In the early hours of the morning
on Friday, April 27, 2012, the Milan High School Band departed on a journey
that they would not soon forget. It’s 6 O’clock in the morning and the students
have begun to arrive at school for baggage check. After the bags have been
checked, they load the busses and prepare to begin their adventure into
Chicago. Shortly before 7 O’clock, the
bus door closes and they were on their way.
The first stop on their adventure
would Millennium Park. It’s a park in Chicago that has a lot of art in it.
There is the Famous Face Fountain that has faces of Chicago people show up
behind the falling water. The Giant Kidney Bean shaped sculpture, that on a
sunny day you can get a picture of the Chicago Skyline reflecting in it.
After the stop at the park, it was
time for lunch. Lunch for the day was Ed Debevic’s. This is a restaurant that
is set back in the 50 & 60’s. The waiters are dressed in appropriate attire
and act the same way. If you get in their way they will yell; if you screw up
when ordering they will yell; if you ask for something they will yell. But it
is all in good fun though. And if you are lucky enough to be there at the right
time, you might even get to see them dance on tables or in the windows.
After eating it was time to do some
shopping on the Magnificent Mile. The Magnificent Mile is a road of shopping in
the heart of Chicago. They are all high-end retailers that we all could barely
bring ourselves to look at. At this point we set a challenge to see who could
find the most expensive price tag in the area. The winning price was an
$139,000 fur coat. 2nd place was a $95,000 watch.
After our shopping time was over,
it was time to head to the hotel to get ready for our dinner. Chicago traffic
in the afternoon is nearly impossible to travel in. It took us an hour and a
half to make it to our hotel. At that time we had like a half hour to get
dressed up for our night out.
Once we were looking good and ready
to go, we headed to the Navy Pier for another short shopping stop. At 7:30, it
was time to board our ship for our diner cruise on Lake Michigan. This was a
night of good food, friends, and some dancing. Then it was time to call it a
night.
Next ,it is performance day. We
performed 3 Goodwill Concerts at nursing homes across the Chicago area. It was
a great feeling knowing that you are making a difference in people’s lives by
bringing them joy. After our concerts it was out to Connie’s Pizza for some
Chicago style pizza.
After dinner it was time for what
everyone had been waiting for all day, The Blue Man Group. This was the
highlight of the trip. It was a high energy show that was enjoyed by everyone,
a mix of comedy, music and talent. Then we went back for our last night at the hotel.
We had time to swim, socialize or play cards in the lobby.
The last day of the trip, we
visited the Willis Tower (formerly known as Sears Tower). This is the tallest
building in the Western Hemisphere. We went up to the viewing level for the
best view of Chicago. We had the chance to step out onto the Sky Decks that
protrude from the side of the building. Then we began our journey back home. We
arrived back at the school about 5pm. That is the end of our exciting journey
to the big city.