DAVE & REBECCA'S BIG ADVENTURE travel blog

the city off in the distance as we approch from I-88

"the Ell" or elevated train tracks, iconic...

Navy Pier and seating of course.

end of the pier, and Lake Michigan

part of the skyline

looking north, Dave's finger is on Soldiers Field

US with the lake in the background

It's a long pier and lots to see

We sit on the big beer chair.

We find Bob Newhart taking patients for counseling..

Rebecca and Kate

Dave takes his counseling lying down....

Bob and Suzie enjoying the lake breezes. Bob is a Huntington Disease...

The speedy jetski's jump or leap from the big boats wake.

YIKES !

The ferris wheel, tickets were $15 @ go around 3 times.

big cars fit 6 - 8 people easily...

city looking south, from ferris wheel

city looking north , from ferris wheel

We dip our toes in the lake, final lake of all five...

Arrival at the boyhood home of President Reagan

Check into the Visitor center, see the film and look around. but

his home is the one next door, it costs $7 @ to...

As the house stood before restoration.

now totally restored to how the Reagans remembered it

If you don't go in you can get alittle info.

Where he hid his pennies

living room

exactly as he remembered it was

part of the kitchen

part of the kitchen

Dave and Ronald

Front of his school, which is now the county museum

Front of the school, entrance.

Appropriate enough ! portrait made with Jelly Belly jelly beans.

Statue down by the river

Inside the totally restored 6th grade classroom

6th grade class reversed view.

Remember saying the Pledge,

follow the route around town.

looking down the hall of his school.

We didn't know he was in so many films


Since there was six of us we took two vehicles into the city of Chicago. The drive wasn't too difficult, we're sure glad we had the family to follow, whew! So the Navy Pier is one the, if not the most iconic places to visit in Chicago. You've seen the pictures of the half mile long pier going straight out from the center of the city! Yep, that one. Beside eating a great lunch at one of the bistro's we walked and talked while watching the boats and other tourists. Later in the afternoon, 5 of the 6 of us went for a ride on the biggest Ferris wheel we've ever ridden. Rebecca and Dave couldn't reach the water from the pier area so they took us over to the North Ave beach area so we could dip our toes into Lake Michigan. NOW! we can say we have been in all 5 of the Great Lakes, both oceans, Gulf of Mexico and the Columbia and the Mississippi rivers! Bucket List, CHECK Please !

Next day, in the evening all the extended family gathered at one house for pizza. They had Giardano's pizza, enough for about 12 people. The hit with us was the Chicago style deep dish sausage and pepperoni pizza's and some others. But wow, those deep dish C. style were awesome.

The next day, we took the short drive north to the town of Dixon. Where our 40th US President Ronald W. Reagan spent his formative years, 9 to adulthood. One of the homes the family lived in is a family museum, with signs on the highway leading you to it. It's free to go into the visitors center, but $7 @ for a guided tour of the home. Well worth it. We learned quickly that this town loves it's native son, Ronald Reagan. Some of the things we learned were; Reagans nick name was "Dutch", as a teenager and lifeguard at the local river swimming hole he saved 77 people from drownings over the period of 6 summers, he played football for his high school, he and his brother raised rabbits and pigeons for food and sale, he hid pennies under a fireplace tile til he got 5 for a movie show, his mother taught him enunciation for his speech! When we were done with the boyhood home we traveled about three blocks to his school, which is now a museum for the town for more information. Then after a quick lunch at a local eaterie we went to the Lowell Park, where Reagan was a lifeguard. Most people got into swimming trouble due to the swift current.

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