6/30/10 6am: One more “non-sleep-in” day means we are up and out of the hotel for a short cab ride to the Milwaukee Amtrak station and the 8am Hiawatha Service train to Chicago. The train was running on time until we hit Northbrook, when it crept along at 10mph all the way to the Glenview station. Got a good look at “uptown” and the Anetsberger golf course. The train pulled into Union Station at 10am. We caught a cab up to our hotel, the Renaissance on Wacker, changed into our game gear and were at the gates of Wrigley just ahead of the 11:20 opening time.
We quickly took our seats in the Bleacher Box, Aisle 318, Row 1. We had the prime spot for shagging / begging balls from right field. Peter and Charlie scored two balls each, all tossed up by Pirates
Jason Jamarillo,
Octavio Dotel, and
Justin Thomas (2), brining our trip total to six balls. Charlie, showing his customary generosity, gave one of his caught balls to a little kid that was hoping for a ball, but because of his size, would have never gotten one on his own. Well played, Charlie!
The game itself, was pretty boring, all zeroes until the top of the 8th inning, when the Bucs scored twice; the Cubs could not muster any response, and the game quickly ended after nine frames.
Cubs 0, Pirates 2. After the game, the boys got to queue up for “kids run the bases.” It was great fun to walk on the warning track between the foul poles on the hallowed ground of Wrigley Field.
7/1/10 10am: Rabbit Rabbit. We enjoyed not setting an alarm today! First order of business was a trip to the
“spool” (Spa + Pool, as coined by Peter). 45 soggy minutes later, we were dressed for the day and headed for Starbucks breakfast on Wacker Drive. We walk southeast across the northeast corner of the Loop, across Michigan Avenue into
Millennium Park on our way to
Shedd Aquarium. We tour the aquarium in about 2 hours, then cross Grant Park, have an early dinner at the Conrad Hilton and then queue up for a fast pass through the Art Institute at 5pm. Two hours later, we walk back to the hotel, past the Picasso in
Daley Plaza, for a quick swim, then off to bed.