DIS Dads Rust Belt Road Trip (2 UPDATES--1/18)

[GoofyIsAsGoofyDoes]

The one we skipped by choice was Body Worlds, which cost extra.

Versions of this have traveled through here in the past. I gives me the willies as well, so I’d probably skip that one.

The other exhibit was the Coal Mine, and here...well, I just blew it.

BTMR with actual science... Now you’ll just have to go back

So, we'll just have to come back to Chicago to see it.

Never mind… you’re already on top of it

One floor below us was one of the largest model train systems in the world, depicting the journey of goods by rail from Chicago to Seattle.

The route of the “Empire Builder”… something else I didn’t know was there. I need to see this place.

I was amazed that one of my sons would actually find enjoyment in blowing things up.

Amazed? Don’t you mean you were surprised that the others weren’t fighting him for the privilege?

Nearby was Craig Breedlove's Spirit of America rocket car, which at one point held the record for land-speed at 526 mph. It also set a world record for the World's Longest Skid Mark (no, not that kind of skid mark. Get your mind out of the gutter).

I would suppose that the type of skid mark in question would depend on the G-force tolerance of the person driving (and as for the gutter, isn’t the notion that I might actually have a mind a rather major assumption?)

Finally, we needed ice cream. In a large bowl, the scientist poured a mixture of milk and sugar. Then she had her helpers dump the liquid nitrogen on it. Instant ice cream! Every kid got a sample. Sarah proclaimed it "not bad".

Science and a snack… a great way to keep everyone’s attention (even when it’s only a “not bad” snack).

Great picture by the way… You can’t really fake happy, and that young’en looks to be pretty happy (it ain’t the smile, but rather the eyes that give it away).

It was approaching late afternoon, and we still had an EPIC DIS MEET® on the schedule.

<insert ominous music here>

We acted like typical Disney visitors and exited through the gift shop.

Well trained you are…

Another great picture

I fell for this t-shirt, the perfect nerdy souvenir: Chicago t-shirt

A geek tour de force… I like it.

Mr. Incredible just prior to the incident that would force all the “Supers” in to the Hero Relocation Program

We'd planned on doing a river boat tour of the city as well, but there was no way we were going to have time for it. We'll just have to come back to try it again.

<writing notes furiously>
“must… add… extra… days… to… our… stay… in… Chicago…” OK, got it.

Oh, wait a minute… “must… find… money… to… get… to… Chicago…”

OK, you can continue on now.

So, at long last, the Oblivious clan was meeting the Frozen Monkeys.

Result: Oblivious Monkeys?

 

[Mrs. Knowitall]

And 2 intrepid explorers demonstrate the ease of properly navigating the urban jungle.

UMMMM.......BAMBI!!!!! Help me out here!!!! That's not how I remember it!

 

[afwdwfan]

Flux Capacitor? Yes.
Catalytic Converter? No.

AND SNEAK PEAK......there might be a guest reporter for an upcoming installment! Stay tuned!

Scotty?

This is the one where they take actual people's dead bodies and remove the skin or various layers of tissue, and then pose them playing poker or something. I'm sure some people think it's fascinating, but I find it really weird and creepy, and I didn't have any desire to see it.

Um... no, thanks!

One spot in the mountains had a button kids could push to detonate a rock pile and help build a tunnel. Scotty kept pushing this one over and over. I was amazed that one of my sons would actually find enjoyment in blowing things up.

Hmmm... go figure.

I just finally started listening to the latest DIS Dads podcast at lunch. You guys had me laughing... I don't know what was funnier, the PeeWee Herman "Scream real loud" gig or you talking about pyrotechnics and why Illuminations is great.

It also set a world record for the World's Longest Skid Mark (no, not that kind of skid mark. Get your mind out of the gutter).

Well tecnically it did have the record for causing that kind of skid mark too...

In a large bowl, the scientist poured a mixture of milk and sugar. Then she had her helpers dump the liquid nitrogen on it. Instant ice cream! Every kid got a sample. Sarah proclaimed it "not bad".

Science is cool, but that right there, is the best kind!

Anyway, we checked in, got our room keys, hauled our 17 bags/coolers/random crap into the room, and started to get settled.

What happened to the strategy of packing things so you'd only need to grab a couple of bags at a time? You weren't afraid to leave luggage in a van overnight in Chicago, were you?

Then we got a call. It was Barry, letting us know that they were downstairs in the lobby. We would get this call several times over the next 24 hours, so I'm pretty sure it's the Wisconsin way of saying, "Hey slowpokes, get your lazy behinds in gear."

So you're telling us that you went "back in time" an hour and were still running slow?

Coming Up Next: The EPIC DIS MEET®. And 2 intrepid explorers demonstrate the ease of properly navigating the urban jungle.

Hmmm... Barry and Mark navigating through Chicago. Wasn't there a Belushi movie about something like that?

Lunch is usually only 5 minutes, whenever we can squeeze it in during the day. Such is the life of a state employee, owing to our tireless work ethic.

In other words, you usually sleep through the first 55 minutes of your lunch hour, right?

 

[middlepat]

With full stomachs, we set out to explore the rest of the museum. We skipped a couple of big exhibits--one by choice, one by poor planning. The one we skipped by choice was Body Worlds, which cost extra. This is the one where they take actual people's dead bodies and remove the skin or various layers of tissue, and then pose them playing poker or something. I'm sure some people think it's fascinating, but I find it really weird and creepy, and I didn't have any desire to see it. I'm guessing my kids wouldn't have done well with that, either.

I'm in the creepy camp too.

The other exhibit was the Coal Mine, and here...well, I just blew it. This is one of the most famous exhibits in the museum--you enter through an elevator made to look like a coal shaft and then get a ride in a mine car as you learn about mining operations. It's really well done, and I was looking forward to seeing it again. Unfortunately, doing the sub tour in the morning meant that by the time we were able to get to the Coal Mine, the line was a 45-minute wait. And there are no Fast Passes. With limited time to explore the museum, we didn't want to give up that time.

Where's the hang your head in shame smilely as I have actually never been on this tour yet. (this will have to do)

So, we'll just have to come back to Chicago to see it.

Cool! Maybe we could join you for a mine tour and a river cruise.

One floor below us was one of the largest model train systems in the world, depicting the journey of goods by rail from Chicago to Seattle. The level of detail in the model was amazing, and the scale was mind-boggling. It took 40 workers over a year to build it.

If you look at the city loop area of the model you can see my office as we are right next to the L train in downtown.

There were a lot of details to catch your eye. The Chicago model even had subway trains running "underground", and an elevated train in the downtown area. One spot in the mountains had a button kids could push to detonate a rock pile and help build a tunnel. Scotty kept pushing this one over and over. I was amazed that one of my sons would actually find enjoyment in blowing things up.

Nearby was Craig Breedlove's Spirit of America rocket car, which at one point held the record for land-speed at 526 mph. It also set a world record for the World's Longest Skid Mark (no, not that kind of skid mark. Get your mind out of the gutter).

Only a DOT guy would worry about the skid mark.

We wandered into the massive Science of Storms exhibit next. There was a huge wind tunnel forming a funnel cloud for demonstrations, a tumbling display showing the fluid mechanics of avalanches, and a wave pool that caused Scotty to start pantomiming swimming for some reason. The exhibits looked very cool, but we didn't spend a ton of time in there because it was the most crowded room by far.

That's too bad. You might have learned some valuable information about what you were going to face once you returned home.

Nearby was a hall that housed a model street showing Chicago in 1893 (the year of the Columbian Exposition that created the building). It was mostly a static display, but the detail was almost as flawless as Main Street in WDW. Except not as well-lit.

I'm always a bit peeved about this. It is such a cool reproduction of the time period, but I'm always feeling like I'm squinting due to the lack of light. However, they do have an amazing ice cream parlor so I suffer for the greater good.

We found a baby chick hatchery in another room. All together now:

Awwwwwww...

Awwwwwww...

And a room with a colored-bubbly display wall. I don't know what the purpose of it was, but it looked cool. If any of you are renovating your house and want to take on a more contemporary style, maybe you can incorporate this wall. (extra charge for the kids)

If I recall correctly, this is part of the energy and oil display and this room and lighting was designed to show the fractioning of crude oil into its various consumer components.

If you're ever in Chicago, go to the Museum of Science and Industry. You can easily spend a day there, and it's hands-down the best science museum we've ever seen. I severely underestimated the amount of time we'd need to see it. We'd planned on doing a river boat tour of the city as well, but there was no way we were going to have time for it. We'll just have to come back to try it again.

- 2 thumbs up for MSI.

I love the Chicago skyline. It's so distinctive.

So Ferris, what are we going to do today?

We had a scenic trip along Lakeshore Drive with the skyline in front and Lake Michigan on the right. After driving past Soldier Field (home of Da Bears), we passed Grant Park and the famous Buckingham Fountain on the left.

See that spectacular display? Remember that. We'll come back here later on.

Wow, that fountain looks so cool with that water spraying everywhere.

So, at long last, the Oblivious clan was meeting the Frozen Monkeys. We moved out of the room, piled into the elevator, and rode to the lobby. Emerging from the elevator, we walked into the lobby to find...

WHAT? WHAT? A shiny cow?

Coming Up Next: The EPIC DIS MEET®. And 2 intrepid explorers demonstrate the ease of properly navigating the urban jungle.

You were tourists, right? You needed to see ALL of the sights, right?

 

[E3yore]

UMMMM.......BAMBI!!!!! Help me out here!!!! That's not how I remember it!

Not my memory either. I actually told Barry that they were awful at it. I knew I should have trusted my original instinct and never trust a man with directions.

Mark I can't wait to see how you spin this.

 

[bkgkdisneymom]

I live in the Northwest Suburbs of Chicago, and I am coming out of lurkdom to admit that I have never been to the Museum of Science and Industry. (Unless there is a long forgotten school field trip in my past. ) Now I can't wait to take my kids! So, thanks for the great report...I'm looking forward to finding out if there's anything else I'm taking for granted just because it's near home and always there.

Also, thanks to Mrs. Knowitall for the book recommendation. It sounds great!

 

[FreezinRafiki]

The one we skipped by choice was Body Worlds, which cost extra. This is the one where they take actual people's dead bodies and remove the skin or various layers of tissue, and then pose them playing poker or something. I'm sure some people think it's fascinating, but I find it really weird and creepy, and I didn't have any desire to see it. I'm guessing my kids wouldn't have done well with that, either.

They used to have (and might still do, I can't recall) "slices" of people going along one of the stairways. From what I recall, they took a cadaver, froze it, then sliced it into 1/2" thick slices, then encased them in plastic. As you walked up or down those stairs, you moved further and further into the body.

The other exhibit was the Coal Mine, and here...well, I just blew it.

We missed that one in October when we were there. They were giving out tickets, but by the time we got to the ticket table, all they had left were a few for the "Haunted" Mine train overlay. The kids were a bit young for that, so we had to skip it.

So, we'll just have to come back to Chicago to see it.

You've got my number.

One floor below us was one of the largest model train systems in the world, depicting the journey of goods by rail from Chicago to Seattle. The level of detail in the model was amazing, and the scale was mind-boggling. It took 40 workers over a year to build it.

And I could stand there for a year and watch it! But you forgot the best part - the cow on a bench:

Scotty kept pushing this one over and over. I was amazed that one of my sons would actually find enjoyment in blowing things up.

He must get that from Julie's side of the family....

Nearby was a hall that housed a model street showing Chicago in 1893 (the year of the Columbian Exposition that created the building). It was mostly a static display, but the detail was almost as flawless as Main Street in WDW. Except not as well-lit.

That area seems quite underused. I was hoping they would have some kind of wandering period-specific actors talking about life back then.
And more light.

Awwwwwww...

Awwwwwww...

8 Marks and 1 Julie. I'm guessing she looks at this picture and starts to sob uncontrollably, right? (It is a pretty cool picture, though!)

The liquid nitrogen demonstration ended up being a lot of fun.

Did they discuss what else Liquid Nitrogen can be used for? Or did you have to learn that information from some stranger out on the streets of Chicago?

Finally, we needed ice cream. In a large bowl, the scientist poured a mixture of milk and sugar. Then she had her helpers dump the liquid nitrogen on it. Instant ice cream! Every kid got a sample. Sarah proclaimed it "not bad".

That's high praise from a pre-teen.

We ended up finding a few Christmas presents there. I fell for this t-shirt, the perfect nerdy souvenir

Good thing Dave was there to rescue them.

Dave reminds me of that little Darth Vader kid from the Volkswagen commercials!

If you're ever in Chicago, go to the Museum of Science and Industry. You can easily spend a day there

We did. And it wasn't enough.

We'd planned on doing a river boat tour of the city as well, but there was no way we were going to have time for it. We'll just have to come back to try it again.

You've got my number.

Why couldn't we do the boat tour? Because it was time to head downtown for our first EPIC DIS MEET® of the trip. We were about to meet...

...the FreezinRafiki family.

At first I though you were calling ME epic. The I saw the "family" modifier and realized you were talking about Bambi and the kids. Wheew....that was a close one.

Are they insane, or extremely cool?

(thinking.)

(still thinking.)

We'll go with extremely cool.

Wow, I've never had someone return with a verdict that quick. Heck, I'm still debating it myself.

After driving past Soldier Field (home of Da Bears)

Known affectionately around town as the "Eyesore at the Lakeshore". Well, maybe not around Chicago, but around Wisconsin it is.

Within minutes, we arrived at our downtown hotel: the Best Western River North. As it turned out, this was a great place to stay. It wasn't fancy, but the rooms were huge and appeared to have been recently renovated, the price was about $100 cheaper than any other downtown hotel, it had a pool, and most critically: they offered free parking. Since that costs $40 a day anywhere else, that was a huge value. We were close to most of the downtown tourist sites and easily within reach of many more through the city's bus and train systems. A day pass for the transit system was available right at the front desk. It really worked out well.

Great Find, Mark! The only complaint I had was the kids in the room next to us. I'm pretty sure they had a no-holds-barred cage match going on in there.

So, at long last, the Oblivious clan was meeting the Frozen Monkeys. We moved out of the room, piled into the elevator, and rode to the lobby. Emerging from the elevator, we walked into the lobby to find...

What?!? WHAT?!!? Don't leave me hanging here, Mark!!

By the way, I've never been on this side of a trip report before. Is there a protocol for pointing out errors or do I just yell them out as I see them?

Are you sure? 'Cause I remember not making sandwiches that morning and then Cathy packing the left over pizza. I also remember getting ice cream from the machine.

Looks like my question has been answered. Thanks, Julie!

Well, on facebook, this feat qualifies him for "Village Idiot" in Crazytown.

Do I get a cool sash or something? Or maybe a light-up button?

Yeah, for some reason we were always the last ones somewhere.....that'll change when they have their third....

We run like a well oiled machine. All parts of the machine don't always go in the same direction, but we are well oiled.

Not my memory either. I actually told Barry that they were awful at it. I knew I should have trusted my original instinct and never trust a man with directions.

Mark I can't wait to see how you spin this.

We were in one place, then later we were where we wanted to be. Looks like it all turned out OK.

 

[glennbo123]

The science museum looked really informative and you guys were able to get some neat photo ops as well.

Looking forward to the big DIS-meet.

 

[KatMark]

Mark, awesome update. I'm sorry I don't have time to make individual comments on a lot of things (but I'm off to the airport in 45 minute and trying to finish up at the office).

I do have to say, as much as I don't like living here anymore, Chicago has a beautiful skyline.

Hugs to the boys from me.

See you in two weeks.

 

[Captain_Oblivious]

Are you sure? 'Cause I remember not making sandwiches that morning and then Cathy packing the left over pizza. I also remember getting ice cream from the machine. The whole BACK....to the Future! thing messed up our eating schedule.

Maybe we did have cold pizza. I was probably in a PB&J coma at that point. I can definitively say, however, that one of us did not get any ice cream.

Yeah, your wife wouldn't have done well either....I vote creepy.

Good thing we didn't spring for those tickets.

On our last trip to Disney, Mark got video of Dave saying "See the propeller? If you get too close, it'll suck you up."

Well, he's right about that.

WHAT is Scotty doing?

I dunno. He's your son; you tell me.

Hmm.....wonder where they got the idea for silly pictures?

I dunno. They're you're kids; you--ok, fine, I'll admit to this one.

Well, on facebook, this feat qualifies him for "Village Idiot" in Crazytown.

If the boot fits...

Yeah, for some reason we were always the last ones somewhere.....that'll change when they have their third....

It couldn't possibly be because we were slow.

Oh!! The drama!!!! Must we wait another day?!

Unless you want to write about it?

 

[Flossbolna]

I am a great fan of science museums and this one looks like a fantastic one! Thanks for all the pictures and the report, it was great to come along with your family for the visit!

Munich has a very good science museum as well and one of the areas that used to fascinate me most as a kid was their "mine" - no elevator, you just took stairs, but still, I thought it was so cool! So I am sorry that you missed out on that part, but at least you got to see some great achievement of German engineering instead - even though it was put to pretty horrible use... I like it much better as a museum exhibit!

 

[Captain_Oblivious]

Versions of this have traveled through here in the past. I gives me the willies as well, so I’d probably skip that one.

Sounds like everyone's passing on this exhibit. How do they make any money?

BTMR with actual science... Now you’ll just have to go back

Never mind… you’re already on top of it

I'm always looking for excuses to travel anyway.

The route of the “Empire Builder”… something else I didn’t know was there. I need to see this place.

Amazed? Don’t you mean you were surprised that the others weren’t fighting him for the privilege?

To blow stuff up? I'll come clean: he had to fight me off for the privilege.

I would suppose that the type of skid mark in question would depend on the G-force tolerance of the person driving (and as for the gutter, isn’t the notion that I might actually have a mind a rather major assumption?)

You said it, not me.

From Wikipedia:

In setting the new record, at the end of his second run, the Spirit lost its parachute brakes, skidded for five miles (8 km), through a row of telephone poles and crashed into a brine pond at around 200 mph (300 km/h). Drenched but uninjured, Breedlove climbed out of the cockpit and declared "And now for my next act I'm going to set myself on fire.".[2] This feat earned a place in the Guinness Book of World Records for longest skid marks

Science and a snack… a great way to keep everyone’s attention (even when it’s only a “not bad” snack).

I would have paid a lot more attention in class if my teachers had served ice cream in each one. I would also now weigh 415 lbs.

Great picture by the way… You can’t really fake happy, and that young’en looks to be pretty happy (it ain’t the smile, but rather the eyes that give it away).

Thanks! As you know, nothing beats bringing joy to your family. She's a sweetheart.

Another great picture

A geek tour de force… I like it.

As long as nobody beats me up for my lunch money.

Mr. Incredible just prior to the incident that would force all the “Supers” in to the Hero Relocation Program

Oh, I can't tell Dave that you called him Mr. Incredible. We'll never heard the end of it.

<writing notes furiously>
“must… add… extra… days… to… our… stay… in… Chicago…” OK, got it.

Oh, wait a minute… “must… find… money… to… get… to… Chicago…”

I was trying to find extra money to get to Disney World. Chicago was the backup plan!

Result: Oblivious Monkeys?

 

[Captain_Oblivious]

UMMMM.......BAMBI!!!!! Help me out here!!!! That's not how I remember it!

Not my memory either. I actually told Barry that they were awful at it. I knew I should have trusted my original instinct and never trust a man with directions.

Mark I can't wait to see how you spin this.

Spin? What spin? I just report the facts here.

 

[Captain_Oblivious]

I just finally started listening to the latest DIS Dads podcast at lunch. You guys had me laughing... I don't know what was funnier, the PeeWee Herman "Scream real loud" gig or you talking about pyrotechnics and why Illuminations is great.

I'm glad you enjoyed it! We were actually supposed to do a podcast about the Disney Cruise Line but didn't have the right people and so we did the Disney After Dark at the spur of the moment. We were all making it up as we went and thought we were going to sound like idiots. Which we probably did, but that can be entertaining, too.

Well tecnically it did have the record for causing that kind of skid mark too...

This is most likely true.

Science is cool, but that right there, is the best kind!

Mmmm...edible science...

What happened to the strategy of packing things so you'd only need to grab a couple of bags at a time? You weren't afraid to leave luggage in a van overnight in Chicago, were you?

Who, us?

The "one bag" strategy was still in play. Unfortunately, we also had portable electronics we didn't want to leave in the car, like the DVD player or our friends' laptop that we had borrowed. Plus, I know none of the rest of you with kids have ever experienced this...in our car, when the kids start taking things out of bags, then tend to get scattered randomly rather than put back neatly where they belong. Crazy, right?

So you're telling us that you went "back in time" an hour and were still running slow?

Or perhaps we just sped Barry's family up...

Hmmm... Barry and Mark navigating through Chicago. Wasn't there a Belushi movie about something like that?

No, you're thinking of Ishtar.

In other words, you usually sleep through the first 55 minutes of your lunch hour, right?

Close enough. I was waiting for the inevitable follow-up from my nemesis: "He wouldn't waste lunchtime napping. That's what the workday is for!"

I'm in the creepy camp too.

Well, we already knew that. Oh, you mean about the Body Worlds thing.

Where's the hang your head in shame smilely as I have actually never been on this tour yet. (this will have to do)

Next time we're in Chicago, we'll hit the Coal Mine. Deal?

Cool! Maybe we could join you for a mine tour and a river cruise.

Hey, look at that! Great minds. Julie and I did the river tour by ourselves a few years ago and were very impressed. It was a cool way to see the city and learn the history.

If you look at the city loop area of the model you can see my office as we are right next to the L train in downtown.

No way! I wish I'd known that. I'll have to get the location from you next time.

Only a DOT guy would worry about the skid mark.

Well, somebody has to repair it. You think this stuff just happens on its own?

That's too bad. You might have learned some valuable information about what you were going to face once you returned home.

I didn't see a single exhibit about making french toast during a hurricane, though.

I'm always a bit peeved about this. It is such a cool reproduction of the time period, but I'm always feeling like I'm squinting due to the lack of light. However, they do have an amazing ice cream parlor so I suffer for the greater good.

The ice cream place looked really good. We took one look at the Disney World-esque prices and backed away, though.

If I recall correctly, this is part of the energy and oil display and this room and lighting was designed to show the fractioning of crude oil into its various consumer components.

Thanks for covering for me there!

- 2 thumbs up for MSI.

Here are a couple more.

So Ferris, what are we going to do today?

Anyone? Anyone?

Wow, that fountain looks so cool with that water spraying everywhere.

Yes. Yes, it does.

WHAT? WHAT? A shiny cow?

Well, they ARE from Wisconsin...

You were tourists, right? You needed to see ALL of the sights, right?

Uh...yeah. We'll go with that.

 

[Captain_Oblivious]

I live in the Northwest Suburbs of Chicago, and I am coming out of lurkdom to admit that I have never been to the Museum of Science and Industry. (Unless there is a long forgotten school field trip in my past. ) Now I can't wait to take my kids! So, thanks for the great report...I'm looking forward to finding out if there's anything else I'm taking for granted just because it's near home and always there.

Also, thanks to Mrs. Knowitall for the book recommendation. It sounds great!

It's always flattering to have someone de-lurk just to comment. thanks for reading along! I hope you do get to try the museum someday. Your kids will love it!

We won't get to it in this TR, but my wife and I were big fans of the river boat tour as well.

They used to have (and might still do, I can't recall) "slices" of people going along one of the stairways. From what I recall, they took a cadaver, froze it, then sliced it into 1/2" thick slices, then encased them in plastic. As you walked up or down those stairs, you moved further and further into the body.

I think I speak for all of us when I say: ew.

We missed that one in October when we were there. They were giving out tickets, but by the time we got to the ticket table, all they had left were a few for the "Haunted" Mine train overlay. The kids were a bit young for that, so we had to skip it.

Sounds like we need a big DISDad trip to the Coal Mine one of these days.

You've got my number.

Wow, you're willing to hang out with us again? I can't believe we didn't totally scare you off. Well, one more trip should do the trick.

And I could stand there for a year and watch it! But you forgot the best part - the cow on a bench:

That's awesome! I missed that one somehow.

He must get that from Julie's side of the family....

Yeah, guys generally hate blowing things up. That reminds me, I need to find that video of our fun with Diet Coke and Mentos.

That area seems quite underused. I was hoping they would have some kind of wandering period-specific actors talking about life back then.
And more light.

It would be nice to have more interactive displays, at least. And more light.

8 Marks and 1 Julie. I'm guessing she looks at this picture and starts to sob uncontrollably, right? (It is a pretty cool picture, though!)

I'll have to let her answer this one. At the very least, she can enjoy your compliments on the picture.

Did they discuss what else Liquid Nitrogen can be used for? Or did you have to learn that information from some stranger out on the streets of Chicago?

They did discuss some uses for liquid nitrogen, but I believe they were all legal. I was a little disappointed that nothing got frozen and then smashed in the demonstration.

Dave reminds me of that little Darth Vader kid from the Volkswagen commercials!

That commercial is a year old and still cracks me up. I love the fact that the dad is actually cool in that one.

You've got my number.

We'd better start planning. Maybe we can get to the Machine Shed this time.

At first I though you were calling ME epic. The I saw the "family" modifier and realized you were talking about Bambi and the kids. Wheew....that was a close one.

I think we both know where we rank on the family totem poles.

Wow, I've never had someone return with a verdict that quick. Heck, I'm still debating it myself.

Anyone with a family like yours has to have at least some degree of coolness.

Known affectionately around town as the "Eyesore at the Lakeshore". Well, maybe not around Chicago, but around Wisconsin it is.

I'm still not wild about the whole "spaceship" re-design. And don't get me started on the lack of a playable field...

Great Find, Mark! The only complaint I had was the kids in the room next to us. I'm pretty sure they had a no-holds-barred cage match going on in there.

Some people are so inconsiderate. We had the same experience with our neighbors. Some people just can't control their kids, I guess.

What?!? WHAT?!!? Don't leave me hanging here, Mark!!

We'll have to compare notes. Hey, are you the guest author Julie was talking about?

By the way, I've never been on this side of a trip report before. Is there a protocol for pointing out errors or do I just yell them out as I see them?

Looks like my question has been answered. Thanks, Julie!

Just shout 'em out. I'm sure there will be many. I think the audience should be allowed to correct factual errors during political debates in this manner as well.

Do I get a cool sash or something? Or maybe a light-up button?

We'll have to see what the budget allows for. Maybe I can mail you a Philly cheesesteak.

We run like a well oiled machine. All parts of the machine don't always go in the same direction, but we are well oiled.

I thought your hair looked a little greasy, but I figured you were going for the Pat Riley look.

We were in one place, then later we were where we wanted to be. Looks like it all turned out OK.

Sounds about right to me.

 

[middlepat]

Close enough. I was waiting for the inevitable follow-up from my nemesis: "He wouldn't waste lunchtime napping. That's what the workday is for!"

Nemesis FAIL!

Well, we already knew that. Oh, you mean about the Body Worlds thing.

Hey, who doesn't like to have their dollies next to them while watching TV?

Next time we're in Chicago, we'll hit the Coal Mine. Deal?



Hey, look at that! Great minds. Julie and I did the river tour by ourselves a few years ago and were very impressed. It was a cool way to see the city and learn the history.

Deal! I never get tired of the river cruise. It helps that there is technically no script for the tour as all of the tour guides are members of the Architecture Society and are encouraged to provide their own spin.

No way! I wish I'd known that. I'll have to get the location from you next time.

It's right.... here.

I didn't see a single exhibit about making french toast during a hurricane, though.

Good point. Its not a very practical exhibit.

The ice cream place looked really good. We took one look at the Disney World-esque prices and backed away, though.

Yeah, there is that drawback.

Anyone? Anyone?

Don't worry sir, we'll take good care of your vehicle... we're professionals.

Uh...yeah. We'll go with that.

It's all about the journey, not the destination? That better?

 

[Captain_Oblivious]

The science museum looked really informative and you guys were able to get some neat photo ops as well.

Looking forward to the big DIS-meet.

It's a great museum.

Hopefully you won't be too disappointed!

Mark, awesome update. I'm sorry I don't have time to make individual comments on a lot of things (but I'm off to the airport in 45 minute and trying to finish up at the office).

I do have to say, as much as I don't like living here anymore, Chicago has a beautiful skyline.

Hugs to the boys from me.

See you in two weeks.

I hope you have a fantastic time in Disney World! You'll have to comment on our meet-up when you get back, if I've gotten to it by then.

I'm sure every city has its warts after you've lived there for a while. But Chicago really is a cool city. Great place to visit, anyway!

I am a great fan of science museums and this one looks like a fantastic one! Thanks for all the pictures and the report, it was great to come along with your family for the visit!

Magdalene, thanks for checking in and reading along! Glad you're still enjoying it.

Munich has a very good science museum as well and one of the areas that used to fascinate me most as a kid was their "mine" - no elevator, you just took stairs, but still, I thought it was so cool! So I am sorry that you missed out on that part, but at least you got to see some great achievement of German engineering instead - even though it was put to pretty horrible use... I like it much better as a museum exhibit!

Sounds like I need to schedule a trip to Munich as well. Did I tell you that my parents just spent 2 weeks in Switzerland last month? I think they crossed briefly into Germany at one point...they made it to Innsbruck and got to see Neuschwanstein Castle as well!

 

[middlepat]

Sounds like we need a big DISDad trip to the Coal Mine one of these days.

I jsut had a funny thought, what if we got 7 DisDads to all visit the mine at the same time. We could all march over together singing....

"Hi ho, hi ho. It's off to work we go."

I'm still not wild about the whole "spaceship" re-design. And don't get me started on the lack of a playable field...

I'll give you the "spaceship" look, but a Philly fan complaining about the playing surface? I recall something about glass houses and stones....
[/QUOTE]

 

[Flossbolna]

Sounds like I need to schedule a trip to Munich as well. Did I tell you that my parents just spent 2 weeks in Switzerland last month? I think they crossed briefly into Germany at one point...they made it to Innsbruck and got to see Neuschwanstein Castle as well!

Yes, I am sure that you and your family would love Munich, it is a great city for family vacations.

And if your parents made it to Neuschwanstein, they certainly were in Germany, it is a Bavarian castle, but very close to the Austrian border. I hope they had a great vacation. The Alps are a very pretty area!

 

[Captain_Oblivious]

Nemesis FAIL!

Hey, who doesn't like to have their dollies next to them while watching TV?

Deal! I never get tired of the river cruise. It helps that there is technically no script for the tour as all of the tour guides are members of the Architecture Society and are encouraged to provide their own spin.

I thought it was cool that not only did you learn about the architecture, but they sprinkle in a lot of history about the city as well.

It's right.... here.

Thanks, that clears it right up!

Don't worry sir, we'll take good care of your vehicle... we're professionals.

We even went to Wrigley the next day...

It's all about the journey, not the destination? That better?

I jsut had a funny thought, what if we got 7 DisDads to all visit the mine at the same time. We could all march over together singing....

"Hi ho, hi ho. It's off to work we go."

We might have to update the character names to fit our descriptions. Hairy, Gassy, Stinky...we could probably keep Dopey and Sleepy.

I'll give you the "spaceship" look, but a Philly fan complaining about the playing surface? I recall something about glass houses and stones....

I'm still bitter about the Eagles' loss in Chicago last year. I lost count of how many times a Bears receiver was wide open as an Eagles cornerback lost his footing in the mud. At least Philly paints the dirt green.

Yes, I am sure that you and your family would love Munich, it is a great city for family vacations.

And if your parents made it to Neuschwanstein, they certainly were in Germany, it is a Bavarian castle, but very close to the Austrian border. I hope they had a great vacation. The Alps are a very pretty area!

From looking at their pictures, it looks like it was amazing! The scenery is spectacular.