Day 7, Summer in Asia ~ Chicago
While the girls and I wrapped up the week with my dad in Missouri, Paul was already in Chicago. We are all meeting there to catch our plane to Doha. 
Chicago is a favorite city for both of us. For five years it was the closest large city to where I was going to high school and then for both of us during college. It’s where we went for big events like concerts. I saw U2, Yes, Peter Gabriel, and Bruce Springsteen.
I lived on the South Side of Chicago for a month while taking an Art History class. One weekend when Paul was visiting me, he and another student were mugged by a guy wielding a paper bag over his hand. He said he had a gun, but where I come from if you have one, wave it around a little to encourage cooperation. Nothing so crazy on this visit to the Windy City.
Paul wrote this about Chicago:
Prior to our outbound flight to SE Asia, Christine and the girls would be in Missouri and I would be in Indianapolis, so the answer was obvious. Chicago. Any excuse to go to Chicago. And so, with one and a half days of explore time available, what to do? Besides my usual favorites, what other unique adventures could I pursue? How about a man-bag hunt? I did that in Hong Kong and Tokyo, so how about one in the Windy City? I’m not one for placing bulky items in my pockets, so ever since we started taking longer trips in 2002, I carry a small crossbody bag.
Recently, seeking a proper grown up man’s duffel, I came across this really cool site from a company out of Chicago. The company is called DEFY; a really cool name, and founded and run by designer Chris Tag.
Chris is the visionary behind this dynamic company, combining unique design with phenomenal craftsmanship to produce one of kind products that truly are lifetime-investment grade quality. Just do yourself a favor and check them out at www.defybags.com. And when in Chicago, do as I did and visit their shop in Ravenswood, Chris is a warm and engaging host!
The rest of the day consisted of using my CTA pass to the fullest, with State Street and Mag Mile shopping, taking photos at the Art Institute and Millenium Park, and wrapping up with my traditional sunset visit to the 96th Lounge at the Hancock Building at the North end of the Mag Mile. Perfect ending to a perfect day!
