WINDY CITY WINNIES MAY CAMPOUT

     Our campout was held at the Hollywood Casino campground.  Early arrivals on  Wednesday were Glassman, O’Boyle, Phillip, and Burke (who stopped for the night on the way home from Arizona and son Tom’s Arkansas wedding). With a forthcoming storm warning, they headed for  shelter  until the storm passed. 

     Thursday morning the Bicans arrived and set up a pavilion/tent.  Next to come were Slowik, Davidson, Sheldon, Schleich and Barthel.  Ray (Jerry’s brother) and Marianne drove up for  our Rialto Theatre tour.

Chuck and Sue Borcher joined us at the theatre.  Lea, a volunteer, gave the nineteen of us a vivid description of the “old  girl’s “ history.   She is celebrating her 85^th anniversary.   Seven million dollars was spent on her renovation.  We learned interesting details regarding column structure and crystal cleaning.  Jim, who is 80 years young, entertained us  for an hour of beautiful music on  his 1926 Barton pipe organ. He demonstrated  sound effects and played themes from movies.  Ray Bican guessed the song from Shining, winning a CD.  Since we were not in any hurry Lea brought us on stage, showing us the trap doors. We went downstairs viewing famous signatures to the “green room”.Our 1 ½   hour tour lasted 3 hours.

     Moseying on over to McBrody’s were Schleich, Sheldon, Phillips, Borchers and Bicans.  Enjoyed delicious sandwiches, especially the grouper and sweet potato tater tots.  The others went to the Golden Corral.     Back at the campground  were the Heddens who arrived late in the afternoon.

     Friday morning coffee was served 8ish in very warm weather. So, donning short sleeves and short pants we set out for Lockport to the Illinois State Museum.  Jim Zimmer, director, gave us a one hour tour description of the building’s history and the Amish  versus English quilts.

     Some shopping  next door at the tea shoppe and off to Mama Onestas for lunch. Glassmans and O’Boyles met us there but Gerry felt ill so Tresssa drove him back to the coach and O’Boyles stayed with us.  Service was slow so we munched on delicious garlic rolls.  When our meals arrived they were not only plentiful but delicious..In the meantime it started to rain dropping the temperature from eighty degrees to sixty.  (Since we had no jackets, Jerry drove the drivers back to the parking lot to retrieve the cars to pickup the passengers. 

     Then on the Will County Historical Society.  We walked in totally surprising the historian. She was delightful enlightening us about the I&M Canal especially  the Irish workers. She  gave us info on the underground railroad; we viewed a Civil War doctors’s office which was donated as he left it; and  saw equipment such as  his surgeon kit worth sixteen thousand dollars. There was a weaving room with a loom still used for making rugs.  We were able to walk into a vault that stored records of the I&M Canal from 1837 to 1958.

     Back in the cars to the Gaylord Donnelley building with more canal info. One thousand of the fifteen hundred workers died from injuries and related diseases. We returned to the campground tired and full but some went for some casino action.

     Saturday morning at 8:30 pancakes and sausages were ready.  The  Sheldons made the sausages and turkey patties, while Ken and Jerry worked the griddles  (about 100 pancakes). Nancy was the batter lady. Coffee , orange juice and fruit cups completed  our  breakfast. With 48 degrees, 30 mph winds a few bundled up sitting outside but many sat in the pavilion/tent.   We even had a cozy meeting in the 10’x10’ tent.  The afternoon was our own . 3 o’clock happy hour Slowiks, Phillips,  and O’Boyles came out in the rain ending up in Bican’s coach. 

     Dinner was at Al’s Steak House in Joliet. They had a nice senior menu and even made a special pasta dish for Tressa.  With twenty of us (the Borchers came with us) they put us in our own room.

     We could not  serve coffee Sunday morning in the rain.  At 5:30 AM Jerry had to take down the sides of the pavilion/tent.  Alve  and  Nancy thought it too dangerous to plug  in any electric.  So, our goodbyes were said to everyone  until  the next campout.

                                              Alve  and John Sheldon

                                              Nancy and Jerry Bican

     PS: Please add the following new members to your membership list.

McDow, Faye and Jerry