Geneviv arrived around 1:30 and it was still cold. We walked North all way to magnificent mile looking at buildings and architecture. We started north on Michigan Avenue. I made her stop for pictures of the location signs for the start of Route 66. Next she made me stop and do some selfies at the "Bean". Apparently that is a requirement for all tourists to Chicago. The Cloud Gate sculpture was unveiled at the opening of Millennium Park in 2004.

I also had to get a picture of the Trump Building to send to Marilou. I decided to wait until after our Ireland trip to do that. Needed to take a shot of the Chicago Tribune building. Got a photo of the Water Tower Building. Later I found out that was the pumping station for fire water that didn't help much to fight the Chicago fire. It used to be located on the shore of the lake, but the debris from the fire was deposited there to make more land and it now is pretty far from the shore of the lake.

Another stop on the walk that she hadn't planned was a visit to the Daley Center where there is a Picasso statue that I needed to see.

Gen didn't want to stay for dinner so I ate at Meli's Cafe in the hotel. They didn't have the whitefish anymore that was the reason I chose to eat there. Apparently their menu changed from what is on the internet. Had the mahi mahi, served as a filet instead of the sandwich on the menu. It was a little tough/dry. That's why I don't normally order that type species fish.

Sunday, February 17^th :

I left Hotel Blake around 8:15 intending to go to the 9:30 Mass at Old St. Patrick's Church. It was about 1.5 mile from the hotel. The streets were pretty icy from the sleet that starting covering the overnight snow so my going was slow but got there in plenty of time for the mass. I discovered that Adams street is actually route 66 so I encountered other route 66 signs on the way. I may have pulled a back muscle from the not shoveled/salted streets along the way. Later the vendors were pretty good at having shoveled and salted the route.

After Mass I had planned to go up Willis Tower, but the fog was still engulfing it, so instead I went back to the lake shore and walked towards the planetarium.

Monday, February 18^th :

Last night we had about 4 inch snow, I started my walk towards the lake. My plan was to go to the Willis Building for their tour, but the building was blanketed in fog so instead I walked the shore line trail north to Navy Pier.

I ate dinner at the Berghoff Restaurant. Had the sausage trio that included the bratwurst and sauerkraut I was longing for. I'm warming up for my Ireland trip next month. When I asked the waiter about the painting on the wall that looked like something from Italy or Greece, I was informed that it was the from the world's fair expedition that was held there in 1893. I learned more later at the Chicago History Museum.

Tuesday, February 19^th :

I took a bus to Chicago History Museum. It was real convenient in that it picked me up across the street from Hotel Baker and dropped me off at museum entrance. Similarly I caught it back to the hotel from just outside the museum.

The museum had much more to see there than I had imagined. I spent about 4 hours there. I learned a lot of very interesting things. Apparently the cow didn't cause the fire after all. After the Abraham Lincoln display, there were examples of window glass manufactured there that was in some of the historical buildings. Then I returned to the Lincoln area that had plenty of other important people from that area of time.

Next I visited the blues/jazz area. Interesting how the fleeing slaves led to the creation of jazz types on the way north including Chicago

There were quite a few displays remembering the impact of immigrants on the development of the city.

The display of the 1893 fair was also very interesting. The whole thing was built to impress, but not to continue after the fair as the construction materials weren't designed to continue after the fair, but were designed to get it built fast.

When they finally built the canal to connect Lake Michigan to the Mississippi river they had to blast away part of the continental divide so that the river didn't flow into the lake and contaminate their water supply with the wastes from the beef processing industry.

That evening I ate at the Exchequer Restaurant per the concierge (Showtime) recommendation. I had told him I planned to eat at Miller's Pub that I had seen earlier in the week. He started sending me pretty far from the hotel, then changed to Exchequer when I told him I didn't want to go that far. Turns out Exchequer is only a few doors from Miller's Pub. I had the shrimp alfredo. They give way too much pasta. I ate all the shrimp, but only about 1/3 of the pasta.

Wednesday, February 20^th :

Today we went to see the matinee show of Hamilton at the CIBC theatre. It is a pretty good show. The memorable quotes include: "Smile more talk less" and "I'm not gonna miss my shot". The first by Aaron Burr, the second by Hamilton. It was Geneviv's birthday present and later I gave her the Llama Sweater she had wanted from Ecuador.

Afterwards we went to the Miller's Pub for an early dinner. They were having a special on lamb chops so I got that. Gen got the fish and chips.

Thursday, February 21^th :

In the morning I went out in the snow again to the lake shore and took some sunnier day photos. The Buckingham Fountain, Navy Pier, and Adler Planetarium from the distance.

That afternoon Geneviv and I visited the Adler Planetarium. She got us in free because of her residency. They have the Gemini 12 capsule on display. It is on loan from the Smithsonian. More interesting information about the planets and old instruments, etc. It was an interesting few hours.

Geneviv didn't want to stay for supper. When I left the hotel I was intending to go to Berghoff's again for the Bratwurst sandwich, but Meli Cafe was advertising for chicken pot pie. I was curious if their pot pie didn't have a top crust like the last one I had in Pennsylvania Dutch Country. Turned out it doesn't have a bottom crust.

Friday, February 22^nd :

Geneviv and Penny brought me from the hotel to Midway airport for my morning flight back to Corpus Christi. I wasn't aware my flight was going to Omaha first and got concerned because of the snow blizzards predicted for that area. Fortunately we beat the weather. The flight from Houston to Corpus was delayed for an hour or so. I wasn't able to pick up Tina until the next morning. I wore my new jacket they gave me. Even though it is lighter than the jacket I brought, it is actually warmer. Some new age material they claim and it seems to work.

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