May 1, 2023
Just Saying…
Chicago, USA – Tour Guide a Maladjusted Mind
By Q.C. Jones
Aside from providing stories and insights into all things Quad Cities, your pal QC Jones serves as a tour guide. While I have developed and someday hope to publish a walking tour of Historic Downtown Davenport, the bulk of my work revolves around tours of the dark alleys and obscure recesses my twisted mind.
Over the years, a few readers have sought me out in hopes of understanding if the descriptions provided were real or a product of a Ten High addled hallucination. An equal number suggested I spend some couch time with their nephew who recently graduated with a degree in abnormal psychiatry. I guess the tour guide thing must have stuck.
Last week my dear sister-in-law called with an unusual request. Could I recommend places to see and things to do in Chicago, or as they said on the Blues Brothers Movie so many years ago, Chicago, USA. A little background is in order.
My pretty “cuñada,” which translates to sister-in-law, grew up Mexico City. My brother, who must be the top-10 salespeople in the world, convinced her to leave her dental practice and move to Juneau, Alaska. She is a world traveler, but has only been to Chicago once, and that was a short visit nearly 30 years ago. She has an opportunity to visit Chicago and reached out for some help.
Why me? First, I suspect geography played a role in her decision, the QCA is only 170 miles away, so it makes sense everyone here probably goes to Chicago. She also knows that my first official office was Downtown Chicago, even though I only went in for training, quarterly meetings, and parties. But, in my twisted psyche, the real reason is that I shine with a bright aura of tour guide expertise.
Now on to my personal two day “must see” tips for travelers, with Chicago, USA as their destination.
Allow me to lead off with a comment. A trip to Chicago is not a trip to the suburbs. While the IKEA store and the gigantic LegoLand are impressive, these sprawling mazes of homes and strip malls aren’t Chicago. The Chicago of my dreams is a dense and sometimes gritty city center surrounded by miles of expressways, snarling traffic, and unpleasant commuters.
Save yourself the grief, take the train, and relax as you cut under buildings, over bridges, and people watch. QCA folks can get the experience on the cheap by taking the Metra computer line located in Elburn, Illinois. This is one of the many commuter trains designed for people who live in the area. The cost of such a ticket on the weekend is six American Dollars. Believe it or not, American currency is good in Chicago. The schedule of trains is online, check it out.
If you take the Elburn train, the Ogilvie Transportation Center will be your destination. Cool spot, hundreds of Metra commuter trains per day but without the historic charm of Union Station. It’s safe and convenient. Plenty of taxis to take you around, but the smart bet is Uber. If you haven’t used it before, have one of your grandkids show you. It’s easy and will save you a lot of dinero downtown.
Cars are a bummer in downtown Chicago and parking is even worse than you could ever imagine. Some spots parking runs $16.50 hour and parking at your hotel will range from $80-120 per day. Save your money for food.
I recommended The Palmer House in the Loop. Old school cool, this joint’s lobby might have been a hang out spot for Al Capone or Teddy Roosevelt. It was founded by Potter Palmer in 1871 and burned down in The Great Chicago Fire and rebuilt 2 years later. Your grandparents might have stayed there, mine did for the Chicago Century of Progress in 1933.
Eating is one of the necessities of life. Here are a couple of places for nourishment.
The Italian Village is just a couple blocks from the hotel. Founded in 1927 by Alfredo Capitanini and the oldest Italian Restaurant in Chicago, this place always amazes. The upstairs dining room has those cool booths with a curtain to protect you from the prying eyes of the public. Best yet, my experience is the prices are reasonable, even by QCA standards.
Downtown Dogs is on Rush St, just a few blocks east of the Magnificent Mile. This place enjoys the QC Jones stamp of approval. And I know my hotdogs. One of my log time jobs in college was working in a Chicago Style hotdog stand modeled after Downtown Dogs. My story was simple, I needed a job to pay for my two hot dog a day habit. Why not work there and get them for free. On a side note, my daughter left her dental retainer there after a visit in 1994. The owner had his people take us two levels below the restaurant where they opened the 25 garbage sacks and sorted through them to find the appliance. My daughter, age 10, told the guy she would never eat anywhere else.
Did you know Chicago has a China Town and a Greek Town both featuring over a dozen restaurants? I knew I shouldn’t have written this on an empty stomach…
Just saying.
