Tour 2009 Day 5 Chicago, IL; June 20

What a wonderful day in Chicago.  We were greeted this morning with happy kids and beautiful weather.   They were even more excited because we didn’t have to pack bags, check garment bags or write “Thank You” notes because they are staying with their current host families for two nights.  After a quick “see ya later” to their host family

we were off for our big day in Chicago.

The morning began with a wonderful concert at the Oak Park Arms Retirement Community.  We had a small yet enthusiastic audience.  The choirs all did a fantastic job and sang beautifully.  In order to meet the boat for our first tour of the day we had to cut short our favorite part of singing at retirement home…the meet and greet.  We were off to the Wendella Boat Tour.

After a quick lathering of sunscreen we jumped off the buses and directly onto our awaiting boat.  We were treated to a 90 minute tour of the Chicago river, through the lock and into Lake Michigan.  Our particular tour focused on the interesting architecture and history of the Chicago skyline.  It

was fascinating to hear how and why many of the buildings were built or changed over the years.  When we reached Lake Michigan we got a good look at the Navy Pier.  The kids were excited knowing that the pier was our next destination.

After a quick walk we arrived at the pier ready for lunch.  We broke into our small groups and enjoyed the various offerings available all along the pier.  Most groups enjoyed some form of ice cream as the walked.  When we arrived back at the bus we were off to Millenium Park.   This is a fantastic park in the middle of

downtown Chicago featuring various performance and art venues.  The groups had the opportunity to visit the park at their leisure.  Some groups chose to relax, catch some rays and play various games while others viewed the gardens and soaked their feet in the cool water of The Crown Fountain.   The Cloud Gate seemed to be the favorite spot for many of the groups.  This 12-foot high stainless steel arch reflects the skyline, clouds and visitors below.  The concave center is particularly interesting as you see reflections all around.

It was then time to conquer the Chicago traffic again and head back to the church. Our host families had dinner plans for all the kids!  Tomorrow we lead the service at St. James Cathedral in downtown Chicago before heading out to Toledo, OH.