WW88: CHICAGO HITS!! (and 50 shades of wrong)

Howdy folks!
So.....you have been asking about the Chicago pics......but I loved SO MUCH of the city - and took over 400 pictures, and I don't wanna to bore you.....so I am gonna spread them out over a few weeks!!! So, I'm gonna break it down to several manageable posts. Some I will post on #WW days....(like today) and others.....I will post as BONUS posts!!!!
Each post will feature 5 things that I thought were great.
1. A piece of GREAT architecture (and there was a lot)
2. Some great meal or drink that I enjoyed
3. Great shopping places/objects
4. Something that was entertaining!!!!
5. and something ELSE
So, here we go:
(remember you can click the image to enbiggen it!!!)

1.) Top of the cock! Ya...you heard me. We went to the top of the John Hancock Building.

So...while crossing to check it out.....we were treated to a story by a local (possibly crazy) person........

ok......my friend claims that it was a business person who wanted to tell a charming story to some tourists......but in actuality he had kleenex boxes on his feet.....you be the judge:

Crazy Dude: Hey....you kids know why John Hancock's signature is so large on the DOI? (Declaration 

                     of Independence)

Tourists:       No Why?
C.D.:            He wanted King George to be able to read his name without his glasses.
Tourists:       Huh.
C.D.:            Can you spare some change
You be the judge.

Yes...it is a super famous building! About the big cock: (thanks to wikipedia)
This 100-story, tall skyscraper When the building topped out on May 6, 1968, it was the tallest building in the world outside New York City. It is currently the fourth-tallest building in Chicago and the sixth-tallest in the United States. The 95th floor has long been home to a restaurant and lounge "The Signature Room on the 95th Floor." Diners can look out at Chicago and Lake Michigan. The Observatory attraction (called "John Hancock Observatory") competes with the Willis Tower's Skydeck across town. John Hancock Observatory allows a 360° view of the city, up to four states and over 80 miles.
Here's a handy travel trip..........(thanks to my gracious host Lastenia for this!!).....you can pay to go out to the Observatory........or pay less money and have a cocktail in the Signature Lounge:

The views are spectacular...our booth was right beside the windows:

Lovely views of lake Michigan!
No...I kid you not!!

Yes....I peed a little while looking down!!!

Thanks to iPhone panorama for this one!!!

Crazy views - everywhere you look!

Caramel Apple Martini........I know - SO GIRLY!!
But check out the great stir stick!!! LOVE IT!

2.) BEST PIZZA EVER! Yes folks, you heard me, EV-VAH! Giordano's

Loved the neon even BEFORE I tried the 'za! 

All the greats! Sinatra, Beethoven, James Brown, Barbra Streisand and......who??
Who is that last bust??? Can you tell me? I don't think it is Margret Thatcher???

A small. A " MEAT & MORE MEAT" Pizza......
Pepperoni, salami, sausage & bacon
The sausage is 'hand pounded'.
Insert rude comment here. 

First, know that it is '40% larger than any other deep dish, in Chicago'.
If that weren't enough, that crust was SOOO flaky and delish!!!
The cheese - ooooooooooh the cheese...........
and then there is the hand pounded sausage...insert second unsavoury comment here.

 3.) So, Chicago is a great theatre town. They do a LOT of out-of-town tryouts. So BEFORE it hits the great white way, many theatre productions will do a workshop and perfect it in Chicago first. We were fortunate to see one of these!!!

Kinky Boots The Musical. VERY ENJOYABLE! F-U-N!!!!

The production is set to hit Broadway next spring. The creators are all-stars - including Tony-winning writer Harvey Fierstein, Tony-winning director and choreographer Jerry Mitchell and pop icon composer and Grammy-winning lyricist Cyndi Lauper.
It was based on the 2005 British film of the same name and tells the story of a drag queen who helps save the inheritor of family-owned shoe factory with the idea that he should craft high-heeled boots specifically catered to drag artists. The cast includes Billy Porter, Annaleigh Ashford and the Tony-nominated Stark Sands.

The best part (for me) was seeing Harvey sitting 10 seats down watching the show, and Cyndi was in the balcony!!! (they are still taking notes and making changes in preparation for Broadway)

SO COOL!

4.) Public Art. They have done a BUNCH of great work to make the downtown core a real place for public art. I LOVE IT!!! Here are only a very very few of the examples:

The Bean AKA Cloud Gate, a sculpture by Indian-born British artist Anish Kapoor,

Crazy photo shots from each angle. 

Can u find me? It's like teal "Where's Waldo"!!

There I am again!!!

Public poetry and installation work on Lake Street!

Cool sculpture

LOVE this awesome public art thing,
Crown Fountain is also in Chicago's Millennium Park
designed by artist Jaume Plensa executed by Krueck and Sexton Architects.

SUPER COOL STUFF!!!

5.) Ok......and this is the funniest thing.......BUT SOOOOOOO NOT FOR KIDS!!!!

You're welcome!

I SEE DEAD PEOPLE!

Are you looking for an interesting thing to do this weekend? 

Ever wish you could learn while you walk??

WELL YOU AR EIN LUCK...I have just the thing for you:

It's cardio....and it's education!!

(Trust me it is more exciting than it sounds!)

Recently I took a tour of the Mount Pleasant Cemetery in Toronto through Muddy York Walking Tours.

We were a group of 6....so it was only $10 a head!!!

CHEAP CHEAP CHEAP!!!

And it lasted almost 3 hours. 

Richard (our guide) was super enthusiastic and full of entertaining stories. 

I HIGHLY recommend this tour  and I am DEFINITELY gonna try another tour this summer!!!

Here is the description of the 'dead people tour':

"In the heart of central Toronto lies Mount Pleasant Cemetery, one of the city’s oldest resting places and final home to a number of the nation’s leading citizens and families. Mount Pleasant Cemetery dates back over 130 years to 1876, and on this tour we explore the stories of some of the most historic names in Canadian and Toronto history.

On this tour, we will visit the grave sites of many important luminaries. Some of them went on to achieve wealth and fame, whilst other names may be unknown to almost everyone today. But dotted through out the cemetery are a number of incredible life stories, that offer an eclectic and fascinating collection of history.

Those laying at rest in Mount Pleasant cemetery include Timothy Eaton and his family, the Massey family, William Lyon Mackenzie King, Canada’s longest serving prime minister, the McMaster family, the Simpson family, and the father of “America’s Sweetheart” Mary Pickford, the world’s first movie star.

Many local residents stroll through the cemetery, and it is home to one of the largest variety of tree species in the city of Toronto. We will be visiting only the oldest and most historic parts of the cemetery."

I don't wanna give it all away....so I am only showing you some of the things I liked....I took 150 photos!

The front gates are BEAUTIFUL!

They have HUNDREDS of species of trees and other plants....it is AMAZING! 

...including this tree that I was calling the booby tree (enlarge it to see why)

SO LOVELY!!!

Incredible scenery - for a final resting place!!

Tombs - tombs - tombs.....so many elaborate little buildings....

Tomb-palooza!

I want a bronze or copper bust on my final resting place.

It's a tree...it's a gravestone......but wait....there's more....

Lots of the Toronto Elite are buried in Mount Pleasant....
to find out who....you MUST take the tour!

I am a sucker for the weathered metal doors.......LOVE IT!

NOT the Parthenon.

Mr Eaton: "Yes, I just something small and discreet..but with life-size lions...."

The main building was lovely too....and super detailed inside......

Nudie shot.

Poor thing......I have had mornings like this too!

COME ON!!!!!!!!!!

Mr Massey (to architect of Castle Loma):
"I want it to be subtle......as long as it is larger then the Eaton's!" 

Unfortunate both in life and death!

Also unfortunate.

Some of the stones were over 100 years old!

Ok....so that is a portion of what you will see on the tour........but only a SMALL PORTION!
You MUST take the tour....or if dead people "aren't your thing"...there are plenty of city tours too!
Who is up for touring with me this summer????
Remember to check out Muddy York Walking Tours!!!