An Unforgetable Evening

I love spending time in Chicago. I wouldn't want to live there, but it's a great place to visit. I love getting around on public transportation, Chicago-style pizza, and the variety of things to do.

Take Saturday night for instance. The city was preparing for the Chicago Marathon on Sunday, and the Cubs were playing the Arizona Diamondbacks at Wrigley Field in the first round of the National League playoffs. City officials were warning people on Saturday that if the playoffs went into Sunday that everyone should plan on using public transportation as the streets around Wrigley Field would be blocked off for the Chicago Marathon. The planning was to no avail as the Cubs lost on Friday night, loosing the series 0-3.

Jason, Jon and Matt wanted pasta for dinner so we went to Buca di Beppo. It's within walking distance of Moody so we hit the streets. We got there before 5:00 PM so we were seated right away. Our host even gave us a tour of the kitchen on the way to our seats! When's the last time you had a restaurant tour! Buca di Beppo serves the food family style which makes the eating experience more fun. Everyone had plenty to eat.

Since we finished dinner so early, we decided to take the Red Line to Wrigley Field on the north side to experience the atmosphere of a playoff game. The game started at 5:30 so we were able to experience Cub-fever at its finest.

We got off the train at Addison Street and walked around the stadium on Sheffield Street, Waveland Avenue and Clark Street. The atmosphere was electric. The roar of the crowd in Wrigley Field spilled over into the surrounding neighborhood. People were playing catch in the street, gathered around TVs that were perched on window ledges, crowded into bars, and peering through the right-field "knot hole" in order to catch some of the action. Even the firemen at Wrigleyville Engine 78 were standing in the street. You can click on the above picture to see a slideshow of our evening.

It was a great evening on the town! We grabbed a train around 7:30 in order to beat the rush. Although the game wasn't yet over, I'm almost certain I heard several Cubs fan say, "What til next year!" It's now 99 years and counting since the Cubs last won the World Series!

It was a great evening. Seldom have I had so much fun and spent so little money! Great people and a great environment help build great memories. Saturday was an evening I will not soon forget.