Well, if you think I look like I'm a little tired, you're right. We had a whirlwind week in "Chi Town". I figured out just what "Chi Town " is one day when Jeff and Parke were up on the fly bridge driving while Izzy and I were on the sundeck enjoying some music and talking to friends on the phone with our feet up. We had been traveling several hours without seeing anything but water all around us, but it was calm and the sun was out, so I didn’t mind. I could wander around downstairs and out on the sundeck without my leash and get treats every now and then from Izzy.
Then Jeff called out “There’s Chi Town!” Sure enough, there in the hazy distance was the skyline of some big buildings. As we got closer I could see lots of boats in the harbor,
Then Jeff called out “There’s Chi Town!” Sure enough, there in the hazy distance was the skyline of some big buildings. As we got closer I could see lots of boats in the harbor,
and a big balloon floating around with a basket full of screaming people hanging from it.
I found out everyone else calls this place"Chicago" and it turned out to be a really cool stop. We were in a Marina called DuSable, right beside the downtown, with a park separating us from the hustle bustle.
The water is real clear and clean so I could see way down to the sandy bottom. There were lots of walking paths for me to explore with whoever wanted a good excuse to get out and stretch their legs. This was to be a week of wonderful warm weather...the only "summer" that we have seen all summer! This made us like Chicago all the more. We had to remind ourselves that the weather is not always this pleasant in Chicago.After we were settled into our slip, we walked over the bridge to the Navy Pier
and saw that big balloon ride that takes takes tourists up real high to terrify them as they float around over the harbor. It was resting for the night by the time we got there, waiting for the morning load of victims.
There were ferris wheels and other rides, shops and restaurants all around with people walking and biking everywhere. We even passed a good smelling place called the Billy Goat Tavern where Izzy got all animated telling Jeff about the "Cheezborger, Cheezborger, Cheezborger - No Fries- Chips; No Coke - Pepsi”. I thought for a while she was going to get me a burger like she did once when we ran out of Ol' Roy on our cross country road trip last year. No such luck this time.
Parke and Jeff and Izzy rented Segways the next afternoon for a fun tour of the city. Here they are looking kind of dorky in their special Segway hats.
Not a particularly good look for any of them. This is Jeff hiding on his Segway between a bunch of big legs in the park. I don't know why they wouldn't let me wiz on them...they were already rusty.
Here are Jeff and Izzy having a chat with a Bob Newhart statue as Dr. Robert Hartley, the Chicago psychiatrist from a TV show long before I was born. 
One morning we took the River Cruise right through downtown Chicago under all the low bridges looking up at the big buildings and landmarks as we floated around the city on an open air tourist boat. No special hat requirements for this one.
Some of the buildings are connected underground so you can stay warm in the winter, and some are connected on the outside like these. Neither sound too interesting for dogs...
This building reflects the ones across the street as you pass by incase you can't turn your head the other way.
The Chicago river water is real clean in as it comes out of Lake Michigan and flows through the city until you get to the Sanitary Ship Canal. That’s where all the dirt is dumped into it and is flushed right out of the city. It really ought to be called the Unsanitary Ship Canal. All that dirty water is washed down the river to St. Louis leaving Chicago with a clean, clear river front. I'm not too sure that St.Louis is too happy about that.This is the Sears Tower...renamed the Willis Tower by the new owner. I don't know who Willis is, but he must have a nice boat, and lots of milk bones for his dog, but I bet he's not taking a nice trip like we are on the "Izzy R".
When you go up to the 103rd floor of Mr. Willis's building, there's a real scary thing called the observation deck where people step out of the building and look down to the ground with no floor...I don't know why they do that, but you wouldn't get me out there. 
Speaking of floors, Izzy has been looking for new carpet for our salon and kitchen for a long time, so one day she took Jeff shopping in Chicago to "find a towel rack"(sure), and then tricked him into buying the new carpet. Here's what it looks like...
and here is my favorite spot - right in the doorway between the kitchen and living room where I have first dibs at food and where everyone has to step over me. 
I guess Chicago is a good place to eat, because Jeff and Izzy had a whole list of places to go for dinner, lunch, and even breakfast. That's another reason I like this place...because I get some leftovers! Did you know that restaurants have special bags for people to take treats home for dogs who stay home and do a real good job of protecting the boat? Well they do, and ever since I found out about that, I've been very diligent about barking at strangers so I'll qualify. Eating at all these restaurants means they take me for a lot of walks so they won't get fat. Is a winning combination for me. I love this Chicago!
When you go up to the 103rd floor of Mr. Willis's building, there's a real scary thing called the observation deck where people step out of the building and look down to the ground with no floor...I don't know why they do that, but you wouldn't get me out there. Speaking of floors, Izzy has been looking for new carpet for our salon and kitchen for a long time, so one day she took Jeff shopping in Chicago to "find a towel rack"(sure), and then tricked him into buying the new carpet. Here's what it looks like...and here is my favorite spot - right in the doorway between the kitchen and living room where I have first dibs at food and where everyone has to step over me. I guess Chicago is a good place to eat, because Jeff and Izzy had a whole list of places to go for dinner, lunch, and even breakfast. That's another reason I like this place...because I get some leftovers! Did you know that restaurants have special bags for people to take treats home for dogs who stay home and do a real good job of protecting the boat? Well they do, and ever since I found out about that, I've been very diligent about barking at strangers so I'll qualify. Eating at all these restaurants means they take me for a lot of walks so they won't get fat. Is a winning combination for me. I love this Chicago!Here they are at Rosebud’s having Italian food with Parke and Jan and Nicoline. I know because they smelled like garlic when they came home, and the next day I had lasagne.
Parke didn't get to eat his way through Chicago like Jeff and Izzy and I did, because the next day he had to go home to Ottawa and get into the middle of some house remodeling projects with Moira. Bye Parke…Good luck with the honey-do list. Thanks for coming along to help us on Lake Michigan, and for fixing my "yard". I may need it with all these leftovers.
Parke didn't get to eat his way through Chicago like Jeff and Izzy and I did, because the next day he had to go home to Ottawa and get into the middle of some house remodeling projects with Moira. Bye Parke…Good luck with the honey-do list. Thanks for coming along to help us on Lake Michigan, and for fixing my "yard". I may need it with all these leftovers.Jan and Nicoline were in a slip nearby so Jeff and Izzy had a good time with them seeing and tasting the rest of the sights in Chicago. One night they went to the Wine Festival and after sampling a few glasses of wine, apparently Jeff painted this beer mural...??
Oh, did you notice the back of Jeff's head? He got snipped. When I heard that, I felt real sorry for him at first, but then I found out that it's different than the "snipped" that I got once a long time ago. It was just his ponytail. No ice bags needed for him.
Later that evening at the festival, they listened to Kim Massey sing some great songs
while Jeff danced around in the park. I guess he's celebrating his snipping.
Here is Kim Massey with "the Dutchies" after the performance. 
Then there was Giordano's Chicago Pizza. Jeff must have promised the manager something when he whispered in his ear, because the normal 2 hour wait became only a 10 minute wait for a table. I hope Izzy and I weren't involved in that "deal". Anyway, the huge pizza was deep dish style- my favorite kind! We taught Jan and Nicoline about the American custom of eating leftover pizza for breakfast. They struggled with that idea but finally caved in...sort of, and had it for lunch...warmed up. 
Butch McGuires Tavern was on the list of stops that Izzy's brother, Dick, had mentioned as a fun spot for an afternoon outing. So while Izzy and Jeff were on their bicycle ride along the coast they stopped for big juicy burgers and beer. No leftovers from that stop. Darn.
Oh, did you notice the back of Jeff's head? He got snipped. When I heard that, I felt real sorry for him at first, but then I found out that it's different than the "snipped" that I got once a long time ago. It was just his ponytail. No ice bags needed for him.Later that evening at the festival, they listened to Kim Massey sing some great songs while Jeff danced around in the park. I guess he's celebrating his snipping. Here is Kim Massey with "the Dutchies" after the performance. Then there was Giordano's Chicago Pizza. Jeff must have promised the manager something when he whispered in his ear, because the normal 2 hour wait became only a 10 minute wait for a table. I hope Izzy and I weren't involved in that "deal". Anyway, the huge pizza was deep dish style- my favorite kind! We taught Jan and Nicoline about the American custom of eating leftover pizza for breakfast. They struggled with that idea but finally caved in...sort of, and had it for lunch...warmed up. Butch McGuires Tavern was on the list of stops that Izzy's brother, Dick, had mentioned as a fun spot for an afternoon outing. So while Izzy and Jeff were on their bicycle ride along the coast they stopped for big juicy burgers and beer. No leftovers from that stop. Darn.Wendy had suggested a Thai place called the Star of Siam that she used to frequent when she lived in Chicago ages ago. Everyone worked up an appetite walking to find it one night. I heard Nicoline say it got a "9.5". I got some leftover Pad Thai, but not too much or I'd also get diarrhea.
Speaking of leftovers and diarrhea, you know sometimes Izzy plays a trick on Jeff at dinner time. If she doesn’t want to cook, and she finds some leftovers in the fridge, she whips them up into something and calls it “revotfel”. Jeff thinks it’s a French recipe she’s picked up in Bon Appetite, but she whispered to me that it’s just “leftover” spelled backwards. Fools him every time.
I really don’t want to encourage that, however, because I’d rather have the “revotfel” for myself.
I really don’t want to encourage that, however, because I’d rather have the “revotfel” for myself.One of my favorite places that they went to was a Blues place caled Buddy Guy's Legends -This is Buddy Guy
and I guess these are the Legends
Jeff and Jan got ribs and so did I! Looks like Nicoline got spinach.
Mexican night must have been fun. Here they are at Topolobamba.
Nicoline knows about the guy that owns this place from watching a cooking show on TV. His name is Rick Bayless...doesn't sound very Mexican to me. Here he is trying not to be noticed as he is having dinner in his restaurant.
He doesn't LOOK very Mexican either, but it doesn't matter much - I had great leftover lamb and steak.
and I guess these are the LegendsJeff and Jan got ribs and so did I! Looks like Nicoline got spinach.Mexican night must have been fun. Here they are at Topolobamba.Nicoline knows about the guy that owns this place from watching a cooking show on TV. His name is Rick Bayless...doesn't sound very Mexican to me. Here he is trying not to be noticed as he is having dinner in his restaurant. He doesn't LOOK very Mexican either, but it doesn't matter much - I had great leftover lamb and steak. I'm a little confused about a couple of the things we saw on our sightseeing tour. One is this large silver thing in the park called the "Bean".
And the other thing is what they call the "corn cobs."
Neither of these two things look edible to me, and Izzy didn't have them on her list of "Chicago-must-eats".
And the other thing is what they call the "corn cobs."Neither of these two things look edible to me, and Izzy didn't have them on her list of "Chicago-must-eats".There are some really tall people in the city like these two that I saw downtown. Maybe they like beans and corn.
After the week of eating, Jeff and Izzy got their exercise lowering the radar arch and taking down the bimini and the isenglass so the Izzy R could get short again. The bridges in downtown Chicago only have a 17 ft clearance. We'll be going under them tomorrow when we leave this great city. I'll be sad to go, but I heard Izzy say that her "scale" said it's time to move on. Sometimes I've seen her standing on it in the morning, and talking to it in an angry voice. I think it must be part of the navigation system that she'd like to change.
After the week of eating, Jeff and Izzy got their exercise lowering the radar arch and taking down the bimini and the isenglass so the Izzy R could get short again. The bridges in downtown Chicago only have a 17 ft clearance. We'll be going under them tomorrow when we leave this great city. I'll be sad to go, but I heard Izzy say that her "scale" said it's time to move on. Sometimes I've seen her standing on it in the morning, and talking to it in an angry voice. I think it must be part of the navigation system that she'd like to change.More about our trip under the low bridges of Chicago in my next note.
Till then, ciao from Chicago...or is that "chow"?
Ben
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