We are off to eat and drink around the world :)....

[dgbg100106]

So the last random pictures I posted were from the Army Birthday Ball, after that I just got too far behind...

In preparation for leaving on my vacation I wanted to catch everything up to the point I am leaving, just to make it easier on my self...

So we went to Chicago, IL to visit our uncle (the one that just passed, we went to the Zoo, to the park, and to eat...

We stayed at the Palmer House Hilton, it is the oldest hotel in Chicago, and was the first ever fire proof hotel built, after the first version of it burned to the ground during the Great Chicago Fire...

Outside

Lobby

Stairs

Room

Bathroom

our view

 

[dgbg100106]

We decide to walk over to millennium park and just see what it is all about...

These are neat waterfalls, the images change as you are standing there, they do crazy things like dance, talk and spit water...

This walkway is pretty cool, I am sure it has a name but I have no idea what it is...

We decide to cross over some other streets to make it down to the marina

 

[franandaj]

We stayed there in 2007 for GGVI. Our room was tiny, but friends of ours had a giant room like you did. I didn't realize it was the first fireproofed hotel. It's also pet friendly. We bought our cute little kitty along on that trip.
Your pictures of Millennium park are gorgeous!

 

[dgbg100106]

We stayed there in 2007 for GGVI. Our room was tiny, but friends of ours had a giant room like you did. I didn't realize it was the first fireproofed hotel. It's also pet friendly. We bought our cute little kitty along on that trip.
Your pictures of Millennium park are gorgeous!

Thanks ...

I thought that this hotel was gorgeous, it was so elegant and made me feel special... We are diamond level in the Hilton Honors programs so the gave executive lounge access, the place was really nice, offered great views and amazing breakfast. Nothing ordered special, like omelets or anything but amazing fruit, and bagels with lox... oh I was in heaven

 

[dgbg100106]

Day 2, I finished my class and David and I went a several mile walk around Chicago.

The buildings are my favorite part, architecture is amazing, I do not study the subject, I just like it.

I thought this parking lot, was so cool, I had never seen it done this way before.

I think most of you know that my DH served in the Army, we are drawn to most memorials out there but it so nice to just walk up on one. Here there were a ton of pictures just tapped on the walls with current memorials to soldiers. Very solemn.

 

[dgbg100106]

Not sure if everyone knows that DH is scared of Heights... Really, and Airborne Army Range is scared of heights.... He thought he could cure himself of it if he could jump out of planes...

Anyway, it took everything I had to get him to go up in the Hancock building. I had to promise not to "pull" and stunts.

So he is the far away shot...

 

[franandaj]

Thanks ...

I thought that this hotel was gorgeous, it was so elegant and made me feel special... We are diamond level in the Hilton Honors programs so the gave executive lounge access, the place was really nice, offered great views and amazing breakfast. Nothing ordered special, like omelets or anything but amazing fruit, and bagels with lox... oh I was in heaven

Yeah, I think when we stayed there we were also diamond level. That was one of the best lounges, we've stayed in. Wish we were still diamond level now!

 

[dgbg100106]

Yeah, I think when we stayed there we were also diamond level. That was one of the best lounges, we've stayed in. Wish we were still diamond level now!

We are still diamond, and we are staying at a Hilton in Amsterdam... So I will post about the lounge when we get back...

 

[franandaj]

Have a great time!

 

[dgbg100106]

walking along the miracle mile I found our favorite store....

 

[dgbg100106]

This is the fountain spitting water...

brass doors inside the Palmer House Hilton

 

[dgbg100106]

Day 3 -

The Chicago Zoo

Dinner is at the Greek Islands

Lamb

Dessert

 

[dwheatl]

Love the photos. The food porn is killing me. Nutrisystem starts tomorrow morning, and I've cleared the house of goodies.

 

[dgbg100106]

Love the photos. The food porn is killing me. Nutrisystem starts tomorrow morning, and I've cleared the house of goodies.

Sorry. About the food, there will be more to come.

Good luck with the nutrisystem. Please let me know how that works for you. I might be there next.

 

[dgbg100106]

On the 17th of June I was leaving Chicago, David had left the morning before, I had headed to DC for Follies at the Kennedy Center.

Taking the metro to the airport, always an adventure...

us at the Kennedy Center...

 

[dgbg100106]

June 20th, I was heading to CA for work and a mini DISmeet...

I flew into San Jose but then drove down to Monterey, I was giving a White Paper presentation for work and demo. I really think it is the best part of my job, talking to people, teaching them how to use the thing that I help create....

Anyway, these are from the plane...

This is from my hotel window...

 

[dgbg100106]

So as I am giving my presentation, and the Naval Postgraduate School, there is this loud barking type noise outside the window of the room I am in.

When I mean loud, I mean loud, like no one can work past this noise.

So after class I go to find out what it is....

here is the campus...

 

[dgbg100106]

The Monterey aquarium was beautiful....

We had a special dinner there for the group working there. It was after hours and just for us, so it was pretty cool, to have the place to ourselves.

 

[dgbg100106]

These pictures are not the best in the world, I took with my phone....

Here also is a couple of videos... The second one, I could watch for ever, after this I understood why people had fish tanks....

Just click on the picture and you can see the video.

 

[dwheatl]

Love the pictures, but that shark is just so creepy.
There are peacocks in the big cemetery here. My dad was a policeman who had to do night patrol there sometimes., and he said the sound of the birds used to make his hair stand on end.