Christmas in Chicago

Image from dnainfo

Christmas in Chicago is a fun time. The image above is of the current windows in Macy's, which used to be the Marshall Fields, down on the Magnificent Mile. This window has the Cubs celebration because, you know, 108 years since we won the World Series and all. This really should be the first stop, especially if you're going for holiday shopping or just shopping in general. There are a great many stores and just going in for the decor is half of the fun.

Another part of the city to spend some fun time is in the Lincoln Park Zoo. They do an event called ZooLights, where they have free family-fun activities and light up the zoo with Christmas light displays. The dates for ZooLights are December 2-4, 9-23, 26-31, and the 1st of January. It's a very nice and fun thing to go to and just spend time with family. It will be cold, so do bundle up, but you'll have a lot of fun. Don't expect to really see any animals - if you want that, go during the day - but the lights make up for it.

The last big stop to make is at the Christkindlemarket - the Christmas Market - at Daley Plaza. It is another free event, mostly because you will probably spend more than you think you will there, and there's a lot to take in. The idea was taken from one in Germany in 1545 and has a lot of German influences throughout the market. I highly recommend going on an empty or near empty stomach so you can also eat some of the excellent German food that is sold there. Just don't drink any of the wine until you've gotten something to eat. They've still got the boot shaped mugs around and you should pick up some for a nice Christmas present.

There is a ton more going around Chicago during Christmas, like ice skating, but these are the top three that I enjoy. They're things that you can do with family or alone without feeling alone and I hope you enjoy them as well. Until next time, happy holidays. 

Baseball!

Hi everyone!  This week is the Crosstown Cup series in Chicago, meaning it's North Side vs South Side, aka Chicago Cubs vs Chicago White Sox.  This used to be something that was great for Chicago but it didn't matter.  It was games that didn't count because the American League didn't play the National League until the World Series.  And, if you know anything about baseball, the Cubs have a bit of a losing streak / not going to the World Series in a while.

Yes, I'm saying that no World Series since 1908 is a while.  I'm allowed.  I bleed Cubbie blue and I have since I was a kid.  This year is always The Year until it stops because we didn't get to the playoffs.  Or we do but then there's the Mets - that was last year - but... this might be it.  Might be.  Maybe.  Someone go knock on wood.  Maybe go sacrifice whatever goats eat to the goat who cursed us in the first place.

But that all changed when the MLB (Major League Baseball) decided that interleague play was a go.  You could have teams from both sides playing each other during the regular season and it meant something.  To us, in Chicago, this was huge, because it brought more importance to a series that we already love.  We love going against each other and rooting for our teams.  It's something that is, while not just Chicago alone, it binds the city together during the summer months.

It's why, if you're writing about Chicago, you should take it into account.  If you have a character that lives here, you should give a passing thought about which team they'll support if they're into sports at all.  Now, they can be into sports and not baseball, but do your research and understand the Bears, the Bulls, the Blackhawks, and even the Wolves intertwine into everyday life.  You can also have someone that lives here and doesn't care about sports, but the characters that they come into contact with might.  Nobody lives in a bubble and neither should your characters.  It goes back to the idea of character connection and, yeah, it might be a barista making small talk, but it happens.  I have baristas ask me weird things all the time about something that I might not know about - one asked me about Pokemon Go and if I'm playing when I've barely started - but that's because they're human beings too.  Interacting and connecting is a part of the human experience and you'll want that in your novels.

Anyways, I'm going to get off my soapbox and go cheer for the Cubs.  Well, maybe not right now, as the game isn't on, but tonight I will be.