Um, Hi,everyone!
I'm new to this post-blog-place-guy thing I'M SORRY AHEAD OF TIME and Hello.
This may be a day late BUT, I grew up in Chicago and The Dead Animal Zoo (You know it as the place where Harry "liberated" Sue for a day--the Field Museum) and espeically at Lincoln Park Zoo (I was told I was born there and that my secret true parents are in the Great Ape House but I think that was a lie. I've seen my birth certificate and it definitely says New York). I can tell you that all the hotels in Downtown Chicago are excessively expensive. Anyones that aren't, well, you do NOT want to stay there. I reccomend looking around O'Hare Airport area for less pricey hotels (Schaumburg, Rosemont, Des Plaines River Road, Northwest Chicago area), Des Plaines, and there's even a Days Inn or Holiday INN in downton Evanston that is pricey but not as pricey and it's about 30-40 minutes away from Downtown Chicago. Am I remembering that Jim will be in Oak Brook at the book store there? Cause I'm sure the hotels in Oak Brook are less expensive. You won't believe me when you see the bill, but they are.
Now, personally, I think the only cool places in Chicago are the Dead Animal Zoo, the Planetarium, the Live Animal Zoo, the Shedd Aquarium (essentially, Museum Campus). Also, a tour of the buildings left after THE FIRE, is a great place to go. The Water Tower Pumping Station and there is a Limestone Church left on State Street. Don't miss Second City, and the Historical Society is awesome too--great if you want to learn about THE FIRE. Those are close to LPZ (Lincoln Park Zoo). We have great architecture so LOOK UP, cause that's where you'll really see some great work. If you are lookign for Frank Lloyd Wright buildings, you'll have to google for them--they are everywhere.
If you are looking for the Mitchell Native American Museum, it is NOT where Jim thinks it is in Dead Beat. In fact, it hasn't been there in about 20 years. It IS in Evanston, but it moved to Central Street, across from THE WORLDS BEST COFFEE SHOP EVER (Casteel and Company, they roast the beans there and you can get stoned off the fumes...they totally rock! You'll never lower yourself to Starbucks again!). I have actually not yet been to the Mitchel Museum, even though I grew up in Evanston and could have gone there on my lunch break for the 7 years I worked up the road a peice in Hell... I mean Evanston Hospital (AKA: Wolfram and Heart Healthcare). I would google the exact location first. Don't forget the plethora of fantastic food you can get in Evanston, Skokie, Lincolnwood and Chicago. I highly reccomend renting a car if you don't have one with you and get a good map of the areas. The lake front is always a great place to visit and you won't want to miss Buckingham Fountain, which may be up and running but with this wacky weather, who knows.
Northwestern University Campus, where much of the battle took place in Dead Beat, is on the corner of Sheridan Road and Chicago Ave (clark street in Chicago, Chicago Ave in Evanston), as the road curves around and makes you dizzy. You'll be in NWU campus area (ok, most of downtown Evanston is NWU campus area).
I won't be at the Book signing so I'll miss you all, but I'll be there in spirit and will head to the local bookstore on my way home from day job tomorrow to spend full retail price on Turn Coat (which we know is a mortal sin and against the 13th commandment of "thou shalt not pay retail:).
I'll check back so that if any of you have any more questions about Chicago, you can ask and I'll answer.
