CHICAGO...That Toddlin' Town

[noflyingfan]

After some back-and-forth, we are ON for the weekend of October 26th in Chi-town!

Here are some things you may not know about Chicago:

- Its nickname, The Windy City, is not for Chicago's sometimes-crazy weather. No one knows the nickname's true origin, but a commonly accepted story is that New York Sun editor Charles Dana wrote a piece about the upcoming 1893 World's Fair and Chicago's battle to host it. He urged New Yorkers to not pay attention to "the nonsensical claims of that windy city," basically inferring that Chicago folks were full of hot air.

- Another nickname, the Second City, is commonly misinterpreted to mean that in the race for best city, Chicago is the runner-up. Positively untrue -- Chicagoans (like most dwellers of most cities) believe they live in the best city in the world and would never call their hometown by a nickname they believed made them second best. Nay, the nickname The Second City stems from the Great Chicago Fire, in which an entire third of the city, including most of the business district, was lost. On top of the ruins was built a brand new Chicago, a second Chicago...the second city to stand on this land.

- Chicago is the home to many celebrities, including Oprah Winfrey, George Wendt, Joan Cusack and Gary Sinise.

- Chicago has two professional baseball teams. On the North Side, the Cubs, and on the South Side, the White Sox. There is also a football team, the Bears, a basketball team, the Bulls, a hockey team, the Blackhawks and a soccer team, the Fire.

- Chicago also has two major airports, O'Hare (ORD) and Midway (MDW).

- Chicago is home to the Sears Tower, one of the world's tallest buildings (the world's tallest if you ask the people who count the length of the antennae).

So come on out to the Midwest and let's Fest it up!

[aerobat]

I have spent some time in Chicago--lived there about five months total, plus many visits. Not recently. But I found it to be one of the three most cool cities I have ever been in, and it was wonderful to have the time to really explore its diversity--from high-end class to down-home funk. Great food, great music, great alleys, great ground transportation (but I dinna fly), cool downtown, fine universities and libraries, quaint and curious shops and flea markets where you could find anything, a fascinating mix of cultures and languages...you name it. :thumbsup::thumbsup: And Lake Michigan, of course. :)

[LeslieDEN]

What makes it "that toddlin' town"?

[kari]

Chicago Chicago that toddlin' town (a doo be doo be dee doo!)

Maybe everyone walks around like penguins. I dunno.

Last time I was there for any length of time, I saw people going around on unicycles. And they acted like it was the most normal thing in the world.

[StPeteMark]

What makes it "that toddlin' town"?Chicago (That Toddlin' Town)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Jump to: navigation (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chicago_%28That_Toddlin%27_Town%29#column-one), search (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chicago_%28That_Toddlin%27_Town%29#searchInput)
"Chicago" is a popular (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Popular_music) song. It was written by Fred Fisher (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fred_Fisher) and was published in 1922 (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1922_in_music).
It was first introduced in the 1957 (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1957_in_film) movie (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Movie), The Joker Is Wild (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Joker_Is_Wild).
The song has been recorded by many artists, but is best known in a version by Frank Sinatra (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frank_Sinatra).

Also, check out:

http://www.press.uillinois.edu/f04/sengstock.html

.

[LeslieDEN]

Chicago (That Toddlin' Town)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Jump to: navigation (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chicago_%28That_Toddlin%27_Town%29#column-one), search (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chicago_%28That_Toddlin%27_Town%29#searchInput)
"Chicago" is a popular (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Popular_music) song. It was written by Fred Fisher (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fred_Fisher) and was published in 1922 (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1922_in_music).
It was first introduced in the 1957 (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1957_in_film) movie (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Movie), The Joker Is Wild (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Joker_Is_Wild).
The song has been recorded by many artists, but is best known in a version by Frank Sinatra (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frank_Sinatra).

Also, check out:

http://www.press.uillinois.edu/f04/sengstock.html

.
Yeah, but what makes it toddlin'?

[Passenger Mark]

Well... I don't know why it is called toddlin... but I will be toddlin my way there for the fest!!!

[noflyingfan]

I like to think the word "toddling" relates to "tippling," which, of course means to drink frequently in small quantities. And, as we all know, Chicago was home to notorious gangster Al Capone, who made millions bringing alcohol to prohibition-era Chicagoans.

[Barb-SAN]

I just got my first Rapid Rewards ticket from SWA :hyped: :hyped: (though 4 of the points were from Hertz rental cars...a special promotion :tongue: ). There is a direct flight on SWA from San Diego to Midway. And, fall should be great weather in Chicago...if we are ahead of the first snowfall ;) .

I hope I will be able to make this Fest...and after all this time of reading your posts, Erika, and tracking your honeymoon flight and all...it sure would be fun to finally meet you and Matt! :thumbsup: And of course it's always fun to see people in person after corresponding on the board. It's been about 30 years since I was in Chicago...so imagine a lot has changed in that amount of time.

[Passenger Mark]

U.S. Air has some fantastic deals from Nashville... that's who I am coming in on!

[Barb-SAN]

U.S. Air has some fantastic deals from Nashville... that's who I am coming in on!

Oh...are we going to expand our experiences and try some new airlines now? That's a great idea...always expanding our comfort zone! ;)

I'll have to check and see where they fly from San Diego, as I've only flown on SWA and NWA since I became "ungrounded" 3 years ago! (But first, I need to use my free flight on SWA, as it is only good for one year.) :D

[noflyingfan]

Congrats on the reward, Barb. I got my first one a few months ago, and it felt great! Even though I think half of my credits were due to special promotions and not actual flights, I still considered it a great accomplishment.

I'm starting to think about leaving my airline comfort zone too, although it's tough, because SWA is a great airline with great fares, so I sort of feel like, if it ain't broke...however, they don't fly to Atlanta, and one of my dearest friends just moved there, so I think I might start exploring other airlines to go there. I took ATA for my honeymoon but pretended it was Southwest because it was a codeshare flight. :lol:

[Passenger Mark]

Oh yea Barb... You can bet if I had a free one, I would use it pronto!

That's a great sign of progress for both of you!

[aerobat]

:cheers:...refers to the unsteady gait of toddlers :lol:, as in small children learning to walk...and I assume grownups who have had too much to drink...:drunken:...but can still walk, sortof. :lol:

Chicago, Chicago, that toddling town!
Chicago, Chicago, I'll show you around; I love it!
Bet your bottom dollar you'll lose the blues in Chicago,
The town that Billy Sunday could not shut down.

On State Street, that great street, I just want to say
They do things that they don't do on broadway; say
They have the time, the time of their life;
I saw a man, and he danced with his wife
In Chicago, my home town.

About Billy Sunday,
from Wikipedia article: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Billy_Sunday

Sunday had been an ardent champion of temperance (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Temperance_movement) from his earliest days as an evangelist, and his ministry at the Chicago YMCA had given him first-hand experience with the destructive potential of alcohol. Sunday's most famous sermon was "Get on the Water Wagon," which he preached on countless occasions with both histrionic emotion and a "mountain of economic and moral evidence." Sunday said, "I am the sworn, eternal and uncompromising enemy of the Liquor Traffic. I have been, and will go on, fighting that (darmn)able, dirty, rotten business with all the power at my command."[47] (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Billy_Sunday#_note-46) Sunday played a significant role in arousing public interest in Prohibition (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prohibition) and in the passage of the Eighteenth Amendment in 1919. When the tide of public opinion turned against Prohibition, he continued to support it. After its repeal in 1933, Sunday called for its reintroduction.[48] (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Billy_Sunday#_note-47)

[WillFlyToDisney]

I have been to Chicago in October.

We landed the day before Halloween and it was SNOWING! :eek:

[Barb-SAN]

I have been to Chicago in October.

We landed the day before Halloween and it was SNOWING! :eek:

Having grown up in Michigan...I remember the end of October can be "iffy"...can be gorgeous Indian summer...or snow...though it usually doesn't stay on the ground for long.

[noflyingfan]

I have been to Chicago in October.

We landed the day before Halloween and it was SNOWING! :eek:

Not typical. In fact, I've never seen it snow here in October. It's usually quite temperate here in the fall; it's my favorite season in general, but here especially it's a welcome respite from the hot, nasty summers we have.

[Barb-SAN]

Not typical. In fact, I've never seen it snow here in October. It's usually quite temperate here in the fall; it's my favorite season in general, but here especially it's a welcome respite from the hot, nasty summers we have.

And with global warming, perhaps the odds of snow in Chicago in October are less than they used to be. :) I do love that crisp cold northern air in fall though!! It's very energizing.

[WillFlyToDisney]

Not typical. In fact, I've never seen it snow here in October. It's usually quite temperate here in the fall; it's my favorite season in general, but here especially it's a welcome respite from the hot, nasty summers we have.

It was 1988 or 1989 - before my FOF kicked in. During that week we were in Chicago we went to the Museum or Aquarium and had to park at Soldier Field and walk over and I remember the wind being colder then anything I had ever felt before (keep in mind I was a college student in Central Florida at the time...).

We did have a blast in Chicago though - great town with tons to do!

[cshollingsworth]

I get to stop there on my way to Denver in September! Don picked a flight that stops in Chicago and then goes on to Denver. So, I guess I'll just have to sit down in that town for a few minutes and then take back off again. This is a first for me since 2000. I have not been on any flights with stops since way back then! Two take-offs in one day! Wowzers! :D

[noflyingfan]

Chicago is a cool city to fly over, Courtney. Depending on where you are, of course...sometimes, you just get the boring suburbs and then land. But if you fly over the lake, it's awesome.

[cshollingsworth]

I just looked at my school calendar for the 2007-2008 year and guess what? Our fall break is the weekend BEFORE Chicago Fest! Dang! I would have sprang for a trip there had it been during my break! But hey...what are the dates on the fest again anyway? Is it October 26th and 27th? Let me know and heck...I may try and make it at least late on Friday until Sunday or something...it would be fun and get me revved up to fly in September for Denver!

[noflyingfan]

October 26-28. Please come! :cool:

[noflyingfan]

Here are some ideas I had for fest activities. Let me know what you all think.

I discussed this a little with Mark yesterday, and he mentioned that the dinner cruise at Nashfest was a lot of fun. I did find a dinner cruise of Chicago; I'm not sure how much anyone wanted to spend though. It's about $80 per person, which includes dinner and I think dancing and stuff. Is that someone you guys would be interested in? I'm sure I'll be able to find a non-dinner tour type of cruise that is cheaper.

Another idea I had was to go see the musical Wicked, which is playing as part of the Broadway in Chicago series. We can probably get a group rate for tickets, so that shouldn't be too pricey, AND personally, I like the idea of seeing a show that includes a song called "Defying Gravity" as part of a Flightfest.

Deep dish pizza is a must in Chicago, so I thought maybe for the informal Friday thing, we could do that, and then, depending on where we go, perhaps taking a jaunt over to The Original Rainbow Cone (http://centerstage.net/restaurants/rainbow-cone.html) for another Chicago treat.

If anyone has any other ideas, please let me know. There are so many things to do and see in Chicago, and I'd like to know if you'd like to see some of the touristy things or maybe some off-the-beaten-path type stuff.

[Barb-SAN]

If anyone has any other ideas, please let me know. There are so many things to do and see in Chicago, and I'd like to know if you'd like to see some of the touristy things or maybe some off-the-beaten-path type stuff.

What about something related to flying? Any great museums, or some other flying-related activity? For me, the SWA behind-the-scenes tours were the highlights of Nashfest and Phoenix Fest.

I also liked the low-key evening bar-b-q that we had at Mark's house on Friday night. For me, a chance to talk with people from here face to face, and get to know & understand them better is my primary reason for going to Flight Fests (plus it's an excuse to take a flight somewhere!). The SWA tours were helpful in addressing the FF issues. I don't really feel that much of a need to be entertained by commercial productions, although I'm sure that would also be fun and interesting.

[noflyingfan]

Mark is working on an educational piece to the fest. I'm just the mistress of fun. :cool:

There used to be an airplane themed restaurant here, but it closed. :( I wouldn't mind hosting a bbq, but there are too many variables (where people are staying, how many people we've got) for me to commit to it right now.

[Barb-SAN]

I'm just the mistress of fun. :cool:



Like that title better than "I love scrapple" ;)

Oh, that's great that Mark is working on something educational then. I guess when thinking about "fun" then...perhaps a consideration would be to think about if the activity would also allow us to talk to one another at the same time. (E.g. a boat cruise without "commercial" entertainment would be cheaper, and we would then have a chance to entertain each other with our witty banter...:D ),

[noflyingfan]

I wanted to change it to Mistress of Fun and Connoisseur of Scrapple, but it wouldn't let me make a title that long. I just couldn't leave scrapple out of it; I'm too hungry.

[EyesSkyward]

What about something related to flying?

I suppose you could all go out to where Meigs Field used to be and have a good cry over its untimely and unfair demise (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meigs_Field#Closing_of_Meigs_Field). :cry:

:fuming:

- Jeff

[Barb-SAN]

I wouldn't mind hosting a bbq, but there are too many variables (where people are staying, how many people we've got) for me to commit to it right now.

I wasn't suggesting that you should even consider hosting a bbq. at your house. What I liked about Mark's bbq event was that it was a quiet, low key, relaxing evening, and a chance for us to actually talk to one another face to face, after so many years of just reading one another's writing.:) There certainly would be public places where the group could go too that would be quiet, and it would be easy to talk to one another (like a afternoon picnic at Meigs Field, in the snow....;) ). Anyway...that's just what I enjoy...and I don't know if that is a majority opinion.

[noflyingfan]

Oh, I'm sure you weren't, Barb. I was just saying I would have liked to do that too. That's all.

It might be a wee bit chilly for a picnic at the end of October, I'm afraid. I was thinking the deep dish pizza night could be the low-key event.

[Passenger Mark]

Chicago Pizza... I'm for that!

Perfect for Friday Night! That's my vote!

[WillFlyToDisney]

Wicked??? I have a friend in the traveling production. Hmmm...... My girls would go nuts for that.

Not sure if we can make it or not - we have a NYC and a WDW trip in Sept and will most likely be tapped out financially.

Sounds like so much fun though so we will try for sure!

Sidebar - Erika - is Ed Debevic's (spelling?) still around???

Kelley

[noflyingfan]

But KELLEY! You HAVE to come! Or at least send Mason so I can squdge him and Matt will see me and think, aw, what a great potential mom.

(Note: I'm not actually ready to have kids yet, but I started in on him last night about how we should have kids soon, and he said, 'we've got to hurry up and get ourselves a dog so you'll forget about this baby stuff.' I hadn't thought about it before he said that, but I do really want a dog, so now I know that the way to get one is to badger him about having a baby).

Ed Debevic's is still around; I have never been there but hear it's a fun place to go.

[LeslieDEN]

Wow, Ed Debevik's. Blast from the past -- but not 1950s, 1980s! We had one in Phoenix, and the one and only time I went there was around 1986 (yes, I know Erika was only six years old. Don't rub it in. :D). So it's retro of retro.

To be honest, I wasn't crazy about the place. I guess it's campy enough -- sassy gum-chomping waitresses -- but the food wasn't very good, and with Diet Coke on the menu, how can you suspend disbelief enough to pretend you're in a real 1950s diner?

(I just looked up the Wikipedia entry (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ed_Debevic%27s) and see that the Phoenix one is now closed, which frankly isn't a surprise.)

[WillFlyToDisney]

Unfortunately, Erika, Mason is too young to fly as an unaccompanied minor - that and the fact that I am nursing may make my attendance with him a tad mandatory. :angel:

Sidebar to the sidebar - Scott has a cutie dog named Otis but my girls call him Smushyface (the dog, not Scott - they call him "Mister Scott")!

[noflyingfan]

Wow, Ed Debevik's. Blast from the past -- but not 1950s, 1980s! We had one in Phoenix, and the one and only time I went there was around 1986 (yes, I know Erika was only six years old. Don't rub it in. :D). So it's retro of retro.

Hey, hey, hey. Don't be all calling me a baby and stuff. I was not six years old in 1986.

I was eight. :tongue:

[WillFlyToDisney]

Hey, hey, hey. Don't be all calling me a baby and stuff. I was not six years old in 1986.

I was eight. :tongue:

I was starting my Senior year in high school. Geez I feel old now. Thanks, Erika! :cry:

[Jeff California]

as of now, you can count us in. I will know for sure in a few weeks.

Jeff

[Passenger Mark]

Fantastic Jeff!

We will be getting details up soon!