Getting ready for a trip. . .questions about Chicago.

[Christyhicks]

Ok, guys, I know you've been waiting for this, but yes, Larry and I will be leaving in about a week to head up to MN for my high school reunion. . 10 yrs . . . yeah, right. . try about 30 years!  ha ha

Anyway, we thought that with the price of fuel, it was silly to ONLY drive up and back, so although it's the absolute WORST time of year for us to be gone from the business, we decided it was only LOGICAL to take a side trip, and we settled on Chicago as our "destination" after the reunion.

We're thinking we'll be visiting Wrigley field, Blue's clubs, and maybe the Navy Pier. . .haven't really done a lot of research yet.  The biggie question is "Where in the WORLD can we Camp in our Bus???"  Anyone "in the know" on a place to stay in TempBus that is close to some of the things we want to do?  Thanks, Christy Hicks

[skipn]

Christy,

    A lot of busnuts in MN.  What part of MN?

  Sounds like fun...............Showing up for a reunion in a bus.....bet that will get
 the tongues wagging!


  Skip

[Christyhicks]

Sorry, guess I should have said that. . .ha ha. . .I'm from Winona, MN. . .at least, that's where I went to high school .. . .I actually started out on a farm between Fountain City and Arcadia Wisconsin, moved to Winona when I was 10, and lived there through graduation.  We lived so far out in the country that we were at the END of the bus route. . . the kids on the very next farm went to a school in a whole 'nother county, ha ha.  Christy Hicks

[Brian Diehl]

Christy, can't help you with Chicago, but when are you going to be in Winona?

[Nick Badame Refrig/ACC]

Hay Christy & Larry,

You can't go... It's summertime!     Just think of the mess you will come back to..

Impossible for me this year, I went through too many employees in the past year to trust them for more then a weekend.

It's getting busy as hell around here and we need it!

You guy's have a great time and be sure to visit Michigan St. for some great dining..

Nick-

[Christyhicks]

Christy, can't help you with Chicago, but when are you going to be in Winona?

The reunion is June 28th, so we'll get there probably just a day or so ahead of time, and we'll stay long enough to visit a few friends and take a drive down memory lane before turning towards Chicago.  You in the area?

You can't go... It's summertime!     Just think of the mess you will come back to

Well, of course, you know it's going to be a real nightmare to get all my work "pre-done" and "pre-plan" everything, and the reality is for us poor working fools is that most weekdays, I will spend quite a bit of time on Messenger on my laptop, in constant contact with my office, doing what I do. . solving problems, kicking butts (both employee and builder, ha ha) , ordering equipment, etc.  As I told Larry. . . "Sure, I'd rather not have to work when we go on a trip, but I'd sure rather have a "working vacation" than no vacation at all.  Right now, those are my two choices, so we takes what we can get!"

Impossible for me this year, I went through too many employees in the past year to trust them for more then a weekend.

We ARE lucky in that matter. . . our newest emplyee has been here a couple of years already and is our nephew.  We waited for quite a few years for him to get tired of running his own framing company and look for a steady job, so when he finally told Larry he was hanging up the hammer, Larry came dashing into my office to give me the heads up so I could hire him before he found something.  He's been everything we hoped for.  Adding him to our existing crew gives us a close, tight knit group. . . oh, forgot, I did hire another plumber last year. . which gave us 3, count 'em THREE Davids working for us.  He's been called by his last name, Hook, ever since, and he's been a good addition to our crew too.  I think the best thing our company has going is the great crew we have, and usually, they'll put extra effort out if I'm gone, to try to make Margie's life just a little easier. . . can't figure out why they enjoy making mine so much harder .

It's getting busy as hell around here and we need it! You guy's have a great time and be sure to visit Michigan St. for some great dining..

I'm so glad to hear that you're busy again.  That's awesome!   Luckily, here in Oklahoma, things haven't been as bad as in other areas, and our housing values crept up yet a little bit more last year, rather than dropping.  Our biggest threat is fuel prices, and, of course, material increases across the board, especially copper, equipment, pvc, etc.  I did make a big buy on freon this Winter, which protected us from the big jump it took this Spring, but not enough to cover all those other price increases.

So, Michigan is a good street for restaurants, huh?  We don't necessarily like "trendy" places, just good food and good service. 

Thanks for the advice and have a great day! Christy

[NewbeeMC9]

Be sure to go to Tino's pizza!!!!!!!!!  never had any thing like it, ever!

[HighTechRedneck]

Be sure to go to Tino's pizza!!!!!!!!!  never had any thing like it, ever!

I think maybe you meqn Gino's.  They are legendary and well earned that status.

More info:
http://www.busconversions.com/bbs/index.php?topic=7651.msg74983#msg74983

[luvrbus]

Christy, stop and  look at the coaches at Liberty they are nice folks and will give you a tour of the plant they are located on the north side of Chicago you and Larry be safe

[TomC]

Personally, except for seeing Wrigley, and the water front in Chicago, I'd rather spend time on the Wisconsin river at the Wisconsin Dells.  I worked out of Chicago for 12 years (truck driving) and learned very quickly to hate both the traffic and the weather changes.  Believe me, Los Angeles has nothing on the traffic in Chicago.  At least in Los Angeles you can get off the freeways and not worry about running into a low overpass on an alternative route.  I would spend very little of my valuable time in Chicago.  There are many other things to see in Wisconsin, and other parts of Illinois, Indiana.  Good Luck, TomC

[Christyhicks]

I think maybe you meqn Gino's

hmmmmm, sounds really, REALLY good . . I can feel those 20 lbs I lost this last year coming back to visit me already!  Yum!

stop and  look at the coaches at Liberty

Now, do you REALLY think that's a good idea for us. . . remember, three buses. .. ALREADY. . do I REALLY need more??? ha ha

I'd rather spend time on the Wisconsin river at the Wisconsin Dells

Well, yes, the Dells are fun, but since I grew up in Winona,MN, (which qualifies me to be a true "river rat",  and my grandparents lived fairly close to the Dells, we've done that trip plenty of times,  .  The ducks are cool, though, aren't they!

hate both the traffic

I'm thinking we won't do a heck of a lot of DRIVING inside Chicago, instead will try to take advantage of public transportation. . .so I might advise everyone to stay tuned for THAT portion of the trip, ha ha.   Here in Oklahoma, well, let's just say that we have too much land per person to have much of a public transportation system, sor our experience is EXTREMELY limited when it comes to navigating such a system.   

and the weather changes

Ok, don't forget you're talking to someone who lives in Oklahoma now!  My first Winter here, it was 70 degrees on Thursday, Friday it turned cold and by Saturday, we had a full blown blizzard .   Sunday, I've got my snow shovel out and I'm shoveling the front walk. . . the neighbors pour out of their houses. . . "what ARE you doing?"  "WHERE in the WORLD did you get that kind of a shovel"  "Honey, why are you shoveling that snow???"   

My response, of course, was, "Well, I brought the shovel with me from MN, and I'm shoveling the sidewalk!  Don't you guys DO that down here?"

"Oh honey!" was the response. . ."It'll all be GONE tomorrow!"

Sure enough, by Tuesday, it was 70 degrees!  I packed that shovel away and never touched it again!

Christy Hicks

P.S.  Come on guys, keep the ideas coming. . . we've got to kill several days before the first home game at Wrigley on July 8th, after which, we'll be racing on down to St. Louis, Nashville, and Memphis in a flurry of visits and activities before we get home.

[Ed Hackenbruch]

Christy,  if you email me your mailing address i will send you something that i think you will think is kinda cool and will want to take on your trip with you.

[Christyhicks]

Sure, I'm game. . .it's chicks@ionet.net. 

[Brian Diehl]

Yep, I'm up in Maple Grove.  Unfortunately, on the 28th I'll be out in SD somewhere.  We are leaving after work on the 27th for a 3 week vacation!  YEAH!

Are you going to be up here earlier?

[Dallas]

After a couple or three decades of running into and out of Chicago and suburbs hauling groceries, equipment, machinery, steel, livestock, hazardous waste, paper and hospital waste, I think my very favorite part of it was the great big signs that said, "Now Leaving Chicago City Limits"! 

Have fun Christy!

Dallas