We stayed 5 days in this charming city, visiting all its recommended high-lights.
We were lucky to experience a very special exhibition in the Art Institute: pictures of Paul Gaugin and Vincent Van Gogh side by side, painting the same view or subjects. Such a case you can meet once in a life time!
We enjoyed, free of charge, two concerts for the public, one in St. James Cathedral and the other at the Cultural Center.
We couldn't visit two of the sites we planned: The Sears tower and the Chicago Mercantile Exchange. The authorities were so confused because of September 11, that they forbade non authorized people to visit those very tall buildings!
We wanted to visit a zoo located in Brookfield, which was highly recommended in tour books but we had some difficulties to get information how to reach there. I almost gave up, but finally I bumped into a tourist information office on Michigan Ave, where I learnt how to reach Brookfield by train, and than by bus.
Traveling by the train was an opportunity to see a bit of Chicago vicinity.
Well, it was worthwhile to visit that zoo. The animals live there in huge cages. One gets the impression that someone wanted to give the animals the feeling of living in their natural habitat. My wife enjoyed the zoo so much, especially the big monkeys
(usually she doesn't like much the look of animals), that it caused her to look for more zoos along our trip.
In the morning of the fifth day we walked to the Hertz agency office to pick up a car we rented in Israel. I enjoy very much driving American's cars, being so huge and convenient. I always rent a car that has a cruse control. My wife says that driving an American car is so simple and convenient because you need only to hold the wheel with your hands and put a match in each eye to hold your eyes open.
I don’t know why, but I wanted very much to get this time a Ford Taurus, and you can imagine my excitement getting to the agency and found a big white Ford Taurus waiting for me. I asked for instruction how to operate the handle gear stick, because it was connected to the wheel and not to the floor, as I'm used to, and the man in service thought that I came from some other planet, not knowing to operate such a simple element…
Overfilled with joy we drove back to our hotel to pick our language and started our way out of Chicago. I cannot avoid mentioning the wonderful service of the AAA by providing guide books and maps. I cannot imagine a successful trip without their guide facilities. I also want to praise the excellent roads and guiding signs, which make the driving in the USA a "piece of cake". A local person who is born to such a system cannot appreciate it like an outsider.
Indiana.
We drove through the Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore. At the visitor center we viewed a nice audiovisual program about the history of the lake and its shores and drove towards South Bend. There we visited Copshaholm, the Oliver mansion. A very impressive house, owned by the man who built a factory of agriculture machines. Besides the large building, there is a smaller one, typical house of the workers. As a Polish born, I was surprised to learn that all the area was populated by immigrants from Poland, and the worker's home is called Dom Robotnika.
We found a nice restaurant for dinner, where one of the waiters, explained to us how to reach the S. Ray Miller Antique Auto Museum near Elkhart.
We visited several such museums during our traveling in the USA, but this museum was the biggest and the richest. One can roam hours among sparkling antique cars, and watching puppets in and beside the cars, dressed with clothes of the appropriate period.
The USA is a "young" nation comparing to Israel, and such a museum symbolizes to me the efforts the American do to preserve their history in every discipline.
While driving to our booked motel, we met strange horse carriages; we recognized them as belonging to the Amish, according to pictures we've seen in the past. We took photos of them, while driving. Later on we learnt that they are not allowed to be photographed, so, I apologize!
That night we spent at the Best Western Angola Inn.
Ohio.
We started that morning visiting the Historic Sauder Village in Archbold.
Entering the ticket office, the lady in charge noticed that we are foreigners. She was so pleased to hear that we came from Israel at such a time, that she wanted to raise the Israeli flag, in favor of us. We refused, because, as Israelis, we have instructions not to be outstanding, and we kept this advice, even while being in the USA.
