Went to Chicago-- Part 2

On the way, I saw the Chicago icon, the Berghoff on Adams Street. We sure got taken for a ride a few years back when it was announced that the family was selling it to their granddaughter who was closing the place and would reopen it in a much-different form. Did we ever get sold a bill of goods. It is still there in all its history and unchanged. I had heard they also intended on taking down the wondrous old sign. It's still there as always.

Foot traffic picked up as I approached Marshall Fields (Macy's). So this is where everybody was. Big crowds out on the sidewalks under those giant horns. Of course, they were looking at the famous window displays. I was not impressed with them, but part of that is due to all the moving Christmas items we have these days. Back in the 60s, when I first went, all that motion in the windows was something else.

There were crowds inside and even more folks as I took the escalators up seven floors to the Walnut Room, another Chicago institution. There was a line just waiting to get the pagers. No way I was going to wait in a line like that. I did get to see the equally famous Christmas tree.

Say what you will about Macy's taking over Marshall Fields, they still retain all the things that made Fields famous: the windows, clock on the corner, old Fields name plates by the entries, the Christmas instruments on the outside, the Walnut Room, the Christmas tree, and even Frango Mints.

On exiting the building, I was approached by a guy involved in the Macy's boycott and given a flyer. They are still calling for a return of Fields. That's not likely to happen.

More to Come. --RoadDog