Esteemed critic Roger Ebert wrote in a review for the Chicago Sun-Times that the film, Sleepless in Seattle was “as ephemeral as a talk show, as contrived as the late show, and yet so warm and gentle I smiled the whole way through.”
He could have just as easily been describing his hometown of Chicago. It’s all that and so much more.
I’ve been there twice. The first time with my son during his senior year of high school for spring break. Most of his friends opted for Panama City, Florida, THE spring break destination for students in Georgia. But my son, Robert, longed to visit Chicago and Pier Park, experience the skyscraper architecture, home of House Music, and deep-dish pizza.
As a student of film, in high school and later as his major at Georgia State, that visit was perfect timing. Right outside our hotel, they were filming Transformers: Dark of the Moon. Many of the scenes were shot across the street near the Trump Tower and, yes, we caught a glimpse of Josh Duhamel, Tyrese Gibson, and director Michael Bay.
Eleven years later I returned to visit my son who now calls Chicago home.
Proud Mama moment
Let me set the stage for you. Robert is my #1 son and only child. Engrossed in my television career, I did not have him until I was 35. Had I known that being a mom was the most incredible experience in the world, I would have done it sooner and had more than one child. However, I think God knew what he was doing for our family.
When Robert was five years old, he was diagnosed with bacterial meningitis. He went to bed one night and literally woke up the next morning dying. He was in pediatric intensive care for two weeks and two months later had to have both feet amputated, one just above the ankle and the other just below the knee.
Not only did Robert survive, he has thrived despite a lifetime of challenges including proper prosthetic fit, constantly growing and changing prosthetics the way most kids outgrow shoes, mobility challenges resulting in weight gain, insurance nightmares, and on and on.
Today, he has a great job directing videos with doctors around the world regarding various medical technology and advances. Robert has excelled and is my proudest achievement!
I was supposed to accompany him and my husband to move him to Chicago in late June but our beloved dog got very sick and I ended up staying home to care for her.
I was sad to miss that trip because I had looked forward to it for months.
Our overdue visit in early October was wonderful to say the least and I smiled the whole way through.
A little history
Chicago is a great city to visit. Personally, I wouldn’t want to live there, especially in the long winter months. The cold weather suits Robert perfectly. As a double amputee, basically wearing two sets of legs between the inner and outer sleeves, the chill is welcomed.
The history of the city is fairly amazing. I love the architecture, the old and the new, which provide an aesthetically pleasing view. Chicago is home to the world’s first skyscraper and the Willis Tower, commonly known as the Sears Tower, one of the world’s tallest structures. There is a monument near the Chicago River to commemorate Fort Dearborn, in honor of Henry Dearborn, then United States Secretary of War. The original fort was destroyed during the War of 1812 but the monument is now a Chicago landmark.
Later, Chicago would rise from the ashes following the great fire of 1871 which destroyed a third of the city and left more than 100,000 homeless, thus the nickname Second City.
- Chicago is the third largest city in the U.S. and is home to an estimated 2.7M residents.
- Chicago’s motto, “city in a garden,” was adopted in the 1830s and alludes to the city’s impressive and historic park system.
- The downtown area is known as “The Loop,” which refers to the area encircled by the Chicago Transit Authority’s (CTA) elevated (‘L’) train tracks and operates the nation’s second largest public transportation system. On an average weekday, 1.6M rides are taken on the CTA.
- Chicago is known as the United States railroad capital, with more major railroads serving the city than any other place in America.
- Approximately 60 museums, nearly 200 art galleries, and 20 neighborhood art centers and more than 250 theatres, 225 music venues, and 200 dance companies are located in Chicago.
- Chicago can boast of the first automobile race, Wrigley Field, which is the second oldest ballpark, the first planetarium, the first Ferris wheel, and the home of the brownie, the Twinkie, and deep dish pizza. How about that!
- It’s also home to the world’s largest Starbucks, five floors that include a rooftop lounge.
A sensory overload
The sights, the sounds, and the flavors of Chicago might be more than you want to take in. It’s loud. It’s beautiful. It’s delicious. I grew up most of my life in the country but I appreciate all that this vibrant city has to offer.
You could eat your way through Chicago and never gain a pound. In spite of one of the best transportation systems of any large city in America, there is a lot of walking to be done. We walked almost two miles each day but I didn’t complain. If my son could do it as a double amputee, I was determined to keep up.
I kept thinking of Frank Sinatra singing about this amazing city: “Chicago, Chicago I will show you around. Bet your bottom dollar you have some fun in Chicago.”
“It is hopeless for the occasional visitor to try to keep up with Chicago—she outgrows his prophecies faster than he can make them. She is always a novelty; for she is never the Chicago you saw when you passed through the last time.” —Mark Twain, author and humorist
After five days of soaking in the sights, sounds, and flavor of this magical city, I was ready to head home to Georgia. I plan to return in the spring and can hardly wait for the Chicago I will see then. Thanks to my son, Robert, for being the best tour guide ever. I’m still smiling!
