The secret cabal has begun planning ChiDope 2004 for the weekend of Friday, May 21 - Sunday, May 23, 2004.
Events tentatively planned, times to follow:
Friday, May 21:
'80s-themed potluck at Gundy’s. Yes, you heard me: '80s-themed. I am mixing the CDs as we speak. And yes, I am a giant dork. My kid will be there, so yours are most welcome.
Saturday, May 22: Day:
Choose your own adventure, open to all Dopers –
Architectural boat tour with porcupine
Museum of Surgical Science & Shedd Aquarium with Zanshin
Michigan Avenue shopping (window or otherwise) with Jane D’Oh
I will be at the Cubs-Cards game that afternoon, so if you can finagle tickets for it I’d be happy to meet up with anyone during/after the game. Evening:
Dinner at Reza’s Restaurant, a vegetarian-friendly Persian place on Ontario, open to all Dopers
Drinking and revelry at Black Rock, a neighborhood bar on Addison and Damen, open to Dopers 21 and over
Sunday, May 23:
Brunch, details TBD
Minigolf and batting cages with misscreant at Novelty Golf in Lincolnwood
The more we know about attendance in advance, the better, so if you’re interested in attending please let us know. And keep your eyes peeled for updates!
The last two dim sum brunches were very well received so I am again renominating that for Sunday. The last one cost ~$9 pp and we were stuffed.
Phoenix has the cool carts but can be crazy busy, Shui Wah is order-off-the-menu dim sum so the food is a bit hotter and you don’t have to wade through chicken feet to get what you want. There is another menu place called Spring World which I shall get to in the next two weeks to do a report on.
80’s party? cool, I need to find some Ray Bans, acid washed jeans (pegged of course), an Izod shirt and Docksiders
While we’re trying to work in activities to fit all budgets, please understand that most things in the city cost a fair amount of dough, so be prepared to spend some money. Once details are a little more settled, we’ll post expected costs for each activity.
Lodging:
The lovely and talented Jane D’Oh has again agreed to reserve a block of rooms at her hotel for a discounted rate. Please let her know if you’d like her to reserve a room. The equally lovely and talented Eva Luna has also suggested a youth hostel located downtown.
Free/Low-Cost Activities in Chicago:
In addition to the Doper-guided activities above, there are options for free activities in Chicago, such as Lincoln Park Zoo, the Chicago Cultural Center, and other fun stuff. If you’re interested, we can pull together a comprehensive list.
Transportation:
We were going to rent the Partridge Family van, but the cost was a little prohibitive, so if you’re not driving, public transportation is the way to go. Both Jane 's hotel and Eva’s hostel are near the trains, and my house, Black Rock and Reza’s are all convenient to a train line. CTA all-day passes are available for $5-- cheap!
Rates for rooms are 65.00/nite and tax is currently 13%.
Rooms include breakfast and evening manager’s reception.
Also, for those of you who want to stay downtown, the National Restaurant Show starts Saturday. You may be able to find a room through either Priceline or Hotwire, but I would guess there’s not going to be much available from a discounted (Or even full price nice hotel) standpoint.
As suggested, the hostel is the way to go if you are on a tight budget.
If you want a room, please e-mail me and I will put you on the list. I will confirm that I got your e-mail and about two weeks out, I will send you a confirmation #.
Because of liability issues, I will not be assigning roommates. Bring your own or arrange them off board.
Here’s some info on the Architecture Boat Tour. The tour is $25 per person and we need to make reservations in advance, so we’ll need a firm head count. If you’re interested, please post here or email me at the address in my profile.
Jane D’oh has also reserved a block of rooms at the Embassy O’hare at a very inexpensive room rate (less than $70, IIRC). This is very cheap for a hotel anywhere in the area, and to get a good rate, you have to give up the convience of being steps away from the action. The hotel is right next to the Blue Line on the El, so it goes right downtown. We’ll be posting with some suggestions for other hotels for those who can afford more, but be aware that there is a giant convention in Chicago that weekend, so downtown hotels will probably not be available at a discounted rate. Also, we don’t have any inside connections at other hotels, so you will be on your own.
I’ll do my best! The surgery museum sounds cool. Hopefully I can drag my husband out for an evening or two (he works most Saturdays) and finally have him see what weird people you are.
Well, you know, I did miss the boat tour last time and I’ve been waiting for a chance to wear this pink shirt/white leisure suit combo for a while now.
Can you promise me the lord won’t send a friggin deluge this time?
I always arrive late to these threads, so I’ll stop in NOW and say that I will be there. I’m also fairly into the Aquarium. Maybe I’ll meet up with y’all.
