Mrs. O'Leary's Cow

I think I have been fascinated with Chicago ever since I was a child.  The city that made a comeback after being burned to the ground because a cow kicked a lantern.  I know that may not be true but it sure does make good story.

July 30th was my birthday and I wanted to spend the night in Chicago.  Lester said what his baby wants his baby gets!  We had a great time staying in downtown Chicago at the Inn of Chicago.  It's an old hotel located on the Magnificent Mile.  We ate an Armenian restaurant across the street from the hotel sitting near the window so we could people watch.  After dinner we took a taxi to a comedy club just past Wrigley Field.  We got there late and missed most of the show.  It was a free show so that was okay.  What we did see was good.  I laughed so hard at one point I almost couldn't stop. The show was called Sketch Test. They were actually testing their material/sketches before a small audience for feedback.  I'm sure they will keep one part in their show!

Michigan: People and places

Detroit: Entering the City

So much to see.  That is what I thought as we drove north through Detroit and headed towards to the suburbs to my daughter's house.  Not only was I looking at the city as a whole, the neighborhoods, and individual buildings but I was also noticing a tremendous amount of graffiti more so than I've seen in the past, some covering the entire side of a building.

How to entertain Mom and Lester Part 1

Allie and Cory brought us to Belle Island, which is a small and in the middle of St. Lawrence River between Detroit and Windsor, Canada.  We got to see the oldest, longest continually operating aquarium in the United States (perhaps the world, I don't remember) and also a beautiful botanical garden.

How to entertain Mom and Lester Part 2

We took a long route back to the 'burbs.  Woodward Avenue stretches from downtown Detroit to Pontiac. We drove all but the last loop.  I loved seeing the changes from downtown to the inner neighborhoods to the close suburbs to the end with big old churches every other block the entire way. It was very sad to see the boarded up, burned out, and abandoned areas of the city.  We could see in places where retail businesses were coming back but it will take a long time before all the blight is gone.

How to entertain Mom and Lester part 3

We spent Sunday afternoon with Cory's family.  There were so many people there one would think there was a special event but it was just a fun family get together.  And fun it was with lots of chatter, boating, and even a jam session in the basement!

How to Entertain Mom and Lester Part 4

Grand-cat Jeffrey

We didn't know it at the time, but our grandcat Jeffrey was to greatly influence us.  As we watched him snuggle with Allie, jump high on a window and sneak into our room we grew to enjoy him more and more. Days after returning home the opportunity to adopt a sweet cat who would soon be homeless due to a sick elderly owner, thus the entertainment continues because of Jeffrey's influence.

A Stop in Ohio

It was so hard to leave Golda, Jeremy, and Jonas.  Two good things about family living so far away are discovering new places to dine (even if it may be a fast food place you never heard of) and the beautiful scenery we get to see while traveling.

Our next stop was much too short but definitely enjoyable.  We were able spend a couple of hours sharing a meal with my brother Dean and his family in Hilliard, Ohio.  Dean prepared a fantastic meal of smoked meat and Martha made several great side dishes.  It was fun watching their three grandkids who we only knew from pictures on Facebook (we had met Avah when she was only 10 months old).  I wish we could have stayed longer but I tire very easily and needed to hit the sack.

Dean, son Billy, and baby William