The Windy City in all its glory! Have been too busy or too tired to get to the blog! But will try to catch up. Pictures from the bottom up.

1. Chicago Skyline

2. Mies Van De Rohe (sp) the last building he designed in Chicago. He is everywhere!!!

3. The Sears Tower. Very impressive

4. The Wrigley Building. Also very impressive

5. Getting ready to embark on the architecture tour

6. Judi in front of the apartment building where she lived 40 years ago

7. Gerry in front of the Elevated

8. Gerry finishing lunch in the Chicago Art Museum restaurant

9. Hillary Clark and her husband Rick visiting the Gotta Go Girls

10. The museum sign.

11. Lee and Judy enjoying a beverage in a State St. sidewalk cafe

12. Judi at the Apartment entrance

13. Judi's old neighborhood

And now where to begin??? Sorry but I had to take a night off. Weariness overcame me! But I'm back! Monday morning we were up bright and early to get to the boat for an architectural tour of Chicago. We would really recommend the tour offered by the Chicago Architectural Institute which leaves from across the river from the Wrigley Building. Our guide was a retired English professor who volunteers at the Institute and we were sure he was some kind of trained Architectural historian. The trip on the river lasted 90 minutes and we learned so much. No question who Meis Van de Rhoe was! His impact on Chicago was immense.

Our next stop was the Chicago Art Museum. Lee was about to have cardiac arrest and was like a little kid in the candy shop! It is a pretty impressive museum to say the least! After over 2 hours we could barely crawl so decided to leave and return today. Our top pics! Lee--James Earle Fraser's bronze End of the Trail, Gerry--Ghiberti's Bronze doors exhibit (3 panels), Judi--A small Rodin marble sculpture and a Tiffany lamp. Judi gets 2 picks because Lee and I chose the best! We have been arguing and laughing over our picks for the last 20 minutes and it is time to move on! I repeat a pretty impressive museum!

Grabbed a bit of lunch and headed to the Miracle Mile and a little shopping. Lee found a coat at Bloomingdales, Judy got a blouse at Macy's, and I picked up some gloves and a scarf at Filene's Basement. Hmmmmm, what's wrong with this picture??

I preceded them back to the hotel and rested my aching dogs. They returned in time to brush off the dust and greet Hillary Clark and her husband Rick for a visit in our room and then on to dinner. Hillary and I hadn't seen each other since1992 and it was great fun to catch up on the news, meet her husband, and learn about their jobs at O'Hare Airport. We went to dinner at a lovely French bistro in our hotel and enjoyed everything from the escargot to the chocolate flourless cake and everything in between. The evening flew by and soon we were saying good-by and the Gotta Go Girls had to go to bed! Thanks Hillary and Rick, for graciously sharing your City with us.

This morning we padded around our lovely apartment but were out of here and standing in line at the Art Museum when it opened at 10:30. More of the same wonderful stuff and today we had lunch in a beautiful courtyard restaurant around a reflecting pool and fountain. The weather was quite warm today so it was the perfect setting for lunch. A little more oooohing and aaaahing, a stop at the museum gift shop and then a bit of a walk around in the neighborhood. Got a cab to Chicago's Near North Area close to the Miracle Mile and famous Rush St. We piled out of the cab at Elm and State St.(That Great Street) This is the location of the apartment where Judi and two fellow stewardesses lived 42 years ago. We walked into the foyer of the building and it was nothing like Judi remembered it, and the view from their 10th floor corner apartment was unobstructed to Lake Michigan and south to the Chicago downtown skyline. The building is now dwarfed by a number of high rises but we were able to capture a little of the feeling of the old neighborhood.

Stopped in a sidewalk cafe for a little beverage and then walked down to the Ambassador West Hotel and had drinks in the Pump Room. That's right. The famous Pump Room where celebrities would go to be recognized, sit in booth #1, and hold court. Well the Gotta Go Girls didn't get to sit in that booth but we sat at the bar and Judi ordered a Scotch Mist. The bartender was a little kid who was not born 42 years ago and not so tactfully pointed out that his father was only 4 years old at that time! But he made a pretty good Scotch Mist and a gimlet for Lee. I had a stupid old club soda and bitters but I did have a taste of Judi's drink. Yummmmo!

We then walked down the street to Carmine's, an Italian restaurant on Rush St. It was on several levels all of which were packed. We marveled at the number of people there and our waiter was right out of The Jersey Boys! None of the staff walked, they bustled! Had deliscious soup and a salad and then as we left had to wait for at least 20 people to come up the stairs to be seated. Carmine must be sitting on a gold mine. We finally pushed our way through the crowd to the street which was crawling with people and hailed a cab. When we got here to the hotel it was jumping also. Don't these people know they have to get up and go to work tomorrow?????

Threw some clothes in the washing machine (just like home) and we are headed for bed. Off across Indiana and Ohio headed for Niagra Falls. Hate to leave our sumptious digs but I guess it is back to staying in the Holiday Inn Express and bringing in a roasted chicken from the supermarket. Wow and last week we thought that was really living. Hah!!! We've been to the big city now! Oh those poor little Gotta Go Girls. Boo Hoo, they have to leave Chicago!

Love from all of us.