Trip Prep

We're off to Chicago next week, and I'm leafing through  the Frommer's  guide investigating.  Two questions come to mind:

Whaddya like on trips? 

And whaddya willing to pay for?

Us:  a comfortable room, preferably in a suite-type hotel (Hampton Suites, for example).  We like space.  We like a complimentary breakfast at the hotel.  We eat lunch in museum cafes or wherever we find ourselves.  Dinner needs to be not too expensive and not far from the hotel.

Crowds: Hate 'em, but what are you going to do?  We're going to be in Chicago for Mother's Day, and I figure wherever we go that day will be crowded.  We're opting for the Chicago Botanic Garden, wide open spaces.  Unless it's raining.

Shopping: Don't give a damn, unless it's in museum shops.  The Magnificent Mile is apparently the Rodeo Drive of the Midwest, but who cares?  Wouldn't buy that stuff anyway.  Plus Jerry hates shopping.  And too much to carry home.

Art galleries: Like, but find museums a better bet in terms of consistent quality.  The Chelsea galleries in New York City are the exception.

Nightlife: Don't care at all. We're old. In New York City, though, we go to Broadway shows because, hey, we're in New York. We eat a forgettable dinner and then take the subway to Times Square. We took a cab once and nearly missed the curtain, bad traffic. Sometimes we eat after the show, which sounds romantic, but it's too late.

Our nightlife generally consists of Jerry channel-surfing or working on manuscripts and me keeping up with my trip diary/scrapbook (see below). I sit on the bed and try not to get stamp pad ink on the sheets.


So, there are whole chapters of the Frommer's guide I could leave at home, but slicing them out of the book is tricky (and dangerous if you're using an Exacto knife).

Awaiting content: A blank Moleskine notebook

Trip journals/scrapbooks from past trips.  I try to keep up while I'm away.