Chicago pt. II

...You wouldn't think I could get lost. I mean not only is the tower something like only 3 miles away, it is actually visible from the starting line. I had a cool picture where I held out my open right hand except bent my ring finger down and substituted the tower in the distance, but alas it did not turn out. A few of my photos didn't actually, definitely could've used a proper photographer all along. Not just to hold the camera, but because about 2 hours into the trip and pretty much all the way throughout, my modest skills were pushed way beyond their limits. I'll patch a few up at the end of it all.

Anyway I am walking towards the tower right now. And before riding into town I'd thought of accounting for one or two cab rides to get me from A to B, but the minute I stepped out of the passenger side of my motel, I was completely wrapped up in the climate/emotional warmth and suddenly I didn't want anything besides a long walk into mystery. Well I make it about 4/5's of the journey there, and I pull out my map to see what street I need to jump across to, when an impeccably dressed gent decided I was lost & hijacked my map. He told me to go down the street that I was going to go down and then asked how much money I had put in my meter. I replied "I'm parked at McDonald's, livin dangerously" to which we was borderline offended to, insisting that I'd be towed for sure if I didn't go to a $7/day parking garage.

This I have now decided was the microcosm for either the whole trip or the possible new direction that this trip might start my life in. Or even both. See this is the part of the story where I usually explain the unnecessary/foolish risk I took before indenting for another paragraph to explain the great backfire of my decision. Only this time the story goes "I turned around, jogged the 2 miles back, and found a spot further down: paying the toll for parking all day (and also for piece of mind)." Hmmm....

I found my way near to the tower, on the outskirts of Greektown, but I never actually stopped up to it. I kept my heart compass pointed into the direction of the Field Museum, pretty much backing into Hull House in the process. I knew I was close when I got to the bridge over the Chicago River and they had these statuette globes with dinosaurs walking around them. I wanted 10 of them.

And then there it was. You could see the building and also a bright lime green banner waving from the side like a beacon, a large dinosaur printed upon it. Eyes fixed on the sight I somehow navigated myself across 2 busy streets without being mowed down. It was like the Emerald Palace at the very end of the yellow brick road. And then, peeking through the trees as if nibbling a veggie snack, was a dinosaur. I set down 10 years of my life in the grass and unconsciously raced up the stairs to find the large skeleton of a Brachiosaurus. It was like 'there it was (!!!)'. I went inside and it was like a playground. T-Rex roaring right at the entrance! And a huge dinosaur that must have seriously been 80 feet long suspended above your head. And then you go into the real exhibit and see all of them set up on display... I don't even know. I spent a good 2 hours in the 3 room display alone. I was suddenly back at Jayno Adams Elementary library and going through the obscure dinosaur section or building skeletons from my Christmas playset or watching 'Jurassic Park' in the theatre for the very first time.

Still in awe, I almost sleepwalked through their fantastic Egyptian and Native American displays before making off to the Shedd Aquarium. Once in the aquarium, I made it top order to find my way to the Penguin room (my favourite non-extinct animal you see). But on the way I stumbled into an amazing aquarium they had for their dolphins, almost like a mini-coliseum. And trying to go downstairs to find the bottom level to see them swimming around I turned a corner and lost my breath. There were the penguins! Dozens of them partying it up, waddling around on their glacier and gliding through the icy water. I sat there for say 20 minutes just watching them, even as more people would walk right up to the tank and cluster about. Since 'March of the Penguins' I think penguins are the new fad for a little while now. Ah well.

I made it upstairs in time for the dolphin show and it made me laugh out loud. It was just so unapologetically silly and to watch the kids marvel at the tricks the trainers and dolphins would do together was my treat. They have so many tanks with just so many different fish and aquatic creatures from different parts of the globe it was amazing. A whole room with nothing but crabs. Jellyfish lit by different shades of red. Manta Rays and turtles and seahorses...Oh my!

I left at close, put on my headphones and Beach Boy'ed my way across the boardwalk towards the Planetarium. The Sun was slowly setting and 'God Only Knows' was leading me to some pretty powerful conclusions about it all. Be back later.