NOTE: These blogs are late because of a glitch with my computer during our stay at the Palmer House.
In many ways, Chicago is home to Kevin and me, although we haven’t lived there for decades. But we know the names of the streets that create the north/south and east/west grids that are so helpful for getting around. We know the public transportation system. And we know the names of the neighborhoods: Lincoln Park, Old Irving Park, Roscoe Village, to name a few. Kevin has run this particular marathon a number of times, so he’s also familiar with its route and the neighborhoods it weaves through: Near North Side, Pilsen, Chinatown.
But I wonder how someone coming from another place to run the Chicago Marathon for the first time manages. With over 50,000 runners and their family support teams added to the already bustling city, I imagine some visitors resort to Uber rather than public transit. Others possibly eat in the hotel where they’re staying, especially if the hotel has a Starbucks. And others fly in the day before the race, just in time to get their race credentials, and fly out after the race.
For Kevin and me, even if we don’t visit tourist sites like the Art Institute just a block from our hotel, it’s a trip down Memory Lane. We remember concerts we attended years ago, baseball teams that commanded our fickle interest, really good food, and pizzas. Definitely pizzas. Preferably deep dish. Like we had tonight at Pizano’s.
Regardless of what they do, I hope all those runners from other places leave with great memories of their time in Windy City.
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