Although much of the day was involved with travel home, our Saturday was a good end to our Chicago adventure.  After an early wakeup call (apparently too early for one room, but we won't say whom), we loaded the buses for a quick ride over to Navy Pier, another Chicago landmark.  The architectural river cruise was pretty dependent on the weather, but Saturday proved to be beautifully clear day.  We bundled up, but the light wind, while not heavy, still managed to chill everyone, as morning temperatures were in the upper 30's.  The cruise proved to be the perfect end to the tour.  Our guide entertained us with great facts about the buildings and stories about the colorful (and sometimes off-color) characters that built the city of Chicago.  We learned about the great fire, the great flood, the World Exposition of 1893, and how they made the river run backwards.  It ended with an original harmonica blues that tied together the "music for the eyes" and "music for the ears" that made our Chicago tour so great.

Nearly everyone bee-lined it to an indoor pavilion at Navy Pier for a little last minute souvenir shopping and something warm to drink.  Forty-five minutes later the buses were loaded and we were on our way back the airport for the flight home.  We cleared check-in and security in an amazing 25 minutes, but our success was only slightly marred by the loss of Katherine M.'s boarding pass.  After successfully getting everyone through twice it was a bit ironic that she ended up on the outside.  Although the airline didn't make it easy, we were thankful that she rejoined us with only a 30 min. delay.  Most people found one the many restaurants at the airport for a little lunch before our 2:45 departure.

Fatigue caught up with everyone as we sat down on the plane for the trip home.  it was also a chance for a little reflection on our "invasion."  Everyday had been full of activities, but it never felt like people were being dragged anywhere.  I think most agreed that the Palmer House was a great place to stay.  We logged a lot of time on foot, but we also got a good taste of public transportation, which is really the way to see Chicago.  We ate well and got a feeling for some of the variety.  There are plenty of other stories about individual adventures, hotdogs, and crabs.  I hope that as the students visit the website to view some of the photos and remember their trip, that they will also add their comments and stories.  We had a great time together.

Our arrival was routine, except for the large crowd of greeters that required airport security to clear our way into the terminal.  (Well, there was a cop that thought he had to blow his whistle to get people out of the middle of the corridor.  I just didn't think that sounded as dramatic)  Several cellos (or celli, if you're a purist) were damaged on the trip home.  We took notice of the rough handling and will have to take more precautions on our next tour.  While the airlines are not known for their gentle handling of luggage, there has to be a way to transport well packed and properly labeled instruments without damaging them.

It is not my intention to add further to this recounting of the trip, but I hope others that were along will add their comments during the coming days and weeks.  My plan is to do some editing to the photos and post them in a limited access folder.   You will then be able to download a copy of any that you might want to have.  Access to that folder will be limited to "friends."  To become a friend you will need to request it.  If your name or email is on my list, I will accept your friendship.  I've tried not to use complete names because, this web site while probably not of much interest to those outside the AYS family, is still accessible to casual surfers.  I'd just like to know that those that are downloading pictures are related to AYS.

Wow, what a day!  The Art Institute opened at a relatively late 10:30 this morning so everyone got an extra hour of sleep last night.  It paid, because they met in the lobby spiffed up and ready for some fine art and fine music.  I have to tell you that on numerous occasions, both today and earlier, the chaperones were stopped by folks on the street to ask who we were and to compliment our students on their appearance and manners.  As hard as everyone works to send our students, it is certainly gratifying when they play so well and represent themselves with such class.

The Art Institute was amazing but there wasn't nearly enough time to see all of it.  Although the schedule called for lunch at the museum, most chose either to have breakfast earlier or lunch, but not both.  One would think that after all the museums they might be sick of it, but there is something about that fine art that is really captivating.  The collection of French Impressionists was particularly interesting and a nice complement to the music they would be hearing in the afternoon.

Symphony Hall is right across the street from the Institute, so we made the mass migration we are now getting used to, and entered the hall to find our seats.  Symphony Hall is an exceptional place to hear a concert, so although we were sitting high in the "cheap seats" it was a great vantage point to see the performance and what a performance it was.  The first half of the program were French impressionists Ravel (Pavane for a Dead Princess) and Debussy (Nocturnes).  It was especially meaningful when related to the art they had just seen.  The second half was Holst's The Planets which utilized a large and diverse wind section as well as organ, celeste and off-stage human voice.  After the performance,  AYS alumnus and CSO personnel director, John Deverman arranged for two members of the symphony to  meet the students.  Blair Milton (1 violins) and Chris Martin (Principal Trumpet) met with the students to answer questions and give them a feel for what it is like to be a professional musician in one of the world's premier orchestras.  It was a great and memorable hour.

Following the concert it was a quick change and off to the subway to take in the Magnificent Mile.  This was truly free time and every group found there own activities.  We rendezvoused at the John Hancock Building for a ride to the observatory on the 94th floor.  What a spectacular view and a great way to spend our last night in Chicago.  From there it was only a few blocks to Gino's East and our pizza party.  By that time everyone was hungry and it was truly a party with excellent Chicago Deep Dish pizza and a last opportunity to socialize with the entire group.  Most left their "John Hancock," so to speak, somewhere on the walls.  The trip back to the hotel was uneventful, but it reminded me of how "AYS invaded the Windy City" as 100 crossed several streets and invaded the subway station and train.  The students are really getting good at the public transportation.

Well, tomorrow is an early start and everyone needs to be packed and ready to go by 9:00.  The weather was beautiful today, so we think the river cruise is on in the morning.

Tomorrow:  Architectural cruise and the airport

Mr. Gordon summed up the way time has gone this way: "It went by fast, but it took a long time" (plagiarized from Yogi Berra)

Monty Python used to use a phrase like that to introduce a new sketch when it didn't really follow from the previous one.  I've got something a little different, somewhat out of necessity, but mostly because it is time for some new perspective.  The necessity, is that I actually spent most of the day, first in NW Chicago getting a trombone repaired and second in SE Chicago (nearly Indiana) picking up a uniform that got left on the bus last night.  Actually I didn't spend that much time in either place, but it took awhile to get from one corner to the other.

We woke up to cold cloudy skies which gave way to rain and finally to snow before the morning was done.  Our first ride on the subway was short but successful and a city bus to the Museum Campus got things going in fine order.  That's where my story ends, but I asked students to write something to fill in the gap.  I only have a couple so far but I'll probably add to this if I get a few more.  Most of the pictures today were taken by others.

Erin C. said:

Today at the museums, we got to do so many things!  Even though the lines were super long, it was great fun seeing the animals at the aquarium, especially the otters and belugas!  The Field museum was great as well and is probably going to be my favorite part of the whole trip! 

Julia P. wrote a poem:  (you should know that Julia is a future AYS member that is accompanying her mother Kristine)

Snowflakes fall on our nose

We all yell "Burr it's cold!"

They ask "Can we use this bus, though it's not ours?"

Ms. Purrington says "No, we'll end up on Mars."

The Ethiopian food is great,

I can't even count all the food we ate.

We ran fast through the slush.

We almost fell we were in such a rush

In the end it turned out well,

That's the end of my story, as you can tell.

I should probably quit there, but add a little about our evenings activities.  After leaving the museums we returned to the hotel to gather instruments and uniforms for tonight's concert.  We stopped for dinner at the Ethiopian Diamond restaurant, which the owner told us was the largest Ethiopian restaurant in North America.  The food was pretty different for most of us.  There are no utensils on the table because Ethiopian food is eaten with fingers.  Injera is a knd of sourdough pancake.  A piece is torn off and used to scoop one of 7-8 mixtures of spicy "stuff" containing meat, vegetable or both.  Suffice it to say, that though I'm not exactly sure what was in any of them it was good.  Our hosts were most gracious and provided us with much information on Ethiopian history and customs.  Unexpectedly they held a raffle of sorts and several students received really exquisite Ethiopian gifts.

After boarding the buses, we headed to Evanston Township High School.  Another beautiful school with a fantastic auditorium.  We arrived with no time to do anything but change into uniforms and head to the stage, but the students stepped up and gave another great performance.  Haley performed her concerto ( by Doppler) in place of the Faure this evening.  Although this crowd was not so large either, it was certainly a quality group as a solo & ensemble competition was going on at the school prior to and during the performance.  The program was again very well received.  Performing on tour is never as easy as in the comfortable surroundings of home but AYS was certainly up to the task.

I haven't really said much about the hotel, but we actually don't spend so much time there.  Tonight's albums have a few pictures of us hanging out.  There are also a few pictures from the 7-11 across the street.  It seems that the 30 minutes between arrival and room check is just enough time for a snack run, which seems to apply to both students and chaperones.  Each night the chaperones meet for a few minutes to work out our instructions and room checks consist of distribution of the next day's per diem, reminders about wake up calls and report times, and promptings about what to wear and bring.  The halls get quiet pretty fast as the day's activities are adequate to use up most of the energy.  It is usually a tired but happy group.

Tomorrow:  Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago Symphony, the Magnificent Mile and a pizza party.

Wake up calls came at 8:00 this morning.  That sounds late, but that's really 7:00 in Albuquerque and after the long day on Tuesday, I think everyone thought it was plenty early.  Everyone reported, uniforms and instruments in hand, to board charter buses.  Our first stop was the Museum of Science and Industry.  It is a sprawling neo-classical building in South Chicago.  Our City Passes (good for a bunch of museums and activities) included an Omnimax show.  Half saw "Sea Monsters" and the other "Dinosaurs Alive."  I think everyone was impressed by the theater which was a little like sitting in the first row of a theater with a six story screen.  I'm sure that each had there own reaction to the museum, but there was something for everyone, and boredom did not seem to be a problem.  We had lunch at the food court in the museum.  Nothing to get too excited about, but the variety was great and the food was fresh.

At 3:00 we reloaded the buses and hit the road for Frankfort.  About an hour later we arrived at beautiful Lincoln Way - East High School.  The facilities were impressive and the 1000 seat auditorium was terrific.  After a pretty intensive 90 min. rehearsal, the boosters at the school served a great meal of salad, Italian beef sandwiches, spiced fried chicken and rigatoni.  Everyone was ready for a relaxed meal and they ate heartily.  The break also afforded some time for cards and other diversions.  The time to just have some fun was appreciated.  Tonight's casualty was a broken trombone slide, but a replacement was found and arrangements were made for a repair on Thursday.  The show must go on.

After changing into uniforms the concert began at 7:30.  While not a big crowd they were enthusiastic and genuinely appreciated a great performance.  Tonight's program was:

Variations on America - Charles Ives

Made in America - Joan Tower

Pavanne - Gabriel Faure

Russian Easter Overture - Nicolai Rimsky-Korsokoff

It should be no surprise that the 60 min. performance was terrific.  It is always amazing how they can be such ordinary kids all day, but when they put on their uniforms and start making music they become quite exceptional.  Many in the audience came forward to express their good wishes and I think everyone agreed it was a successful evening.

As the concert ended we were reminded that this is a tour and everyone pitched in to clear the stage and pack up so we could get back to the city before the buses started charging overtime.  The trip in was uneventful, though a garment bag and uniform seem to be missing.  Room check came a little earlier tonight, but tomorrow's start is a little earlier.  There have been no complaints about going to bed.  It was another long, but successful day.

Tomorrow:  The Museum Campus (Field Museum, Shedd Aquarium, Adler Planetarium) and the second performance

APOLOGY:  I will readily admit that some of the photos in the album are rather poor.  I'm not spending a lot of time on construction and it is difficult to review what is being loaded in any detail.  I didn't want to disturb anyone while they were playing and that meant going without a flash (or tripod) in a fairly dark auditorium.  Anyway, sorry about the bluriness

Well, it's official.  AYS has invaded the Windy City.  The day began with a painful 6:00 AM report time, but spirits were high.  The last of the group cleared security with less than 10 minutes before boarding started.  It is a big job getting that many bags checked, but the students were cooperative and it came off without a problem.  The plane actually pushed away from the gate 5 minutes early.  I suppose they figured we were there ready to go (and we occupied most of the plane), so why not get started.  I know we were ready.

The trip was mostly quiet, with the flight attendants commenting on the politeness of our student, broken only by a semi-musical rendition of Happy Birthday in honor of our own Katherine Myer.  (It must have been the other passengers dragging the musical quality down.)  The real excitement came on landing, as the Windy City lived up to it's name.  The pilots did a gallant job of keeping us on track, but there was a moment when we wondered whether they'd ever get that plane leveled out.  It was enough to warrant a hearty and spontaneous round of applause when we finally felt secure on the ground.

Once again the students did great getting to the bag claim and rapidly gathering all of our luggage.  Unfortunately, there was some damage to some instruments that required some attention and a report to the airline.  The worst was a viola that sustained serious damage to the point that it is unplayable.  Mr. Kempter has already been able to arrange a loaner for the first concert, but I know everyone feels badly for that student.  Otherwise no luggage was lost and we successfully made it to the Orange Line station to get on the "El."  While a bit windy, it was really a beautiful spring day with temperatures in the 50's, only a little haze, and no sign of precipitation.

We loaded onto three cars and headed into the city, leaving little room in the aisles, as boarding passengers soon found out.  Riding the "El" is a great way to build some excitement as the Sears Tower is first a small impression on the horizon but looms large with the rest of the skyscrapers as you approach downtown.  The Orange Line afforded a mini-tour of downtown as we made nearly a complete circuit of the Loop before our stop.  The CTA (Chicago Transit Authority) staff was very helpful arranging for our train to give us some extra time getting off.  Construction on our hotel, the Palmer House Hilton, made getting out of the station a small adventure, but the fact that most of the rooms were ready when we arrived made the small amount of free time and little easier.  The students had an opportunity to do a little exploring and those that didn't spend their entire per diem on candy bars and cokes at the airport got a little lunch.  In any case, I don't think anyone suffered from hunger.

Tonight we headed out for a night at the theater.  The evening began with a terrific Italian dinner at the Italian Village Restaurants.  A four course meal at Chicago's oldest Italian restaurant was just what everyone needed.  It was a great social occasion and the food was really good.  During dinner the theater tickets were distributed and we finished just on time to make the four block walk to the Ford Oriental Theater for a performance of Wicked, the musical.  The terrific performance kept a tired, but happy group well entertained.  The beautiful theater and first class performance, I'm sure will be a highlight of the trip.

It took little prodding to get the group back to the hotel and the long day was catching up with everyone.  I'm finishing this up while doing hall duty, and while we are dominating one floor of the hotel (the eleventh), one would never know that most of the inhabitants are teenagers.  It is good to have this to work on, or the quiet might lead to my own falling asleep on the job.  In any case, parents should know that it was a good day that ended well.

Tomorrow:  The Museum of Science and Industry and the first tour performance

NOTE: A couple of albums of photos have been added below.

Here are some terms that every Chicago traveler should understand.  If this isn't enough, open  the file "Chicago slang" from the Public Folder below.

Alderman:  Elected official (male or female) representing  one of the many wards in Chicago in the City Council.

Beef: Short for Italian beef sandwiches.  "Gimme a beef!"

Bleacher Bums:  Regulars in Wrigley Field's bleacher section.

Brat:  Short for Bratwurst.  Pronounced "braht."

Brewski:  Beer. (Don't get any ideas)

Char-dogs:  Charcoal-grilled hot dogs, as opposed to your regular boiled hot dog.  

Cheese and Sausage: For some odd reason, Chicagoans have to make sure their pizza order has cheese, even though I've never heard of pizza without cheese.  

Chicagoland: The area which includes Chicago and its suburbs.  "Greater Chicagoland Area" is redundant.

Chicago-Style Pizza:  Deep-dish pizza, originated by Pizzeria Uno in Chicago.

Chicago-Style Hot Dog:  A hot dog coated in everything known to man.  Some Chicagoans believe "everything" includes sauerkraut, while many agree that it does not include ketchup.

Chicago Transit Authority:  1) The public transportation system of Chicago.  2) The original name of the rock band "Chicago."

The CSO: Chicago Symphony Orchestra.

C.T.A.:  Abbreviation for the Chicago Transit Authority.

Cubbies: Chicago Cubs.

The El:  The Chicago elevated train system.  See "The L."

The Joan: Nickname for U.S. Celluar Field (the former Comiskey Park), used because of U.S. Cellular's use of Joan Cusack in ads.

Joe: A person, equivalent to "man" or "dude" in other areas

The Magnificent Mile (a.k.a. Mag Mile):  Michigan Avenue, specifically located south of Lake Shore Drive and north of the Chicago River.  Known for the glitzy stores that line both sides of the street.

Orchard Place: Original name of the airport before renamed O'Hare.  This is the reason why O'Hare's code is still ORD.

The Mart:  Merchandise Mart, one of the world's largest office buildings, located to the north of the Chicago River.

The Merc:  The Chicago Mercantile Exchange.

Metra:  A railroad service that helps surburbanites get into and out of the city.

A Polish:  A Polish sausage.

Reversibles: Express lanes on the Kennedy, which reverse direction depending upon the time of day.  

Richie:  Mayor Richard M. Daley.  Comes from when he was called "Richie" or "Little Richie" during the time his father, Richard J. Daley, was mayor.

The River:  Chicago River.

Pop:  A soft drink.  Don't say "soda" in this town.

Second City:  1) Old nickname for Chicago, when it was the nation's second largest city.  Others have argued that the Second City title is actually because the city was rebuilt after its destruction by the Great Chicago Fire.  2) Legendary comedy club on the northside, where many Saturday Night Live legends, like John Belushi and Bill Murray, got their start.

Sliders:  Nickname for hamburgers from White Castle, a popular Midwestern burger chain.

Stoop:  Stairs in front of a house.

"Sweet or hot?":  Another question from an Italian beef vendor, asking if you want sweet or hot peppers on your Italian beef.  

The Windy City:  Nickname for Chicago.  While the winds are quite harsh in the city, the nickname is over a century old, originating from when Chicago and New York were competing for the World's Fair.  A New York journalist mentioned Chicago's blowhards and windbag politicians.

Winter and Construction:  Punchline to the joke, "what are the two seasons in Chicago?"

The Worm: Former Chicago Bulls star Dennis Rodman.

Wrigleyville:  The neighborhood that surrounds Wrigley Field, where the Chicago Cubs play.

The board met last night (Tuesday) to do a final review of arrangements and responsibilities.  The printable detailed agenda is posted in the "Public Folder" on this site.  Here are a few highlights:

1)  There are still a few students with unpaid balances in their accounts.  Unless another arrangement has been made, it is expected that the accounts will be paid up before leaving for Chicago.

2)  Next Monday's rehearsal (March 24) will be from 1:00-4:00 in the afternoon to allow time to pack the larger instruments and get them to the airport.  Following the rehearsal students will be given instructions, important materials and meet their assigned chaperones.  Students that have been excused from this rehearsal should contact the AYS office to find out who their chaperone is and make alternate arrangements for receiving necessary materials.  Parents are welcome to attend the meeting and have any remaining questions answered.

3)  Report time on Tuesday is 6:00 AM at the Southwest ticket counter at the Sunport.  All students must have a picture ID.

4)  Extended weather forecasts indicate that rain or snow and cooler temperatures are likely for much of our visit.  Students should bring an umbrella or rain gear and appropriate clothing to be outside.  The tour will go on, even in the rain.

5)  Dress for the Chicago Symphony concert will be a dress or nice slacks for ladies and a shirt & tie for gentlemen.  We will be meeting with one or more members of the symphony following the concert.

6)  Many students did not return the "behavior contract" that was mailed to parents last week.  A new copy was sent by email to students, today.  All contracts must be signed by both the parent and the student and turned in by the end of the rehearsal on Monday.  NO EXCEPTIONS!

7)  Boundaries were designated for student free time around the hotel and on the Magnificent Mile.  These will be discussed in more detail on Monday night and in the materials that are distributed.

8)  T-shirts were distributed at the last rehearsal.  Wearing them on travel days is helpful, but not required.

9)  Garment bags were distributed.  These become part of the student's uniform and must be returned with the jacket or dress at the end of the year.  Students should pack both their uniform and the garment bag.  They are for use on days when we will be on buses prior to our performances.

10)  Any students taking medications or having medical conditions or allergies should notify Dr. Cordelia Sever, who will be a chaperone on the tour.

Any questions about the tour?  Leave  them in a "comment" and we'll try to reply.

Stay tuned for more!

The Tour is just a week a way and we've decided to launch a place for timely updates on what's happening.  We hope you'll check this site regularly as well as provide your feedback on our reports.

This map has some of our destinations "pinned"  Check it out.