My Kind of Town...Chicago Is

This week's business trip took me from the Nation's Capitol to My Kind of Town...Chicago. And my running tour of two of our country's -- the world's -- finest cities continued this morning with a six mile run along the shores of Lake Michigan.

[At left: self-portrait in front of the John Hancock building on the Magnificent Mile]

Heading north from my hotel on the Magnificent Mile, I ran along the path between Lake Shore Drive and the shoreline. This is one of my favorite runs in the country.

For one thing, it's FLAT! For another, the scenery is great. But I think the reason I really like it is for the people watching. At any given time hundreds of Chicagoans (and hundreds of visitors like me, I'm sure) can be found running, walking and riding their bikes along this path. The next time I'm here I won't be running on the path. I'll be one of over 12,000 people running down the middle of Lake Shore Drive in the Chicago Half Marathon. It's going to be awesome.

One of the reasons Frank Sinatra called Chicago "My Kind of Town" was because Chicago is "my kind of people, too. People who smile at you." There's no doubt when you are running along Lake Michigan that this is a midwestern city. People do actually smile at you.

But I think the reason I call Chicago my kind of town is the shopping along Michigan Avenue. I went window shopping along the Magnificent Mile this evening after dinner at Mike Ditka's Restaurant, past the Garmin Showcase and dozens of designer boutiques like Guess, Kenneth Cole and Cole Haan -- three of my favorites. Unfortunately (or perhaps fortunately!) the stores were closed. Even with the stores closed downtown Chicago is alive with activity, but it does sleep. And sleep is what I am going to do now!

Daren