My co-workers and I arrived in Chicago for the American
Library Association conference. We flew in then caught a Go Green van. Our
driver, George, a native Chicagoan, entertained us with stories and history
about his beloved city. Did you know that Cool Whip, skyscrapers, and the juke
box originated in the Windy City and that the nickname doesn’t refer to the
wild breeze, but to politicians from the past? All facts, according to George.
Registered for the conference, we enjoyed a delicious lunch,
then headed out to explore the city. We learned early that Chicagoans like to
honk. The beeps and tweets sounded like a concert. Every taxi we rode in, three
in all, honked at least every ten feet. And speaking of taxis, we can say that
we experienced a crazy heart-in-your-throat ride, like you see in movies. Our first driver, a sweet young man named
Jose, chatted with us and drove with perfect safety. Driver two made our hearts
stutter. He swerved, honked, slammed his breaks, and pretty much made us wonder
if we should ever get in a taxi again. Thank goodness, our last driver made a
smooth path to our hotel. 
If you get to Chicago, go to Navy Pier, walk around, enjoy
the people and the beautiful view of Lake Michigan. We hopped on a boat and
enjoyed the tour of the shoreline. The boat sailed past the Chicago Harbor Lighthouse,
the highlight for me, as we listened to the history of this exciting city.
Off to Printer’s Row today and then to ALA.