Tuesday the day after Memorial Day when most people have to go back to work and the kids have to go back to school before their summer break, we are on the road crossing the farm lands of Ohio and Indiana toward our destination of Chicago.
Before we get to Chicago we have to set up camp at Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore, which is on the south shore of Lake Michigan in Indiana. We have camped here several times in the past. One of the nice things about this campground is that across from the entrance is the train station where we get on the train to head to midtown Chicago. When we arrive at the campground it is mostly empty, the weekend holiday campers have left and we have our pick of campsites. This year we need three sites, one for us, one for Roy and Carol (Dolphin36.blogspot.com) and one for Ron and Nancy (Graciesgreatadenture.blogspot.com) who have accompanied us this year. We find three sites in the shade that are near to each other and setup camp. Now it is time to relax and plan our travels for tomorrow.
Wednesday morning the weather is nice after a rainy night the day is perfect, partly cloudy and in the mid 70s. We board the train and head to Chicago for breakfast, however upon arriving at our favorite breakfast restaurant we find that it has closed. A slight change of plans and we find a restaurant overlooking the Chicago River for breakfast. After breakfast we check out some of the stores on Michigan Ave. also known as the Magnificent Mile. Shopping done we hop the bus and we are on our way to the Lincoln Park Zoo. This zoo is huge, and with many of the grade schools field trips scheduled on this day it is a tiring experience for us old people. After the zoo adventure we should have called it quits and headed back to the train station and the campground. Ron and Nancy haven’t seen the Chicago Navy Pier, so back on the bus and off we go to the Navy Pier for some more sight seeing. It is now time to beat the rush hour outbound traffic and make it back to the train station at Millennium Park in midtown, a bus ride and five block walk and we are back on the train heading for our homes away from home and dinner around the campfire and a good nights rest.
Thursday morning out to breakfast in Michigan City Indiana and then on the train to the Shedd Aquarium in Chicago. This is located in the museum campus right on the shore of lake Michigan. The aquarium was built in 1933 for the Chicago world fair, A Century of Progress. Beautiful aquarium with many new exhibits added since we were there years ago. One of the many interesting displays was a fish that was put on display in 1933 and is still living and on display now. After a long day touring the aquarium the group is ready to head back to the campground for dinner and a time to sit back and relax. We now say goodbye to Chicago for this trip and board the train back to our homes away from home.
