Up, Up, Up and Away; I'm Taken Around The Pacific

[anat0l]

Take a look at all that food!!!

Does thinking about eating food make you gain weight?

Great pictures - love the skylines and the postcard shots.

[kpc]

impatiently awaiting the next installment Alan!

[Alanslegal]

[A huge APOLOGY for the delay everyone - it has just been hectic w everything around me and had to put TR writing in 'stuck in transit' mode! I will be hoping for a completion in the next couple of weeks].


Economy Class – Seat 12B – MD82

I’m off back to the airport to catch AA1768 northwards to Chicago. Getting my boarding pass repeats the same drill as before using self serve check in terminals and I have seat selection at my disposal at this time. A few exit row seats remain unallocated and I’m allowed to choose them but I must admit that I dislike exit rows especially on relatively short haul flights. Why? I have a fear that in the event of the door popping out mid-flight, I’d be one of the first suckers to be sucked out LOL. I guess on longer haul flights, I would consider them if I had the option, and have recently booked and paid for some exit rows on the SQ A380’s in their upper deck.

I’m straight to the gate as it is now boarding time, great timing I think, and although there is a slight delay, we’re soon directed to board at our leisure having nice Priority AAccess printed on my BP. I deliberately not board but continue to take photos of the aircraft, not because I’m an enthusiastic photographer but rather that in the unlikely event something happens to the aircraft, the investigators can hopefully look through my photos and see lots of shots of the plane’s exterior that may give a hand for clues on how or what may have happened. Wimpy, yes! Wanting to travel, never! Such a weird combination!?!?!

Finally I board the MD82 and find my selected seat as close to the front as possible just to avoid those excessively loud jets at the back, and yes those jets are loud! The flight turns out to be uneventful except for the slight delay at ORD as we wait for our arrival gate to be vacated by the other jet.

After retrieving my luggage I soon head off to find some suitable ground transportation for my onward journey to the hotel. It’s now mid-afternoon and sensing some urgency to get on the road before peak hour traffic arrives, I’m soon booked into the mini-van shuttle with another seven passengers all onwards to various hotels. It’s only a few minutes into the trip when we’re stuck, in multiple lanes of traffic, and not moving! This is going to be a long ride indeed!

Fast forward an hour and something minutes later, the mini-van pulls into the driveway of my hotel for the next few nights, the W Chicago Lakeshore.

[Alanslegal]

Damn my PB account is faulty! Sorry - be back later tonight.

[Alanslegal]

Ok, the two second impression, it’s nice with a ‘bling bling’ looking driveway facade, nice relaxing décor, and an inviting entrance – very pretty indeed.





A few more seconds later and I am now stuck in the check-in queue. There is no priority or exclusive lines for PLT guests so I wait….. and wait….. and wait…… I make it sound likes it’s that bad but I am really Ok with waiting as I get to enjoy the ambience. I look around as if it’s my very first time staying in this hotel, absorbing the colours of the W furniture, the setting, enjoying the tunes of the music playing in the background.

When it comes to my turn to check-in, the agent is cold … like the Ice Queen and she does nothing to welcome me to Chicago, let alone to this W. She asked for my name, punched in a few buttons, and handed over the key. No ‘how are you?’, no smile, and not even a single hello. I think I had better service checking in with a self service kiosk than from this young lady.I quickly interrupt and ask “Did I happen to get upgraded to a suite?” when a menancing reply of “No, we’re fully sold out” but the elevator is back that way on the right! – the italics are my thoughts extrapolating what the agent was meaning.

I make my way to the lift and find my way to my room. I insert the card and enter; at least I got upgraded from a view of the City to a view of Lake Michigan and the Navy Pier. I believe they call this a Fantastic room which is really a fancy name for a standard lake view room.

[Alanslegal]

I reserved a room with a king bed, and that’s what I got. It’s a functional room which is well laid out with the huge bed against one wall, the multi-function television and work desk against another, and with the large chaise lounge by the window. The red walled bathroom with contrasting black tiles is hip though, and more importantly, the requirement of having a proper stand-in shower is a must. I quickly freshen up and hit the streets of Chicago.

[Alanslegal]

Chicago is such a beautiful City!! It’s clean, modern, refreshing and vibrant. The people here are just as trendy and they are all very stylish, I am impressed. The W Lakeshore is a good 10 minute stroll away from the Magnificent Mile and this is where all the fashionable are; with high end shops to exclusive boutiques, this is really shopping heaven. Matching cool shopping are countless choices of swish restaurants and cafes – and if you aren’t impressed here, you probably aren’t impressed at all! I have to say Chicago so far is doubly wow!

Magnificent Mile;-





OldWaterTowerBuilding;-



Being 100% tourist, I had to eventually leave the MM and do what a tourist does best, and that is start doing tourist-y things! In no particular order, I started a walking tour of Chicago to have a look at the buildings and the skyline, after all this is the home of the skyscrapers!



Trump Tower;-

[Alanslegal]

Artist painting the skyline @ the Buckingham Fountain:-



@ MilleniumPark;-



Chicago River by night;-



Dinner @ Gino’s East of Chicago Pizza Restaurant, how could anyone not try the famous Chicago deep dish pizzas?! At more than an inch thick and with loads of cheese, these pizzas are just so way over the top! As expected when eating this stuff, it makes Me want to just lay down and sleep – and that’s what I did too!



The following day, I awoke to a beautiful sunrise over the lake;-

[Alanslegal]

A lot of folks go to the highest building in the City – the Sears Tower – for an impressive view of Chicago & beyond but I opted against this, and went to the John Hancock Tower instead and visted the Signature Room restaurant perched a towering 96 levels above ground, and where the Lunch Buffet was a bargain price of $18 inclusive of the stunning views!

[Alanslegal]

Dinner was at the trendy Sushi Samba which is a Japanese-Brazilian fusion restaurant. Food was pricey but definitely delicious! They have restaurants in NYC, Las Vegas, Chicago and a few other major cities;-








There was so much things to do and see in Chicago! And although the photos don’t provide a full picture, this is a MUST visit City when anybody who is in this part of the woods.



Next:- All the way to Tokyo (via a 23hour break in Los Angeles)