Luggage and Literature

The world is a book, and those who do not travel read only a page. - St. Augustine

Archives for June 2016

Palmer House Hilton, Chicago

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Palmer House Hilton
Drinks with my friend Caroline in the Lobby Bar at the Palmer House Hilton.

I have been to Chicago several times, and for different reasons. I’ve visited for conferences, spent time with friends, and also visited a college friend, Caroline, who lives just outside of the city. It’s a great city, with so much to see, and so much to do. In this post, I want to talk a bit about my favorite place in Chicago to stay. In my next post in this short series on Chicago, I’ll outline what I most enjoyed doing in Chicago.

Palmer House HiltonOn one trip to Chicago, I stayed at the Palmer House Hilton in downtown Chicago. It is gorgeous and has spacious rooms with great city views. The conference facilities are top-notch. And the location is convenient for touring the city. And how gorgeous is that lobby?

Palmer House Hilton

Each floor of the hotel is also decorated slightly differently in the elevator lobby area. This particular floor was my favorite, with the grand piano. Beautiful.

Palmer House

The Palmer House Hilton also has a great little bar called Potter’s.  My friend Caroline and I tried fun drinks and snacks there. The bartenders were really helpful in letting us sample drinks and find flavors that we really liked.

Drinks at Potters Chicago
Caroline and I enjoying drinks at Potter’s.

Potter's ChicagoAnd we couldn’t get over the decor. It had a fun 60s vibe, that also felt fresh and cool. But above the bar, the decor also looked a little bit Roswell, if you get my drift. 😉 Anyway, it was a great place to have a few drinks with friends.

Potters Chicago

 

Friday Five 6-24-2016

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Friday 5This is the ninth installment in my new weekly series, called the Friday Five. In this series, I’ll tell you about five random things that I love, whether they be books, travel, music, movies…or whatever. So without further ado, 6-24-2016’s Friday Five!

1–Revisionist History. Malcolm Gladwell launched a podcast called Revisionist History. As with everything else that he’s put out, I love it! I’ve listened to both of the episodes, plus the introduction, and have enjoyed them both. You can check it out here, or on whatever app you use to listen to podcasts (I like podbean).

2–Fitness Walking. So it’s probably not a secret to those who know me very well, but I’ve struggled with my weight for my whole life. I’ve done Weight Watchers several times, done Curves, read books, and tried to go it my own way. It has been less than successful, as people can probably tell from my increasing size over time. Being overweight is incredibly painful to the psyche, especially of someone like me, who is used to being in control, and making things happen or bend to my will. Ultimately, I’ve been successful at continuing to track my calories using the MyFitnessPal app, which at least makes sure that I’m at least mindful of what I’m eating (even if I don’t always reduce my portion sizes, make good choices, or skip snacks). What I’ve struggled with the most is making exercise not suck (and I honestly really hate exercising), so that I’ll actually do it, and continue to do it. I like going for walks, so I’m hopeful that the tips from this post might get me moving a bit more, which in turn will help me to lose some of the pounds.

3–Caleb Hawley. I saw Caleb Hawley at one of the Rehmsworld concerts, and loved him. His music is just downright fun. He put out a new video on youtube, a song called Dive Bar. Hope you’ll enjoy it too! And he’s coming back to Loomis, NE to perform at The Balcony again in the fall. I’m looking forward to it!

4–Mornings. I find it so much easier to get up earlier when it’s summer, and it’s light outside in the mornings. This means that there is more time to accomplish the many tasks on the to-do list, as well as just to enjoy the sunshine and the birds chirping. I really liked this post on becoming a morning person.

5–Ann Voskamp. I’ve read a couple of her books and loved them. I read her blog regularly and enjoy it as well. Periodically she just has posts that speak to me, heart-to-heart. This post did. I hope that you enjoy it as well.

Chicago, Illinois

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In my next post on Chicago, I will talk a bit about my favorite hotel in the city, the Palmer House Hilton. In this post, I’m going to touch on a few fun things to do while visiting the city. This is by no means an exhaustive list of what to do in Chicago, because the city still boasts many things that I haven’t had the time to check out. It’s just a few ideas if you’re planning a visit and are looking for something to do.

Christmas in Chicago

My favorite time of year to visit Chicago is at Christmas time. I’ve visited twice around Christmas, and checking out the decorations around the city (the lights, the trees, the window displays) is definitely one of my favorite things to do in Chi-town.

Chicago at Christmas

Bus/Trolley Tour

A double-decker bus/trolley tour of the city. It’s a great way to learn about the city, and a quick way to get from point to point and see lots of the sites. My gal pals and I loved it, even though it was a bit chilly when we rode!

Chicago Double Decker Bus

Navy Pier

Visit Navy Pier, wander around, and get a hot dog from a cart. And maybe ride on the ferris wheel while you’re at it. Such a fun place for all ages!

Hershey World

Hershey World is cheesy but super fun. And the whole place smells like chocolate. We had a great time admiring all of the jumbo candy items.

Hershey Chocolate World

Skyscrapers

Check out the view from a skyscraper in Chicago. I’ve been to the top of the Willis Tower (back when it was called the Sears Tower), and was in awe of the view. I’d like to go to the top of the Hancock Tower on a future visit.

Chicago Style Pizza

Eating Chicago style pizza! How can you make a trip to Chicago without trying it?! I’d say that those from Chicago have different ideas of which place is the best to go for the best deep dish pie, but I’d bet you really can’t go wrong with any of them.

Chicago Style pizza

Architectural Boat Tour

An evening architectural boat tour. So gorgeous! And so informative. Probably my favorite activity in the Windy City (which by the way, is named because of the politicians in Chicago, not because of the weather), especially if it ends in a fireworks show.

Chicago Skyline

Fireworks over Chicago

When in Chicago, I’ve not ever had time to visit any museums. In particular I’d love to visit the Field Museum on future visit. I’ve also not had the opportunity to take in a baseball game from Wrigley Field. So, I guess a future trip to Chicago is in the cards for me so that I can check these items off of my list.

Have you visited or done any of the things on my list? What have you done in Chicago that you’ve loved?

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