What is this land of America, so many travel there
I’m going now while I’m still young, my darling meet me there
Wish me luck my lovely, I’ll send for you when I can
And we’ll make our home in the American land
Over there all the woman wear silk and satin to their knees
And children dear, the sweets, I hear, are growing on the trees
Gold comes rushing out the river straight into your hands
If you make your home in the American land
There’s diamonds in the sidewalks, there’s gutters lined in song
Dear, I hear that beer flows through the faucets all night long
There’s treasure for the taking, for any hard working man
Who will make his home in the American land
– Bruce Springsteen
Sunday 4 June 2023
I woke up with sore legs this morning, thanks to yesterday’s warm 5km Northwestern Medicine Fun Run. I actually think that the last time I ran a 5km that fast was here in Chicagoland on Thanksgiving 2017 for the Naperville North Turkey Trot. Different weather conditions, of course. Despite my sore legs, I went for a walk around the neighbourhood. Any excuse to enjoy the Prairie Path, especially on such a nice morning.
We headed downtown this morning, aiming for the Shedd Aquarium, but with Taylor Swift playing the final of three shows at Soldier Field (home to the NFL’s Chicago Bears) next door, getting a parking spot there was impossible, unless you wanted to pay $55 for the pleasure. Needless to say, we did not.
Plan B was parking at Millennium Park. That was where we went our separate ways. I headed over to rent a bike at a Bike and Roll rental outlet whilst Nathan and Kat headed off for the aquarium on foot. It wasn’t that I don’t like aquariums – who doesn’t love a good aquarium? – but I’ll never pass up an opportunity to ride a bike, especially in this city, with it’s fabled Lakefront Trail, which is 18.5 miles or nearly 30km of bike and walking pats along Lake Michigan.
With the temperature considerably cooler than it was when we were downtown on Thursday, conditions for riding were perfect, even when the wind was against me. I started out riding towards Michigan, getting to the suburb of Kenwood before turning around and riding back into the wind, through downtown Chicago (past Navy Pier) and up to North Avenue Beach, where the cityscape views are spectacular. Then back to the Bike and Roll store, more than 30km in total. I was exhausted by the end, but it was great to see parts of the city I’ve never been to before, and what better way than to see them on a bike?
Met up with Nathan and Kat for a Shake Shack (burgers and amazing fries) before we headed back to the suburbs and over to Jamie and Will’s for dinner, where old friends Katie and Jeremiah and their daughter, Eila, joined us. We haven’t seen them in ages. Props to Will for grilling sausages, brats and hamburger patties with cheese melted on top. There was also amazing baked beans, salad and plenty of dessert. A perfect American summertime meal. Then it was marshmallow toasting time in the Longhini’s fire pit.
Summary of the night (and, to be honest, the entire eighteen days I’ve been here): ate a lot, drank a moderate amount, laughed an extraordinary amount.
kitchtrips 