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Hello From Chicago Part 1 First Impressions
hicago, Arlington House getting old when you can say to
Youth Hostel, Friday, someone that you have known them
October 21, 6:05 am for 30 years...
So here I am again, on another So Linda, who now lives in
short excursion away from home. Indiana, and I decided to reunite
I've been awake for an hour in Chicago again, so she is
already and decided the best planning to come in today at
thing is to get up and put my 10:25 with the South Shore
first impressions on paper. Since Railway Line. I, on the other
there is only a one hour time hand, decided to fly this time,
difference between Toronto and instead of driving or taking the
Chicago I decided yesterday I train (15 hours from Toronto!!!)
wasn't even going to change my as I did the last two times.
watch over. So when I came down
this morning to use the free As I've done several times this
computer at the Arlington Youth year already in my trips to New
Hostel in Chicago, I realized York City and Vancouver/Victoria,
it's not 7 am, but actually only I decided to use my Airmiles to
6 am. Well, even better, that'll come down to Chicago on a free
give me more chance to explore. flight, and what a great decision
that was since the flight is just
A trip to Chicago has been in the over an hour long. With the help
works for a while. I have been of Airmiles, this is shaping up
here twice before, once in 2001 to be a really reasonable and
with 3 of my friends, and once in cost-effective weekend getaway in
April of 2003 to meet my friend a great city that will allow me
Linda who I have known from back to keep my costs as low as
home in Austria since we are 10 possible.
years old. You realize you are
Yesterday, I flew out of Pearson 2 people (albeit with a shared
International Airport at 4:45 pm bathroom), you can't beat the
and arrived at 5:30 Chicago time. pricing. The Arlington House is
Chicago's O'Hare Airport is the located in the beautiful
world's busiest airport, and neighbourhood of Lincoln Park and
judging by the size of the literally just 15 minutes from
terminals, I can only concur. downtown by el-train or bus. It
After walking what felt like took me 45 minutes by train to
miles I reached the level where get to the Washington Station
the subway trains depart, and I downtown where I changed over to
bought a 3-day visitor ticket for the red line which just took
US$12.00. Chicago, similar to New about 10 to 15 minutes to get me
York City, has a great transit to Fullerton.
system, with a large network of
interconnected buses, subways and I am usually pretty proud of my
elevated trains. I am fascinated 'highly developed sense of
by the "el-train" system that orientation', but when I left the
runs through the downtown area Fullerton el-train station it was
and the "Loop" as it is called. dark already and I promptly ended
The train on stilts has been in up walking westwards on
existence since the early 1900s, Fullerton, in the opposite
and it allows you to see some of direction of where I was supposed
the beautiful architecture that to go. I managed to successfully
Chicago has to offer. delay my arrival at the youth
hostel by about 45 minutes due to
My destination was the Arlington walking in the wrong direction
House Youth Hostel, a place I had and not being able to connect
already stayed at during my with anyone who might have known
earlier two trips. At US$56.00 where the youth hostel is. None
per night for a private room for of the DePaul university students
that I asked had any idea of downtown, but due to my detour I
where the intersection of Lincoln was pretty pooped and decided to
and Fullerton was, they were just go and eat something
probably all new in town locally. I strolled south on
themselves. I finally arrived at Clark Street which has many
the next larger intersection lively little restaurants and
"Ashland" and realized I had plopped myself down in a place
walked about 2 or 3 km westwards, called Ranalli's where I had an
in the wrong direction. extremely filling soup, salad and
tiramisu dinner. After all this
Pretty tired from rolling my running around it was nice to sit
suitcase around I decided to down, read the paper, including
catch the bus back east on the events calendar and try to
Fullerton and arrived at the figure out what adventures could
Arlington House not much later. be in store for this weekend.
The Arlington House with its
large entrance hall full of young Today I got up early, actually an
(and older) travellers and its hour earlier than I thought since
absolutely spartanic rooms (no I want to do some exploring
closets, no night tables, no before my friend Linda comes into
table lamps, no chairs, no desks town. I am planning to meet her
- just a metal bunk bed for our at 10:25 at the Randolph Street
private room) is always an train station, so I have a few
experience. But I love it, it hours for exploring before she
makes me feel young again to hang comes into town.
out with all these world
travellers and adventurers of I might take a bus north, or go
different ages. south into the Old Town
Neighbourhood, close to North
I had originally planned to head Street.
It's going to be interesting.....
About the Author:
Susanne Pacher is the publisher of Travel and Transitions (http://www.travelandtransitions.com), a popular web portal for unconventional travel & cross-cultural connections. Check out our brand new section featuring FREE ebooks about travel.
Read more articles by: Susanne Pacher
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