MAY 13, 2010: WE DEPARTED PARK RAPIDS AT 5:00 A.M. ENROUTE TO OUR FIRST ATTRACTION, THE EXPERIMENTAL AIRCRAFT ASSOC. MUSEUM IN OSH KOSH, WISCONSIN. Chicago May 13-17 2010 A FLYING CAR:) OUR FIRST NIGHT'S STAY WAS AT THE RAMADA PLAZA HOTEL IN FOND DU LAC, WI. MAY 14: THIS MORNING WE LEFT FOND DU LAC, WI AND HEADED FOR PLEASANT PRAIRIE WI, (HOME OF THE "JELLY BELLY FACTORY"). PICTURED TO THE RIGHT ARE; VI BARTEN, JIM & RUTH LANGE, AND CAROL & NORB HUSBY.
DONNA WILCOX & DARLENE DUNBAR PICTURED BELOW: OUR FIRST STOP IN CHICAGO., THE BEAUTIFUL CHICAGO BOTANICAL GARDENS.
THE TREES TO THE LEFT WERE HUGE AND ALL TRIMMED INTO PERFECT SQUARES!!! REALLY NEAT! BELOW: NORB HUSBY, JERRY & ARLENE NOVAK RELAX! ABOVE; JOHN & LAVONNE FISCHER. TO THE RIGHT; DOWNTOWN CHICAGO AND THE CHICAGO RIVER.
NEXT, WE BOARDED THE MERCURY RIVER CRUISE BOAT WHICH TOOK US ON A TOUR UP AND DOWN THE CHICAGO RIVER AND ONTO LAKE MICHIGAN. A VIEW OF THE CITY AND THE NAVY PIER FROM OUT ON LAKE MICHIGAN. MAY 15: TODAY WAS A BUSY DAY! WE STARTED THE DAY BY VISITING MILLENIUM PARK AND THE "CLOUD GATE SCULPTURE". PICTURED ABOVE; KEN & BETTY PARSONS
A QUICK PICTURE OF MOST OF THE PARK RAPIDS GROUP IN FRONT OF THE CLOUD GATE SCULPTURE. WE ALSO LEARNED ALL ABOUT AL CAPONE ON OUR "GANGSTER TOUR OF THE CITY" BEFORE ENDING OUR NIGHT AT THE "TOMMY GUNS GARAGE" ~ SPEAK EASY FOR DINNER AND A SHOW. ONCE WE WERE FINISHED IN THE PARK, WE WERE OFF TO THE CHICAGO MUSEUM OF SCIENCE AND INDUSTRY. WE SPENT HALF OF OUR DAY AT THE MUSEUM. THERE WAS SO MUCH TO SEE! SOME OF THE HIGHLIGHTS INCLUDED THE U 505 GERMAN SUBMARINE, SCIENCE STORM, AND THE "SMART HOME". VERY INTERESTING! PICTURED ABOVE; JERRY & ARLENE NOVAK. BELOW RIGHT; MARY WEAVER MAY 16TH: WE WENT UP TO THE TOP OF WILLIS (SEARS) TOWER. ON A CLEAR DAY YOU CAN VIEW WISCONSIN, MICHIGAN, ILLINOIS AND INDIANA!
ON TOP OF WILLIS (SEARS) TOWER THERE ARE GLASS LEDGES THAT YOU CAN WALK OUT ON AND LOOK STRAIGHT DOWN. YIKES! TO THE RIGHT IS A PICTURE TAKEN LOOKING THROUGH THE GLASS BOTTOM. OUR NEXT STOP WAS THE CHICAGO FIELD MUSEUM. BELOW IS A GREAT GROUP PHOTO TAKEN ON THE STEPS IN FRONT OF THE MUSEUM. THERE WERE 24 CLASSIC CLUB MEMBERS ON THIS TRIP. MEMBERS INCLUDED, VINCE POPPLER, JUDY SHELDON, ARVIN & MARY PACKER, ROY & VI BARTEN, JIM & RUTH LANGE, GAIL MANLOVE, DICK & JUDY FIELDSEND, KEN & BETTY PARSONS, JOAN SMITH, JOHN & LAVONNE FISCHER, NORB & CAROL HUSBY, ARLENE & JERRY NOVAK, DONNA WILCOX, DARLENE DUNBAR, DIRECTOR MARY WEAVER AND DEBBIE SCHULTZ FROM CNB.
PICTURED BELOW, A LOOK INTO THE MAIN ENTRANCE OF THE FIELD MUSEUM. WHEN WE WERE FINISHED AT THE FIELD MUSEUM, EVERY- ONE COULD CHOOSE WHAT THEY WANTED TO SEE IN THE AFTERNOON. THE CHOICES WERE THE SHEDD AQUARIUM OR SHOPPING ON THE MAGIFICENT MILE! GREAT FUN! T-REX (SUE) - HER SKELETAL BODY IS REAL, BUT HER HEAD HAS BEEN REPLICATED. THE REAL FOSSILIZED HEAD IS IN A GLASS CASE LOCATED IN THE UPPER LEVEL OF THE MUSEUM. THE HEAD WEIGHED CLOSE TO 600 POUNDS AND WAS TO HEAVY TO BALANCE ON THE SKELE- TAL BODY. (JUST CRAZY WHAT A PERSON CAN LEARN!) LATER IN THE AFTERNOON WE WENT FOR A GROUP SUPPER TO THE "FLAT TOP GRILL" LOCATED RIGHT ACROSS THE STREET FROM HARPO STUDIOS (THE OPRAH WINFREY SHOW!)
TO THE RIGHT; WALKING TO THE FLAT TOP GRILL BELOW; A PICTURE OF HARPO STUDIOS MAY 17: OUR LAST DAY IN CHICAGO. TODAY WE TOURED THE CHICAGO BOARD OF TRADE AND WATCHED THE OPENING OF THE MARKETS BEFORE CROSSING THE STREET TO THE CHICAGO FEDERAL RESERVE BANK. FEDERAL RESERVE BANK OF CHICAGO. CHICAGO BOARD OF TRADE
NORB & CAROL HUSBY AND BETTY PARSONS TAKE A LOOK AT THE CUBE HOLDING ONE MILLION DOLLARS IN ONES! THE NEW HUNDRED DOLLAR BILL THAT WILL BE RELEASED IN 2011. EVERY DAY $20 MILLION DOLLARS OF UNFIT CURRENCY IS SHREDDED AT THE CHICAGO FEDERAL RESERVE!! UNBELIEVABLE! AFTER WE LEFT THE FEDERAL RESERVE WE HAD TIME TO MAKE A QUICK STOP AT THE OPRAH STORE BEFORE HEADING TO UNION STATION TO CATCH OUR AMTRAK TRAIN BACK TO MINNESOTA! GREAT TIMES, GREAT FUN, GREAT PEOPLE!! GREAT TRIP!!!