UA 381 BDL ORD 0726 0854 752 9A Ch9^

I left my home away from home at 0530 and got to the
airport roundabout 0600. The foot traffic paths have been
changed since I last took off from here, and the way to
the UA/US gates has been blocked off, with everyone going
to the right out of security (which had been fairly fast,
efficient, and not overbearing). I didn't know this and
muzzily followed my memory's footsteps and found myself
in a corridor that dead-ended at the Sheraton. Retraced my
steps, and there was just a short time to waste at the US
Air club, which is cozy and reminds me of the smallest CLT
club. Airport-wide wi-fi.

The flight was fine, the FA in the jumpseat opposite
being fairly cute (this was an award ticket). We came in
a tad early.

Someone leapt out at me from behind the Ciao coffee shop -
it was my friend Annie, who took me in hand and ushered me
to the Hilton via the short surface route (as opposed to
the arduous underground tunnel route). The hotel had only
one upgraded room ready, and she got it (ladies first, you
know), so I left my bag there for the day, promising to
check into my own room in the evening.

We headed underground to the Blue Line, only to discover
that day passes are not issued at the airport station (this
a major failure in customer accessibility and good sense).
Instead we got ordinary cards and resigned ourselves to
spend extra this day, something that neither of us is eager
to do in these times of heightened economic distress.

Our first stop was the half-price show ticket booth, which
(as it turns out) doubles as an information center, but (as
it also turns out) wasn't open: a guard pointed us at the
Cultural Center directly across the street, which turns out
to have been an excellent recommendation. This was the first
Chicago Public Library building and has been taken over as
an information and r&r facility with function rooms and
historic/art/architecture exhibitions upstairs.

At the information area in front we chatted with various
concierges and got recommendations regarding the best
hamburgers, parks, and sights. Everyone agreed that the
Architectural Foundation boat tour was the best of its type
and not to be missed (there was no self-interest issue, as
people were flogging different things - foodie tours, Segway
tours, and so on), so we planned on that. At some point in
our conversations we complained about the lack of day passes
at the airport station, whereupon someone fished into her
drawer and said, here's a leftover one, take it!

Upstairs, the largest Tiffany dome in the world (in addition
to a more modest but I thought prettier one), a wing devoted
to the architect Louis Sullivan (most informative), and an
exhibition of jazz era photos by Eugene Smith.

We spent an inordinate amount of time here (there are
assorted other art and photography displays as well), and
by the time we left, it was close to lunchtime and the Park
Grill. So off we went.

As we make a comfortable and cultured-looking, fairly
sightly couple, we were seated in a nice booth in full view
of the patrons coming in the door and the potential custom
passing by the big picture windows.

Burgers seemed to be the order of the day - I ordered the
Kobe, Annie the regular. There was no substantial difference
- this does not mean that there is in general no difference
but rather that mine was either not Kobe or made from a
low grade of Wagyu (I don't think there is an enforceable
definition of Kobe in the US). They were big and pretty
good - by far not the best in the world, or in town, but
they did the job. Archetype 07 Shiraz was the featured wine
of the day - it was brighter and more acid than I recall,
but that's not a bad thing with burgers. It would have been
better with richer meat, such as real Wagyu.