Bars and Lounges
Fun in Chicagoland
May 22nd
Posted by patty in Bars and Lounges
I’ve lost count of the number of trips I’ve taken to Chicago in the last several years since both our daughters moved there, one to work and one to go to school. I always look forward to my treks to the Second City (aside from seeing my girls) because there’s never a lack of places to go, things to do and restaurants to try. Our main purpose for our visit this time was to attend younger daughter Jenny’s pinning and graduation ceremonies at Loyola University Chicago, but we also had made plans to enjoy a few activities which are readily identified with Chicagoland.
Friday morning found Harry, Jenny and I on a Metra train to LaGrange, where we met up with older daughter Sarah at Q BBQ, a new place with scruptious food in generous portions at reasonable prices. After eating our fill, we headed to the zoo in nearby Brookfield. The hoard of bright yellow school buses in the parking lot gave me pause; I sincerely hoped that flocks of students would not prevent us from getting close to viewing the exhibits. Brookfield is a huge place, though, with wide pathways and multiple vantage points for each habitat, so we enjoyed strolling about on a lovely, sunny day. The brand-new Great Bear Wilderness boasts large, natural enclosures for polar bears, grizzlies and others along with a beautiful wolf exhibit and a large meadow populated by a small herd of bison. Our favorite exhibit, however, had to be the gorilla house. We watched a young male asserting his dominance over several other members of his clan while the silverback snoozed unconcerned nearby.
After Saturday’s graduation ceremony, I began Sunday with a stroll from our hotel — the Millennium Knickerbocker just off the north end of Michigan Avenue — to Mass in the stunning Holy Name Cathedral. The soaring interior has recently undergone major structural work and then recovery from a fire just over a year ago. After church we jumped on the Red Line to Wrigleyville to take in a Cubbies-Pirates game. We arrived well before game time, so we met up with Sarah and her husband and Jenny at Cubby Bear’s, a popular sports bar kitty-corner from the main entrance to Wrigley Field. We enjoyed the atmosphere along with our drinks and appetizers before heading to the game.
I have been spoiled with attending major league games at Seattle’s Safeco Field with its wide-open concourses and numerous eateries and restrooms on every level — none of which Wrigley has. However, I enjoyed attending a great game at an historic venue surrounded by knowledgable and supportive fans. The Cubs’ win was a perfect end to a delightful day.
We don’t have our next trip to Chicago scheduled yet, but you can be sure that when we return, we will find more new things to do and great restaurants to try.
– Patty Vanikiotis, proofreader
Happy Travels
May 5th
Posted by patty in Bars and Lounges
Last year, my friends and I made our ninth annual baseball trip. We chose New York because both the Mets and the Yankees had new stadiums.
We saw the Philadelphia Phillies beat the Mets at CitiField (unfortunately, as we always cheer for the home team on these trips). The next night we saw the Yankees beat the Mets at Yankee Stadium.
During one afternoon we spent time in Central Park, checking out Strawberry Fields and the Central Park Zoo. We took a short side trip to see The Dakota, the former home of John Lennon.
On the way to Central Park, we checked out the Big Apple Con (now called Wizard World). We met boxer Mia St. John, actor David Harris, wrestler Terri Runnels and the Iron Sheik and a few others. This was mainly for me, but the others were happy to attend their first such convention.
We had several great meals, including an outstanding Italian feast and a few lunches at traditional NYC delis.
We stayed at the Affinia near Madison Square Garden, which also happened to be hosting the Cotto-Clottey boxing match. A few of us ran into several boxers at a nearby sports bar.
On the way home, we were discussing it and comparing it to other trips. Most of us gave it a great score, but one guy shrugged and gave it a mediocre score.
Granted, this might not be the ideal trip for everyone, but if out-of-town baseball is the focal point of a trip, I can’t find one reason not to give this specific trip a top score. What else could you want?
Actually, that was exactly the question we asked our somewhat blase friend. Then we took turns tossing out favorite parts of the trip. By the end of this session, the malcontent was in agreement that it was a great trip.
Sometimes I guess we need to be reminded of certain things. Sometimes we need to sit back and really reflect on what we are experiencing. If every trip IÂ ever took was anywhere near as fun as this trip was, I’d be one happy traveler.
– John Wroblewski, distribution specialistÂ
Welcome to Miami!
Apr 9th
I spent the Easter weekend in Miami with my best friend. We had a great time lounging poolside at the Fountainbleau, exploring South Beach hot spots and having some “celebrity” encounters. After arriving in Fort Lauderdale on JetBlue (my first experience with the airline, and a very pleasant one at that), we enjoyed brunch overlooking the ocean at the W Fort Lauderdale, definitely a spot to see and be seen, before making our way to South Beach.
The Fountainbleau, which recently underwent a massive $1 billion renovation, has plenty to offer travelers, including several pools, restaurants, stores and lots of people! Look for a review of the property in an upcoming eFlyer. During our stay, we checked out the spa, tested the room service, enjoyed the pool and had cocktails in the lobby Bleu Bar. The on-site nightclub, LIV, was packed each night of our weekend stay.
On Friday night, we enjoyed dinner at the new “it” restaurant on South Beach, Prime Italian. My sea bass was simply phenomenal, as were all the appetizers and the wine. We sat outside and took in the sights — including the three Lamborghinis parked in front of the restaurant.
Because of the holiday weekend, the area was busy and the pool area at the Fountainbleau was crowded. Luckily, we had reserved one of the poolside beds and were able to relax and tan poolside Saturday afternoon. Also at the pool? Scott Disick, boyfriend to Kourtney Kardashian and a regular on the TV series Keeping Up with the Kardashians. Crowds were flocking for a picture with him, and pool-goers were definitely abuzz.
On Saturday night, we took in the Paul McCartney concert at Sun Life Stadium (formerly Dolphin Stadium). What a great show! McCartney played for three-plus hours and performed some classics, including “Hey Jude,” “Let It Be,” “Eleanor Rigby,” “Yesterday” and “Ob La Di.” Watching one of the Beatles perform those songs was definitely a treat and an experience to remember!
Sunday, our last day in south Florida, was also a treat. After a yummy brunch at the hotel, we headed to the men’s final match of the Sony Ericsson Open, where we watched American Andy Roddick defeat Czech Tomas Berdych and bring the title back to the States. Watching the awards presentation was fun, and just wandering around the tents of the Key Biscayne venue was a whole new experience for me.
Alas, it was time to head back to the airport and return to reality. However, there’s no denying I had a great time kicking back in Miami for a few days!
– Kimberly Krol, eFlyer editor, circulation and public relations executive
Viva Las Vegas!
Feb 12th
Last week I took a four-day, five-night jaunt to Las Vegas. My best friend from college joined me for the girls’ getaway. The last time I had visited Vegas, I was about 10 or 11, and it was one of many stops along a cross-country family road trip. Needless to say, I had yet to experience true “Las Vegas.”
After an uneventful flight, we landed, grabbed our bags and a shuttle and headed over to the Wyndham Grand Desert. McCarran International Airport is literally a hop, skip and a jump from the city center — a convenient feature. We were not staying on the Strip, but we were only a few blocks away. Once we settled into our room, we walked up to the Strip to grab some lunch and wander about. That night we took in our first Vegas show, Australia’s male revue, The Thunder from Down Under. The corny Excalibur show was good for a few laughs.
Having checked the weather, we knew our only day of sun would be Thursday, so we decided to take the morning and relax by the pool. We followed up a morning of sun with lunch and a manicure, then we headed over to the Fremont Street Experience. Fremont Street, the “original” Las Vegas strip, has been reinvented as a sort of street fair experience. The world’s largest TV screen, canopied over the several city blocks of the Experience, plays shows every hour on the hour. Spray paint artists and street musicians, as well as other entertainers, line the streets; and casinos, eateries and more abound. We followed up Fremont Street with dinner on the modern-day Strip.
Friday, we began the day with a visit to the Las Vegas sign and then went in search of bingo. No casinos on the Strip offer the game because, as we were instructed, having a bingo room simply takes up too much room. We decided to play bingo at Palace Station casino. Sadly, we lost — both times. For dinner, we headed over to the Venetian, where we enjoyed Italian at Canaletto. After dinner, we took in La Reve, the Wynn’s Cirque du Soleil show. We chose this show based on the glowing recommendations we received from everyone we asked. Even concierges and staff who were not fans of the Cirque series highly recommended La Reve. It did not disappoint, and I would highly recommend it for any of you in the Vegas area. Our Las Vegas night on the town was capped off by cocktails and dancing at Blush, the Wynn‘s boutique nightclub.
Saturday was our last full day in Las Vegas. We started off with a delicious brunch buffet at Paris. Despite the long entrance line, the overwhelming selection of food was well worth the wait. We enjoyed afternoon massages at Mandara Spa at the Paris and then spent the rest of the afternoon and evening exploring the Strip. We wandered around all the major casinos, including Caesar’s Palace; caught the Bellagio‘s fountain show; grabbed dinner at Bally’s; checked out the Mirage; admired the lion habitat at the MGM Grand; and played some slots at Planet Hollywood. We wandered a lot and got a good taste of the famed Las Vegas strip.
Thankfully, we were scheduled to fly home Sunday, so we avoided the flight cancellations caused by the big snowstorm that hit the East Coast last weekend. We arrived home on time and ready for the work week — and another snowstorm. There is so much to see and do in Las Vegas; it’s overwhelming, but I think we sampled a bit of what the city is known for — we gambled (a little bit), ate at a buffet, enjoyed shows, relaxed in a spa, explored and much more. Viva Las Vegas!
– Kimberly Krol, eFlyer editor, circulation and public relations executive
