Chicago town

Hi there,

One of the cities that I visited recently was Chicago. Now, Chicago is known, variously, as the City of Big Shoulders, The Windy City and Chi-town (Pronouced Shy-town). So, lets see what wikipedia has to say about Chicago:

Chicago (IPA: /ʃɪˈkɑːgoʊ/), is a city in the state of Illinois and the largest in the Midwest. With a population of nearly 3 million people located almost entirely in Cook County (a portion of the city's O'Hare International Airport overlaps into DuPage County), Chicago is the third largest city in the United States. The population of Chicago's metropolitan area, which covers several counties (and commonly called Chicagoland), contains over 9.7 million people in Illinois, Wisconsin and Indiana, making it the third largest metropolitan area in the U.S.[1] Chicago has been classified as an alpha world city for its worldwide economic influence.[2]
Chicago was incorporated as a city in 1837. Its location at the site of a portage between the Great Lakes and the Mississippi River watershed aided the city's rapid growth. Today, Chicago is a leading global city and a major transportation hub, as well as the business, financial, and cultural capital of the Midwest.

Chicago has always been in the center of things, so to speak. A century ago rail travel from east to west went thru Chicago. It was a major center for butchering of Cattle and the shipment of various farm commodities.

Today, Chiago has O'Hare airport, one of the busiest airports in the world. It is the confluence of 4 interstate Highways, not to mention a port on the Great Lakes and still a major rail hub in the center of the country.

If you look at a map of Chicago, the size is somewhat overwhelming. I mean it's Huge!!! The Chicago Land reference in the article above is more than just refering to the counties...it also regards the villages and small towns that make up the metro area. It can literally take 2 hours to drive acorss the area known as Chicago...even on good traffic days.

An interesting thing you can try when the night is clear, sometime soon. Get an AM radio and tune it to 720 am. That is the frequency for WGN radio. It's a 50,000 watt station, and on a clear night you should be able to hear it after sunset. If you are lucky, you might catch a Chicago Cubs game on it!

I was going to post some pictures for you...but I can not find them...but never fear. Next blog has some pics of a town not too far away.

Be Well
Da Knome