The Toronto skyline looms in the hazy distance as we negotiate the hectic freeway. The driving here is clearly insane. Everything is frenetic as cars constantly weave in and out of lanes full of traffic breaking the speed limit by at least 20 kilometres an hour. A stressed city this surely is. It's also an expensive place, the dearest in Canada, meaning our already stretched budget is breaking here. Thankfully we've amassed loyalty points from the many motels we've stayed in to book a couple of free nights here. The downside is that our first motel is way out of town but on the same road that runs directly through the center and to the waterfront. The traffic is beyond terrible and it takes us a good couple of hours to get about 15 miles, we've not seen traffic like this since Bangkok. At least Bangkok was strange and new to us, Toronto looked like everywhere that has a litter strewn shopping street, tatty undesirable buildings and horrendous traffic.
We take the free accommodation as an opportunity to go to a restaurant and get something decent for once. We'd been cursing the bad food we'd been eating the last couple of days so it was excellent to get some great food at an Ethiopian restaurant, who'd have thought they'd have such gastronomic delights!? The area around the restaurant is clearly the student end of town and it's very busy as a result. There's a youthful cool vibe on the street even though the buildings are run down and it all looks fairly dirty. I expected Toronto to be swish, modern and clean but it's the total opposite. Although I like the student area it still needs work to make it a worthwhile visit.
The next day we move into yet another free nights stay at another motel. Driving anywhere in this city, or on the freeway next to it, is a massive headache as we get stuck in jam after jam whilst impatient Canadians thrust their way into different lanes on a constant basis.
We take a walk around the downtown area hoping for something of interest but find nothing. The large CN Tower that dominates the skyline would be more impressive if we hadn't seen soo many others just like it.
The weather is at least hot now so we venture to the large park on the cusp of downtown. This too is busy as we walk by pens containing various animals in a free to the public zoo type affair. It too has rubbish wafting around and the animals don't seem to impressed either. We walk by a murky lake that seems to be contaminated with oil. Still, it's popular with mothers pushing prams but maybe they're making the most of the good weather. In Winter Toronto gets freezing and there's an underground shopping mall to accommodate those icy days. I can't remember off-hand how cold it gets but I'm sure it's somewhere round -16 degrees Celsius, either way it's damn cold. Which then begs the question why would anyone want to live here? The answer to that I have no clue.
Toronto is a massive disappointment, overtly expensive, dirty, choked with traffic, run down and just plain dull. We drove all over town and didn't seen an area of worth. Even with free accomodation and decent food the place couldn't improve. I was glad to leave. We did have one last bit of food before departing though. Fish and Chips from a so-called proper 'chippy', of which you don't really see in North America and Canada. £5 for decent fish but burnt chips. That was their style apparently, everybody had overcooked chips. I can't dislike this place enough.
Let's get to Canada's capital quick sharp!!
Monday, June 30, 2008
Thursday, June 19, 2008
Poor Niagara
After a couple of hours drive we arrive in the town of Niagara Falls. We knew that we were going to compare Niagara Falls to Iguazu Falls in Argentina and Brazil and to start off with there are similarities. Like Iguazu, Niagara Falls borders two countries and in a similar way one side is better to view the falls from than the other. But unlike Iguazu, the falls aren't set in a stunning remote landscape. Instead they're right next to a road and casino on the cusp of a town that largely resembles Blackpool on a really cold day. There's no denying the falls are impressive and our first glimpse is from the car whilst heading down toward the river. It comes as a bit of a surprise to see two large water falls gushing with thousands of gallons of water just over the edge of the road but that's just the way it is.
Downtown Niagara is run down, over priced and grim but there are a couple of passable streets nearer the falls themselves. A couple of streets of tat and awful attractions lie abit further on from our motel.
The sun is shining but the wind is cutting as we take a stroll along the river's edge for a closer view of the falls. A rusting barge sits stuck in the flowing river just upstream from the main mouth of the falls. The boat's crew were rescued by using a zip-line from the shoreline water turbine company's building, a day after they were stranded! The thoughts going through those guys heads must've been awful. To know that any moment the powerful river could carry their boat off and over the falls where a huge drop into icy mist would be the last thing they saw.
You can see the US side of the river from Canada and it looks no better. The city of Buffalo, in New York State, is apparently much worse than it's Canadian counterpart and we know it's pointless crossing the border to get a different perspective of the falls as the snow is incredibly deep over there around the viewing areas and we could do without the hassle at customs.
We get up close to the falls at which frequently freezing mist is sprayed across the path and road. A decent walk along the river it is too, obviously I was willing to walk here as parking for $16 is just not in me. There are tours that take you down to the foot of the falls but at this time of year the snow has still overwhelmed the viewing areas by a few feet. Even the edge of the river has ice floating around in it, certainly not somewhere you'd want to be stuck on a boat.
We don't plan on staying long, after you've seen the falls during the day you go back at night and that's your lot. I don't see any point in staying longer so I'm confused as to why it's a popular honeymoon destination. We splash out on a restaurant that night and wish we hadn't after the plain awful pasta we consume. Then it's back down to the falls to see the multi-coloured lights that are beamed on them from the casino each evening. It's an excellent novelty and looks good but standing around for any length of time is a mistake in these temperatures and when that biting mist covers you it's time to leave.
Although there are similarities, in the end Niagara and Iguazu couldn't be more different. Visiting Iguazu is a full days worth of walks through tropical jungle and views of many different falls surrounded by little else other than lush greenery. Niagara is just a grim town with all the class of a rubber plunger that just happens to be alongside a couple of large waterfalls. Still this place is hyped, and therefore world famous and busy, but in comparison doesn't stand a chance against the latin american wonder.
Supposedly, American first lady Eleanor Roosevelt saw the vastly larger Iguazu Falls and declared, "Poor Niagara!". I can do nothing but agree.
Before rushing off immediately we pass through the wine region and town of Niagara on the Lake. It's supposed have the best persevered 19th century buildings in North America but I again think the people who write these things have noses longer than Pinocchio. Still, the town is nice and there are a few good looking buildings lined along the main street. There's a British theme going on and we can't resist going in to a British shop to get a Double Decker and a Crunchie. Oh how we reminisce over jam, mustard and Fawlty Towers. I also take the opportunity to buy a chicken pie, unavailable in most places we've been, and instantly wish I hadn't when the innards resemble, in taste and looks, a tin of Pedigree Chum which is then wrapped in pastry that clearly shouldv'e been involved in a Chinese dumpling.
We mourn the poor food we've had over the last couple of days whilst sitting by the deep blue lake. People have chosen to swim across this huge body of water, all 52 miles of it, and not one them has been British. 'Maybe I could be the first', I thought, 'Maybe that pie has affected my brain!'. The water is terribly cold and certainly not for the weary traveller.
We leave the white buildings of Niagara on the Lake with the odd English accent hanging in the air as we press on to Canada's most expensive and packed city, Toronto.
Downtown Niagara is run down, over priced and grim but there are a couple of passable streets nearer the falls themselves. A couple of streets of tat and awful attractions lie abit further on from our motel.
The sun is shining but the wind is cutting as we take a stroll along the river's edge for a closer view of the falls. A rusting barge sits stuck in the flowing river just upstream from the main mouth of the falls. The boat's crew were rescued by using a zip-line from the shoreline water turbine company's building, a day after they were stranded! The thoughts going through those guys heads must've been awful. To know that any moment the powerful river could carry their boat off and over the falls where a huge drop into icy mist would be the last thing they saw.
You can see the US side of the river from Canada and it looks no better. The city of Buffalo, in New York State, is apparently much worse than it's Canadian counterpart and we know it's pointless crossing the border to get a different perspective of the falls as the snow is incredibly deep over there around the viewing areas and we could do without the hassle at customs.
We get up close to the falls at which frequently freezing mist is sprayed across the path and road. A decent walk along the river it is too, obviously I was willing to walk here as parking for $16 is just not in me. There are tours that take you down to the foot of the falls but at this time of year the snow has still overwhelmed the viewing areas by a few feet. Even the edge of the river has ice floating around in it, certainly not somewhere you'd want to be stuck on a boat.
We don't plan on staying long, after you've seen the falls during the day you go back at night and that's your lot. I don't see any point in staying longer so I'm confused as to why it's a popular honeymoon destination. We splash out on a restaurant that night and wish we hadn't after the plain awful pasta we consume. Then it's back down to the falls to see the multi-coloured lights that are beamed on them from the casino each evening. It's an excellent novelty and looks good but standing around for any length of time is a mistake in these temperatures and when that biting mist covers you it's time to leave.
Although there are similarities, in the end Niagara and Iguazu couldn't be more different. Visiting Iguazu is a full days worth of walks through tropical jungle and views of many different falls surrounded by little else other than lush greenery. Niagara is just a grim town with all the class of a rubber plunger that just happens to be alongside a couple of large waterfalls. Still this place is hyped, and therefore world famous and busy, but in comparison doesn't stand a chance against the latin american wonder.
Supposedly, American first lady Eleanor Roosevelt saw the vastly larger Iguazu Falls and declared, "Poor Niagara!". I can do nothing but agree.
Before rushing off immediately we pass through the wine region and town of Niagara on the Lake. It's supposed have the best persevered 19th century buildings in North America but I again think the people who write these things have noses longer than Pinocchio. Still, the town is nice and there are a few good looking buildings lined along the main street. There's a British theme going on and we can't resist going in to a British shop to get a Double Decker and a Crunchie. Oh how we reminisce over jam, mustard and Fawlty Towers. I also take the opportunity to buy a chicken pie, unavailable in most places we've been, and instantly wish I hadn't when the innards resemble, in taste and looks, a tin of Pedigree Chum which is then wrapped in pastry that clearly shouldv'e been involved in a Chinese dumpling.
We mourn the poor food we've had over the last couple of days whilst sitting by the deep blue lake. People have chosen to swim across this huge body of water, all 52 miles of it, and not one them has been British. 'Maybe I could be the first', I thought, 'Maybe that pie has affected my brain!'. The water is terribly cold and certainly not for the weary traveller.
We leave the white buildings of Niagara on the Lake with the odd English accent hanging in the air as we press on to Canada's most expensive and packed city, Toronto.
Thursday, June 12, 2008
On to London
First things first. I'm now back in Blighty, which shows how far behind on the blog I am, however I have to finish this thing and as I use my diary and photos to write my blog it doesn't make any difference. The other thing is that the photos for the next few entries are currently unattainable due to being on my laptop for which we don't have a British plug for. But soon I will.
I'll start with another amzingly useless fact: Detroit is the only American city that looks south onto Canada. This is due to the position of the land around the huge body of water in-between the countries. Right in downtown is a tunnel to Canada, we accidentally turned into it one night and had to turn around swiftly. There's also a long bridge and that's the one we take to leave the US customs construction zone to enter Canada for the last time. The Canadian customs official seemed confused over our car ownership but not too concerned to keep us longer than 5 minutes.
The landscape broadens out and has a flat green Belgium kind of look to it. Our first destination is London in the state of Ontario. London is in the county of Middlesex and has the Thames River running through it, how twee.
It's a half decent looking city if a bit rough around the edges, bits of rubbish float around as agressive looking homeless trawl the streets giving abuse for tips. But it's good to see a lively place again with hordes of people on the streets shopping and going about their business. Canada definitely has a more Euro feel to it than across the border.
We underestimated how expensive Canada is in comparison to the US. We were struggling on our budget enough in America but now it's even worse as accomodation prices have soared and quality plummeted. A long jaunt in Canada is not really an option for us.
We check out town with a brief walk around the park, war memorials and a proper tank adorn the place, to then walk the few blocks making up downtown. There's a student-rocker population about and plenty of dingy looking bars for them to occupy. The Greeks also seem to have taken a stronghold in town and judging by their food rightly so. We try a Souvlaki, an excellent sort of pork donner kebab style thing. In England this kind of thing would be inedible and only passible when you're devoid of all taste, and balance, on a night on the ales but here it's quality food.
We're only really stopping over in London to get somewhere else but I don't mind it. We attmept a stroll along the river the next morning but the Thames is murky and the banks are overgrown. We walk over a rusty bridge, complete with large rusting industrial pipe, while the icy wind blows down the back of my neck before we give up and move on.
There's a couple of major places we have to see in Canada while we're here and the next world famous one is a couple of hours away along a flat and featureless highway.
I'll start with another amzingly useless fact: Detroit is the only American city that looks south onto Canada. This is due to the position of the land around the huge body of water in-between the countries. Right in downtown is a tunnel to Canada, we accidentally turned into it one night and had to turn around swiftly. There's also a long bridge and that's the one we take to leave the US customs construction zone to enter Canada for the last time. The Canadian customs official seemed confused over our car ownership but not too concerned to keep us longer than 5 minutes.
The landscape broadens out and has a flat green Belgium kind of look to it. Our first destination is London in the state of Ontario. London is in the county of Middlesex and has the Thames River running through it, how twee.
It's a half decent looking city if a bit rough around the edges, bits of rubbish float around as agressive looking homeless trawl the streets giving abuse for tips. But it's good to see a lively place again with hordes of people on the streets shopping and going about their business. Canada definitely has a more Euro feel to it than across the border.
We underestimated how expensive Canada is in comparison to the US. We were struggling on our budget enough in America but now it's even worse as accomodation prices have soared and quality plummeted. A long jaunt in Canada is not really an option for us.
We check out town with a brief walk around the park, war memorials and a proper tank adorn the place, to then walk the few blocks making up downtown. There's a student-rocker population about and plenty of dingy looking bars for them to occupy. The Greeks also seem to have taken a stronghold in town and judging by their food rightly so. We try a Souvlaki, an excellent sort of pork donner kebab style thing. In England this kind of thing would be inedible and only passible when you're devoid of all taste, and balance, on a night on the ales but here it's quality food.
We're only really stopping over in London to get somewhere else but I don't mind it. We attmept a stroll along the river the next morning but the Thames is murky and the banks are overgrown. We walk over a rusty bridge, complete with large rusting industrial pipe, while the icy wind blows down the back of my neck before we give up and move on.
There's a couple of major places we have to see in Canada while we're here and the next world famous one is a couple of hours away along a flat and featureless highway.
Monday, June 09, 2008
Put your hands up for Detroit
Detroit, the home of the American motor industry's big three companies General Motors, Ford and Chrysler, is just down the road from Chicago. We skirt Indiana to get into the state of Michigan to be here. We stop off at the great named town of Kalamazoo for a bite to eat just off it's totally dead main street district. What a great place to say you're from.
As in Chicago we stay out of town to keep costs down and this is our first encounter of a motel that has bullet proof glass to protect the receptionist. Needless to say we have a crap nights sleep with various comings and goings and loud hip-hop music pumping around the motel. There's something like 80% of the population here that is African American, I've no idea where the other 20% are.
We change motels next day and head into the deserted downtown. Some decent buildings and some money has clearly been spent but there's no-one but the odd crazy homeless guy hanging around.
We drive up towards the large buildings, that have now been let go, of a residential area in which the large Institute of Arts is housed. This is a large building that includes one of the finest murals on earth from one of the world's best, Mexican master Diego Rivera. It's huge, filling an entire room on all walls.
This is the Detroit Industries mural and tells many stories from the era of the Ford Motor Company's factory and the effect on the people who lived and worked at the time, good and bad.
Even a homage to the five workers shot to death in a strike have been included. It was a very controversial mural upon release. The uptight Americans even considered the inclusion of female breasts as pornographic. But even though Henry Ford is depicted as a bit of a tyrant his son was the main backer for the Diego murals. Unlike the Rockefeller Mural in New York that was considered too controversial and not completed. A tremendous piece and a handy free personal hand held guide walks you through the different aspects of the mural and some of the meanings behind the images.
The rest of the institute has classics from some of the most famous artists who ever lived. Funnily enough this is the only place where we see white people. Where the hell are they the rest of the time? This also makes me realise the odd balance of black and white in this country. African Americans live across the country yet we've only seen one in a National Park in over 20 that we've been in. I'm not sure what this even means but I find it very odd.
We have a quick look along the couple of streets of Greek Town. Almost unmemorable if it wasn't for an incident we witnessed. An elderly couple shuffling around the back of their car to extract a zimmerframe. Unfortunately for them some random hobo had spotted this and used his opportunity to sneak in and get out the zimmer himself. Seems friendly enough, until he won't realise the stability device to the elderly woman until he gets some money first. I hate this kind of thing and you spotting this thing before it happens. It's just like when I know some tramp is going to ask me for change, I can see something in their face.
We don't have time for much else other than getting some new front tyres for the car. I figured if this is the home of the motor industry then tyre places would be everywhere, there is certainly a lot. The other reason to buy them here was that we didn't want any reason for the US customs to pull us up when we return back from Canada, which is where we're heading next.
Detroit has seen it all. From the industrial and economic highs to the job cut and crime ridden lows. Huge axes at car plants resulted in widespread unemployment that even made the backdrop of former Detroit resident Eminem's film '8 mile'. 8 mile is the road that splits the rich and poor here but I couldn't tell the difference between 8 mile road and 11 mile road or the other way.
The nearby industrial town of Flint was most affected and was featured in a Michael Moore documentary. With the American car industry faltering Detroit went the same way.
But in the end Detroit was alright and I expected it to be worse than it was. I wouldn't see a need to go back but there still remains one of the car industry's biggest exhibition here and the start of the car production line and Henry Ford's brainchild. I did think that the home of cars would have better roads but than this. Without doubt the worse roads we've driven on with highways full of massive holes for long periods. Maybe this is where the cars are tested.
As in Chicago we stay out of town to keep costs down and this is our first encounter of a motel that has bullet proof glass to protect the receptionist. Needless to say we have a crap nights sleep with various comings and goings and loud hip-hop music pumping around the motel. There's something like 80% of the population here that is African American, I've no idea where the other 20% are.
We change motels next day and head into the deserted downtown. Some decent buildings and some money has clearly been spent but there's no-one but the odd crazy homeless guy hanging around.
We drive up towards the large buildings, that have now been let go, of a residential area in which the large Institute of Arts is housed. This is a large building that includes one of the finest murals on earth from one of the world's best, Mexican master Diego Rivera. It's huge, filling an entire room on all walls.
This is the Detroit Industries mural and tells many stories from the era of the Ford Motor Company's factory and the effect on the people who lived and worked at the time, good and bad.
Even a homage to the five workers shot to death in a strike have been included. It was a very controversial mural upon release. The uptight Americans even considered the inclusion of female breasts as pornographic. But even though Henry Ford is depicted as a bit of a tyrant his son was the main backer for the Diego murals. Unlike the Rockefeller Mural in New York that was considered too controversial and not completed. A tremendous piece and a handy free personal hand held guide walks you through the different aspects of the mural and some of the meanings behind the images.
The rest of the institute has classics from some of the most famous artists who ever lived. Funnily enough this is the only place where we see white people. Where the hell are they the rest of the time? This also makes me realise the odd balance of black and white in this country. African Americans live across the country yet we've only seen one in a National Park in over 20 that we've been in. I'm not sure what this even means but I find it very odd.
We have a quick look along the couple of streets of Greek Town. Almost unmemorable if it wasn't for an incident we witnessed. An elderly couple shuffling around the back of their car to extract a zimmerframe. Unfortunately for them some random hobo had spotted this and used his opportunity to sneak in and get out the zimmer himself. Seems friendly enough, until he won't realise the stability device to the elderly woman until he gets some money first. I hate this kind of thing and you spotting this thing before it happens. It's just like when I know some tramp is going to ask me for change, I can see something in their face.
We don't have time for much else other than getting some new front tyres for the car. I figured if this is the home of the motor industry then tyre places would be everywhere, there is certainly a lot. The other reason to buy them here was that we didn't want any reason for the US customs to pull us up when we return back from Canada, which is where we're heading next.
Detroit has seen it all. From the industrial and economic highs to the job cut and crime ridden lows. Huge axes at car plants resulted in widespread unemployment that even made the backdrop of former Detroit resident Eminem's film '8 mile'. 8 mile is the road that splits the rich and poor here but I couldn't tell the difference between 8 mile road and 11 mile road or the other way.
The nearby industrial town of Flint was most affected and was featured in a Michael Moore documentary. With the American car industry faltering Detroit went the same way.But in the end Detroit was alright and I expected it to be worse than it was. I wouldn't see a need to go back but there still remains one of the car industry's biggest exhibition here and the start of the car production line and Henry Ford's brainchild. I did think that the home of cars would have better roads but than this. Without doubt the worse roads we've driven on with highways full of massive holes for long periods. Maybe this is where the cars are tested.
Sunday, June 08, 2008
Through plains and winds
From Missouri we pass into Iowa. I know little about this state other than a high percentage of it's land is fertile for agriculture and author Bill Bryson is from it's capital, Des Moines. Frankly, this is all I need to know. It's dull.
We drive 170 miles or so of interstate that looks the same. We reach Des Moines after what must be some of the worst roads in America, pot holes shouldn't exist on motorways. What a bland capital this is. Although, the capitol building has a few gold covered domes that stand out a mile, literally, from the buildings and streets of downtown. There's also a few other government buildings and memorials around the capitol building, one of which is an incredibly bad version of the statue of liberty in miniature.
From here we stop over at a small town, Grinnel, that has some almost film set looking streets of coloured wooden houses and a main street that again has a flash Masons building. The Masons are huge here. I don't know massive amounts about the masons but it seems they've got their fingers in a lot of pies and have something to do with the success of America.
There is a reason we've been driving for a few days of brain numbingly boring landscapes, it's to reach the windy city Chicago.
It's still a fair few miles of boring driving before we get there though. We cross the Mississippi River into Illinois, 'Land of Lincoln' as the state plate reads. You can see Chicago from a good distance. The buildings look sleek and stylish, shimmering in the sunshine besides the deep blue Lake Michigan. It looks more like a sea than a lake.
There was a haze hanging over the city from a distance but now we're beneath the skyscrapers it's as clear as a bell.
All the images I had of Chicago being a icy cold city may well be shattered as people bike, hike and rollerblade along the waters edge in the sunshine.
Chicago is home to the Sears Tower, once the tallest building in the world but it didn't really seem that big. Maybe Asia has spoilt me but the skyscrapers and tall buildings aren't massively awe inspiring. There's still a great look to the place and a good mix of old and new too.
We have a stroll around in the sunshine and take a look at a huge art installation called 'The Bean'. This is a wicked looking shining bean shaped lump of metal.
Not only is this thing very cool but it gives warped mirrored images of the skyline and becomes like a kaleidoscope once you get beneath it.
Can I find a join or weld anywhere on this thing? Can I buggery.
There is also a modern amphitheatre built here that hosts various shows and gigs, a real good idea right near the heart of downtown. I like the look of it, reminds me of Terminator for some reason.
We needed to find somewhere to stay but this was a problem. Chicago is an expensive town to stop in and our only chance is staying out of town. We try just north in a cool student part of town but it was still too expensive. We end up staying a fair way out of town to keep costs down. It easier to spend half an hour to drive into Chicago and pay half the accommodation costs, we have the time but not the money.
It takes us a while to find somewhere that isn't in a rough shod neighbourhood. The outskirt streets of this part of Chicago can be awful. The streets are littered and buildings run down. At one set of traffic lights a guy with one leg is pushing himself down the middle of the road in wheelchair. It's annoying really as the houses around here are quite attractive but they've just been left to rot by their owners and scattered rubbish around the front yard is common place.
We keep driving.
We stay in a decent neighbourhood about half an hour out of town.
The next day the wind has blown in the clouds. The higher buildings are now immersed and the rain looks sure to follow.
Is Chicago's moniker as the windy city fitting? Oh yes. When the wind blows it seems to pick up speed in-between the walls of buildings surrounding you. It's a chilling wind too.
As we walk around the city the main downtown area is ringed by 'the loop', the overground metro system, called Metra officially, that is built above the road on metal girders.
It's a bit of an eyesore but is ingrained in Chicago and featured in many a cop drama car chase scene.
The streets beneath the loop are dark and dank being hemmed in by the buildings and devoid of much sunlight any time of the day. It's gritty but I like it.
Chicago is a proper city. Only a handful of these exist in America so it feels good to be back in a place with life and energy. There's a smattering of interesting history here and great buildings too. The place was built and run by mobsters, it's home to some excellent modern and gothic architecture and it gave the world the deep pan pizza.
The great Chicago Tribune building has pieces of other famous buildings and structures from around the world embedded in its exterior walls. Westminster Abbey, the Pyramids at Gisa, the Great Wall of China and so on.
There's a long street of shops of the usual variety but it eventually leads to an underground pedestrian tunnel that brings you out onto a beach. A beach! Right on the main outer road of the city is a beach on the edge of Lake Michigan. It's not the weather for it today but you can imagine this small stretch being crowded when the sun is out.
We dive out of the rain and into a bar down town. I still don't like the idea of waitress service in bars where everyone sits down. Not only do I not like tipping it also gives places a pretty dull atmosphere. Pubs in England far surpass this in my opinion. Prices are the same too so it's not exactly a bargain option.
A few districts make the city whole and after down town we have a look at Old Town. A small area of trendy shops and arty goings on. We had to compare the ale here so found ourselves in another darkly lit bar. Not bad really even if the place was filled with terrible paintings of people in various sexual positions, maybe it was the owner's handiwork because I can't see why anybody else would want these horrors.
And just like that we leave. A couple of days is enough on our budget. I like Chicago, not a destination I'd go out of my way for but a decent couple of days stop over.
Next up is the home of the motor industry and then we get out of America!
We drive 170 miles or so of interstate that looks the same. We reach Des Moines after what must be some of the worst roads in America, pot holes shouldn't exist on motorways. What a bland capital this is. Although, the capitol building has a few gold covered domes that stand out a mile, literally, from the buildings and streets of downtown. There's also a few other government buildings and memorials around the capitol building, one of which is an incredibly bad version of the statue of liberty in miniature.
From here we stop over at a small town, Grinnel, that has some almost film set looking streets of coloured wooden houses and a main street that again has a flash Masons building. The Masons are huge here. I don't know massive amounts about the masons but it seems they've got their fingers in a lot of pies and have something to do with the success of America.
There is a reason we've been driving for a few days of brain numbingly boring landscapes, it's to reach the windy city Chicago.
It's still a fair few miles of boring driving before we get there though. We cross the Mississippi River into Illinois, 'Land of Lincoln' as the state plate reads. You can see Chicago from a good distance. The buildings look sleek and stylish, shimmering in the sunshine besides the deep blue Lake Michigan. It looks more like a sea than a lake.
There was a haze hanging over the city from a distance but now we're beneath the skyscrapers it's as clear as a bell.
All the images I had of Chicago being a icy cold city may well be shattered as people bike, hike and rollerblade along the waters edge in the sunshine.Chicago is home to the Sears Tower, once the tallest building in the world but it didn't really seem that big. Maybe Asia has spoilt me but the skyscrapers and tall buildings aren't massively awe inspiring. There's still a great look to the place and a good mix of old and new too.
We have a stroll around in the sunshine and take a look at a huge art installation called 'The Bean'. This is a wicked looking shining bean shaped lump of metal.
Not only is this thing very cool but it gives warped mirrored images of the skyline and becomes like a kaleidoscope once you get beneath it.
Can I find a join or weld anywhere on this thing? Can I buggery.
There is also a modern amphitheatre built here that hosts various shows and gigs, a real good idea right near the heart of downtown. I like the look of it, reminds me of Terminator for some reason.
We needed to find somewhere to stay but this was a problem. Chicago is an expensive town to stop in and our only chance is staying out of town. We try just north in a cool student part of town but it was still too expensive. We end up staying a fair way out of town to keep costs down. It easier to spend half an hour to drive into Chicago and pay half the accommodation costs, we have the time but not the money.
It takes us a while to find somewhere that isn't in a rough shod neighbourhood. The outskirt streets of this part of Chicago can be awful. The streets are littered and buildings run down. At one set of traffic lights a guy with one leg is pushing himself down the middle of the road in wheelchair. It's annoying really as the houses around here are quite attractive but they've just been left to rot by their owners and scattered rubbish around the front yard is common place.
We keep driving.
We stay in a decent neighbourhood about half an hour out of town.
The next day the wind has blown in the clouds. The higher buildings are now immersed and the rain looks sure to follow.
Is Chicago's moniker as the windy city fitting? Oh yes. When the wind blows it seems to pick up speed in-between the walls of buildings surrounding you. It's a chilling wind too.As we walk around the city the main downtown area is ringed by 'the loop', the overground metro system, called Metra officially, that is built above the road on metal girders.
It's a bit of an eyesore but is ingrained in Chicago and featured in many a cop drama car chase scene.The streets beneath the loop are dark and dank being hemmed in by the buildings and devoid of much sunlight any time of the day. It's gritty but I like it.
Chicago is a proper city. Only a handful of these exist in America so it feels good to be back in a place with life and energy. There's a smattering of interesting history here and great buildings too. The place was built and run by mobsters, it's home to some excellent modern and gothic architecture and it gave the world the deep pan pizza.
The great Chicago Tribune building has pieces of other famous buildings and structures from around the world embedded in its exterior walls. Westminster Abbey, the Pyramids at Gisa, the Great Wall of China and so on.
There's a long street of shops of the usual variety but it eventually leads to an underground pedestrian tunnel that brings you out onto a beach. A beach! Right on the main outer road of the city is a beach on the edge of Lake Michigan. It's not the weather for it today but you can imagine this small stretch being crowded when the sun is out.
We dive out of the rain and into a bar down town. I still don't like the idea of waitress service in bars where everyone sits down. Not only do I not like tipping it also gives places a pretty dull atmosphere. Pubs in England far surpass this in my opinion. Prices are the same too so it's not exactly a bargain option.
A few districts make the city whole and after down town we have a look at Old Town. A small area of trendy shops and arty goings on. We had to compare the ale here so found ourselves in another darkly lit bar. Not bad really even if the place was filled with terrible paintings of people in various sexual positions, maybe it was the owner's handiwork because I can't see why anybody else would want these horrors.
And just like that we leave. A couple of days is enough on our budget. I like Chicago, not a destination I'd go out of my way for but a decent couple of days stop over.
Next up is the home of the motor industry and then we get out of America!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
