NOTRE DAME

On our way out of South Bend we stopped at Notre Dame for a look at the famous football stadium and the Golden Dome. The stadium was all locked up and it appeared we would get only a few exterior shots. Just as we were about to leave we spotted a gentleman who was doing some maintenance work. He was kind enough to let us in for a quick look around and some photos. His kindness was much appreciated.

Notre Dame Stadium opened in 1930.

NEW YORK METS VS CHICAGO WHITE SOX

Chris Sale pitching for the White Sox

We took the L to US Cellular Field (New Comiskey Park) on the South Side of Chicago for an interleague game between the Chicago White Sox and New York Mets.

There was a good pitching match up with Chris Sale, one of the American League's top pitchers, going against one of the Mets' super pitching prospects, Zack Wheeler. Wheeler was the 6th pick in the 2009 draft by the Giants. Two years later he was the young phenom the Giants traded away for a two month rental of broken down Carlos Beltran in 2011.

The Chicago Red Hot

The game was a close one. The White Sox appeared to have it all sewn up with a 4-3 lead in the ninth inning. The Mets had a runner on second with two outs and the White Sox got the Mets' batter to hit a routine pop up on the infield. However, just as the third baseman, Connor Gilaspe (another ex-Giant), was about to make the game ending catch, second baseman, Gordon Beckham, crashed into him and the ball fell safely to the ground. The runner on second hustled around to score the typing run before any of the shocked White Sox could recover the ball. White Sox play-by-play announcer, Ken "Hawk" Harrelson, nearly blew a gasket when his beloved Sox performed their Bad News Bears impression. But the White Sox game back to win the game in the bottom of the ninth and the suicide watch for Hawk Harrelson was called off.

CHICAGO RIVER & NAVY PIER

We walked over the Franklin-Orleans Street Bridge to Upper Wacker Drive for a stroll above the Chicago River. The destination was the Michigan Street Bridge where we would catch a river taxi to Navy Pier. The walk and the boat ride were pleasant enough on their own. Getting an up-close look at Lake Michigan and a few other points of interest made it even better. We couldn't stay all day because we had tickets for the White Sox vs. New York Mets game at US Cellular Field.

Shannon on Upper Wacker Drive, over the southern bank of the Chicago River.

TOURING CHICAGO

Millennium Park

After a good night's sleep, we spent the day exploring Chicago. We started by taking the "L" and a short walk to Millennium Park. From there we got on a double decker bus with an open top to tour a large part of the city. Luckily for us, the weather was mild so we didn't bake as we rode atop the tour bus. There were intermittent clouds and sunshine with an occasional sprinkle. Later in the day after we finished our bus tour some heavy rain came down. Our timing was nearly flawless.

This jersey must be size 500XL

Right now just about everyone we encounter in Chicago is talking about the Blackhawks, their NHL team currently playing the Boston Bruins in the Stanley Cup finals. Hockey isn't just a fringe sport here as it is back home. In the photos that follow, you'll see the statues in front of the Art Institute of Chicago wearing Blackhawks helmets and a dinosaur skeleton statue at the Field Museum of Natural History wearing a Blackhawks jersey. The Blackhawks hold a 3-2 lead and a win tonight will bring the Stanley Cup back to Chicago. I hope they win it so ice hockey, which has no business being played in the summer, can be put to rest for a few months.

Looking down on the Chicago River from our 22nd floor hotel room

FIRST NIGHT IN CHICAGO

Waiting at Gate 52

We left Castro Valley at 8:00 this morning for San Francisco Airport and a flight to O'Hare Airport in Chicago. The flight didn't leave SF until 11:50 but with all the security checks involved with commercial air travel these days, we felt it prudent to arrive extra early.

The three hour wait after passing the security checkpoints wasn't bad. We had our laptops, tablets, and books for entertainment. We flew first class which was very comfortable in our recliner seats with plenty of room to stretch out.

Shannon relaxes in the hotel lobby

We landed safely in Chicago this evening around 6:20 local time. By the time we collected our bags and caught the train to downtown Chicago, it was too late to do anything. Things close early on Sunday night so we decided to relax at the hotel. There's no ballgame tomorrow so we'll devote the day to sightseeing. We'll do more of the same on Tuesday before we head out to The Cell that night to see the White Sox game.

Wednesday morning we will leave Chicago and pass through Indiana on our way to Grand Rapids, Michigan. We will return to Chicago before we return home.