Back to Chicago

For Heidi, a shot of manicotti at Rose Angelis - a fantastic Italian restaurant in Chicago that Heidi and I adore. Even the cold leftovers the next day in the airport were fantastic!



Views from the John Hancock building - we grabbed lunch at the restaurant on the 96th floor. Amazing views!





Ready to head home after some Michigan Avenue shopping. Note very wooly scarf around my neck. Chicago is truly the windy (cold) city.

Game Day - Swag

Swag and Flare run rampant here at Lambeau. The cheesehead is, of course, a popular accessory. True cheeseheads must add to the cheese, either with costume or decoration. The man in the lower photo had a replica of Lambeau built on his cheesehead!

Game Day - Bratwurst and Kickoff

I said I'd try bratwurst in Green Bay and did it. A real, Wisconsin homemade chunk of meaty goodness. Flavor was good, texture was what made the gag reflex kick in... but it went down. Then Jeff had a full one and declared it the best braut he'd ever had.




Green Bay versus The Jets...

Game Day - Sunday, December 4, 2006

Forecast: 23degrees for kickoff with wind chill of 10deg.



We procured a prime parking spot on a friendly Packer fan's lawn. This was the way to go for parking. For an extra $10, we could share a tailgate party and use a clean restroom. Tempting.



Hearty Packer fans were out early, eating their bratwurst and mixing drinks. While Packer colors are green and yellow, we noted a subculture of florescent orange and camo folk showing their support. Because of the cold, all swag is worn over the warm, protective clothing (jerseys stretched over down jackets).



Good thing we read about renting seat covers at the game, or I might have been tempted to borrow this guy's buns!

Upgrades

Just had to put this shot it of our upgraded "Suite" at the Ramada Inn. It was roomy, but the jacuzzi tub right next to the bed was a little wierd.

Lambeau Field

Green Bay is a town of just over 100,000 people. At Sunday's game, just over 70,000 people were at Lambeau. The city is Packer-crazy, and we were there to be a part of it. We stopped at Lambeau Saturday night, picked up some "flare" for the game, and ate at (of course) Bret Favre's Steakhouse.

Chicago to Green Bay

We found our way to I-94 and headed north to Wisconsin. Right across the the border, we couldn't resist the call of the Mars Cheese Castle. Note the Packer flag flying at equal height with the US flag. This photo represents Wisconsin (well, maybe if there were antlers mounted to the sign, it would be perfect)! Great cheese - we tried a 10 year aged cheddar... yum.




Wisconsin countryside is rolling hills, covered with snow; farms nestled every few miles. This church's spire caught our eye. The cemetary across the street had gravestones so old, the engraving had been worn off by years of weather.



Custer's is a local fast food restaurant that serves a little of everything. We tried the local favorite: frozen custard and deep fried cheese curds.

Kitsch'n on Roscoe

Kitsch'n is a funky spot for breakfast with all kinds of tacky memorabilia. Jeff challenged me to a game of Connect 4, a Gullickson family motorhome tradition. He did pretty well with the first two, but I picked up the game pretty fast and made it interesting. Then the food arrived. Chicken 'n waffles for Jeff and a pesto omelette for me.

Chicago streets

Between Wrigley and breakfast we drove around the neighborhood and took photos. The snow on the buildings was so beautiful. It was a great way to start our vacation.

Wrigleyville

The first big snowstorm hit Chicago and Wisconsin right before we arrived, but the roads were clear and dry! WA could take a few pointers from this! Wrigley Field was a highlight, especially seeing the townhomes next door with bleachers on top. Next time we'll have to attend a game.

Green Bay Trip

This is for our friends and family who love football. Lambeau Field. Packers. December. It could have only been better if the Pack had posted a W, but you just can't have it all. Scratch one more thing off The List... We arrived in Chicago at 5am Saturday morning, ready to tour Wrigleyville in our Saturn Vue.