Welcome - Part 2!

If I have access to a computer, that is....

Gordon arrived in Chicago last Thursday afternoon. We walked around Millennium Park and then spent almost 4 hours at the Chicago Art Institute. Both were awesome. I think you could spend several days at the art museum. We probably didn't even see half of it.

Friday, we checked out of our hotel (The Seneca is a great place if you ever find yourself in Chicago and need a place to stay - reasonable and in a really good location just across the street from the Hancock Bldg). We drove a little bit south and walked around the University of Chicago (yay, Ann Heath). We also saw a Frank Lloyd Wright designed home - Robie House, I think it was called.

We spent Friday night in Springfield, IL. The next morning, we toured Abraham Lincoln's home, his law office, etc. It was really cool (although the weather was really hot - over 100 degrees and humid). We then drove to St. Louis, MO, where we found a great homemade pretzel/sausage shop. We looked around Washington University (pretty campus in an old neighborhood of stately, well preserved old homes). We then drove across Missouri, stopping in the center of the state to look at the University of Mo and Stephens College (where my aunt went to college). The University of Mo was a really pretty campus. I wanted to visit it because when I was in jr high/high school, I babysat for this couple who graduated from there. After the kids were asleep, I'd browse through their old yearbooks and dream of when I would go away to college some day. In my mind, the Univ. of MO was what college should look like! So I just had to see it in person since I was passing by!

I guess Kansas will have to wait. Time to go to bed now. We drove over 600 miles today (Lawrence, KS to Pueblo, CO), and we're bushed. Tomorrow we'll drive to Durango to visit Gordon's parents. Marina and Hayley will have fun visiting with their cousins, Margaret and Mary Rose.

ESH

How are my stimulating readers doing today? I have been walking and shopping around Chicago for the past couple of days. We've walked so much that at the end of the day, all of our feet have felt like they were about to fall off. Yesterday, we walked what seemed like 20 miles to the Field Museum (okay, we did take the trolley part of the way) and arrived around lunchtime. However, the part of the museum I was reeeeeeeeeealy looking forward to was the King Tut Museum. I am such an ancient Egyptian nerd, you don't even know how many books I've read and Discovery Channel shows I've watched about it. I'm a freak (and not only because I'm obsessed with Eygptian dudes). But all my hopes came crashing down when I learned it was sold out. SOLD OUT!!! But everything turned out to be fun anyway. It turned out that the main museum had an ancient egyptian section too and we styated in that for a while. Then, we went to the Evolving Planet Exhibit, which was pretty stimulating as well. It was all about how the earth started and its whole history. It also had stuff about how animals evolved over the years and it had a huge dinousar section with a lot of real dinousar skeletons. Finally, we visited Sue, the largest T-Rex skeleton ever discovered in the world. It was all pretty sweet. Plus, for lunch, we finally had the famous Chicago style hot dogs and they were scrumptious. However, the best food we have had on this trip is definately the chinese char-siu-bao. We've gone to Wow Boa, an amazing place, three times so far while we've been in Chicago. That in it self tells you how good it is. Also, the other day we were driving along to see Wrigley Field, where the Cubs play, and on the way we saw the most hilarous billboard I have ever seen in my life. I made mom turn around so I could take a picture of it. It had a picture of a guy on it and in really big letters read Are you?. Then at the bottom of the sign it said gay.com. You really have to see it to understand how funny it is. I hope you're having a great time where ever you're reading this from and make sure you only cry over me three times a day. I know it will be hard, but I have faith in all of my stimulating friends and family.
Marina the Freak (hey, at least I'm not afriad to admit it)

Hi everyone, it's Hayley again. Yes, like my mom said, I am free to write tonight. That stupid Pendragon book is only in hardcover and therefore is $17 (without tax!). Anyway, Chicago's been great. The best thing about this place is this weird Chinese restaurant. It sells char siu baos, which are these steamed Chinese (no, really?) buns that are stuffed with different meats and/or vegetables. It was the best stuff I've ever tasted in my life! Also, we went to the EXCITING museum of surgical science. I thought it was boring, but Marina and my mom liked it. Also, we went to the Lincoln Park Zoo, which was cool. There was this leopard that made these weird growling noises. If you just looked at him, he would look like he was coughing continually, but they were growls! Weird! Oh, and my dad has taken his first bar course, the essay section, and thinks he did fine on it. Yay!
See you soon! Actually, this time it's true because I'll be home in less than two weeks! I don't know what you will have done without me all this time, but I will be back.
See ya!
Once again...
If you have that Pendragon book, please tell me. Also, if anyone has it, can I borrow it?
Thanks
Hayley (I actually used my real name this time!)