny, I guess living near Chicago all my life has made me kind of blase' about it. But I can never travel down Lake Shore Drive without feeling impressed with all the city has to offer.

demicent~ that's interesting that you feel blase about somewhere you've lived near your whole life. I'm completely the opposite about the area where I live. I've lived here all of my life too and still am in awe of it's beauty and charm. I comment to transplants all the time, how I totally appreciate the wonderful, charming area we live in, even having lived here my whole life. There's a ton of beautiful, great places in this world and I've been fortunate enough to see many of them, but in the end there's no place like home. But when home offers such charm, interest, and beauty it's hard not to appreciate it full time. At least you are reminded when you go into the city about what a wonderful place you have at hand.

I'm a country girl at heart. When I graduated high school I was living on a horse farm. Chicago didn't hold much charm for me as a child, other than the fact that my grandma used to bundle me on the train and walk my legs off all over the city, and our school field trips covered every zoo and museum.

When I graduated, I got a job right across the street from Sears Tower and still wasn't very impressed. The crowds, the traffic.

When my Oldest DD lived in the city for her undergrad years, I finally started to see the true charm of the different neighborhoods, and she introduced me to some of the more interesting nooks and crannies, and terrific cultural events OTHER than the museums. (Which are truly world class by the way.)

I'm a little agoraphobic sometimes, and never would have wandered into some of those unknown neighborhoods without a little push.

skivino, I'll have to email you for details of your trip. dh and I tried to go one other year but he had eye problems and we even cancelled the opera. dh almost choked on that but..

Maybe next year!

Your Welcome and ya didn't even complain about the weather!

demicent, speaking of field trips to chicago, we went to the Science and Industry and Field so many times, i could walk through them blind. back in the late 60's, my class went on a field trip to Johnson Industries(makers of afro sheen, ultra sheen and ultra sheen cosmetics, said in my best Don Corneilus voice) at the end of the tour we got goody bags full of Johnson Industry products. our next stop was the Frito Lay Co. right off the Dan Ryan. Ohhhhh the wonderful smell of cooking Fritos has everyone's tastebud hopping. at the end of that tour, we also got goody bags of frito lay products. good thing though, back on the bus i swapped my ultra sheen goody bag for a frito lay goody bag.......mom