"Charlie's Angels" Chicago Tour

Sisters Ludwig (Illinois Nauvoo Mission shown in the middle) and Erickson (Illinois Peoria Mission pictured on the left) drove with their husbands to the Mission Presidents Seminar in Chicago on Fri., April 18.

I offered to be a tour guide and take them into Chicago. What a great time we had exploring the "Windy City".

The reason I call this entry the "Charlie's Angels" Tour is we were walking down the sidewalk near Millennium Park and a black man handing out flyers said, "Whoa, Charlie's Angels!" We couldn't stop laughing. We decided Sister Ludwig was Farrah Fawcett, Sister Erickson was Kate Jackson leaving me to be Cheryl Ladd. Pretty funny, huh.

Riding the Blue Line train was new to me. We've always taken the Metra. I was a bit nervous but it worked out well and it gave the Sisters a feel of Chicago transportation. The station was located right next to their hotel. The 45-minute train ride took us to Daley Plaza. We enjoyed chatting with each other and others on the train. I handed out two pass along cards. The Corner Bakery Cafe near the Ford Theatre where "Wicked" is performed was less than a block away from Daley Plaza. After a scrumptious lunch we were off to Millennium Park, the "Bean" and Crown Fountain.

The day was gorgeous in spite of the earthquake that occurred around 4:30 a.m. The weatherman had forecast an 80% chance of rain, but we only felt a sprinkle when we returned to their hotel that evening.

Our next major event was touring the Art Institute of Chicago. Oh my, I was impressed! We saw paintings by Monet, Renoir, Picasso, Van Gogh and multiple other artists I had never heard of before. We especially liked the picture of the nuns walking in Paris. The colors were muted but most pleasant. If I had to label the picture we took by that painting it would have to be "Five Spiritual Women."

After our dose of culture, we hoofed it down Michigan Avenue to the Chicago River and the Wendella Boat Ride. We were the first in line for the 4:30 p.m. boat tour. While Sisters Erickson and Ludwig waited in line, I found a nearby Walgreens and bought bottled water and Fannie May chocolates. What's a trip to Chicago without Fannie May! The wait wasn't too long and we enjoyed the rock of the boat and all the great information about the city. Sister Ludwig said the boat ride and narrative were her favorite part of the day.

Debarking from the boat, we walked a few more blocks north on Michigan Avenue to the Grand Lux Cafe. We were seated quickly and enjoyed dinner looking over the city streets. The sisters really enjoyed the sensational flavors of their dinners. Sister Ludwig and I chose the pan roasted chicken and Sister Erickson had the pot roast.

After dinner we strolled back to Daley Plaza to catch the Blue Line train back to the hotel located near O'Hare Airport. I insisted they buy some Garrett popcorn--another Chicago delicacy.

A funny thing happened when we were walking on the sky walk by the hotel. A black man looked at Sister Ludwig, said something like mmm, mmm, mmm and blew her a kiss. Again, we couldn't stop laughing. When she told her husband about the incident she said, "I think that man was hitting on me." This was Sister Ludwig's first visit to Chicago. Both expressed appreciation for the fun day. They were happy to return to the safety of the hotel and their husbands, but I do think a great time was had by all.

The tour was complete with great food, sites and sounds that only Chicago can give. Even more dear are the friendships and memories made along with laughter. Sister Ludwig kept saying, "Oh my, this is nothing like Nauvoo."