Chicago Sights

The 2009 ALA Annual Conference was packed full of new ideas and information - and fun! We managed to fit in some sight seeing and good meals in between meetings and presentations, and met some famous authors like Gregory Maguire and Neil Gaiman. My colleagues and I posted all about it on our group blog, MSLA en Mass. Here are some of the photos from our adventure.


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Free in the City

Some of us had no conference obligations today, so my travel-buddies and I took a double-decker bus tour of the city. You can hop on and off when you want, so we had a look at Union Station and spent some time in the Africa and Egypt exhibits at the Field Museum. It rained off and on, so mostly we just stayed on the bus and saw the sights, but on the final leg of the tour, to Navy Pier, the skies cleared, so Gerri and I rode up on top where we had an unobstructed view.

Chicago is a beautiful city. Interesting buildings from several eras attractively combine to create what many believe to be one of the world's most beautiful skylines. The streets are clean and adorned with planters full of colorful floral arrangements. We've felt very welcome here, too. Today the ticket seller at the Field Museum who let us in for free. This is my third trip here and I'm enjoying it just as much as my first. More photos here.

Navy Pier

Navy Pier is a 20-minute walk from our hotel. We got tickets for Cirque Shanghai - Chinese acrobats. We marveled at their strength and flexibility. They put on a fun show. Afterwards, Ann and I rode the giant Ferris wheel for a breathtaking view of the Chicago skyline at night. Photos are all on Flickr.

The Elephant and Castle Pub in Chicago

What a great welcome to the Windy City! When I arrived in Chicago with my colleagues Gerri and Valerie yesterday, we set out to find someplace that looked good for lunch. It was raining and as the rain began to really come down, we happened upon the Elephant and Castle Pub. We, along with many others, took refuge inside and waited for a table. After a short wait, we were seated and placed our orders. Shortly thereafter, the hostess came over to chat and offered to comp us a dessert because, she said, "I like the way you women look. There's a good vibe about you." Well that was nice! We shared a really delicious and decadent bread pudding and then set off to explore Millennium Park in the rain. A great first day!

"Chicago, Chicago...

...that toddlin' town!"

According to Answers.com, to toddle is to:

1. walk with short, unsteady steps
2. walk leisurely; stroll

I might just possibly be doing both when I revisit Chicago (this'll be my 3rd trip) for the Annual Conference of the American Library Association, July 9-15.

I really enjoy Chicago and always have a great time with my friends and colleagues at ALA conferences, so I'm really looking forward to the trip. I'll be posting here (the fun stuff) and on our group blog MSLA en Mass. (the professional stuff).

So, activities that result in definition #1 are more apt to be found here!