Chicago Sept 2017

Hi everyone, it's your favourite travel blogger here :-)

I just wanted to say first of all a big thank you for the love and comments on the first blog, it means the world to me that you're following me on my journey...so thank you and I hope you keep reading!!

Right, where did we get to...oh yeah, so I was on my way by bus to Chicago. Well it's safe to say that after the journey I'm on now, I'll never (ever!!) moan about an 8 hour bus ride again ...as this update comes to you from a 54 hour train ride...yep you read that right! This trip, on board the California Zephyr train, started in Chicago and now I have about 2 hours to go until I get to San Francisco (& yes of course I'm counting ha) !! So we just got a "fresh air" break in Sacramento and it is hot and sunny here in California so that has cheered me up no end. I decided to take this trip because it's 'one of the most beautiful train rides in North America' but then sadly a few days before leaving Chicago I found out that due to track work it was being rerouted between Denver and Salt Lake City. So that's left me feeling rather disappointed, as I think there's a lot I've missed out on seeing. I've made my peace with it now though (well I'm getting there)...I did get to see some amazing scenery and I've met some really great people along the way...plus it's given me the chance to give the legs a rest, read a book (cover to cover too ha), to listen to music and to catch up on some sleep so I'm happy.

Right, I'm jumping back to my five days in Chicago now. So Chicago turned out to be a lot of fun and that was the one place I was a bit worried about, a little girl in a big city and all that but after just a few days there I was navigating getting from where I was staying to downtown Chicago like a pro. On my first day I got out to Lincoln Park Zoo and followed the beaches along Lake Shore Drive...it was beautiful to see a place with the best of both worlds - the beaches along the lakefront and an amazing city to go with. I met a local guy in the afternoon who ended up changing his plans to show me around Chicago...but then a plan to go for a few drinks and dinner turned in to an evening of more drinks, playing pool and one too many tequila shots...I was one hungover Fran the next day ha. So as you can imagine I had a very lazy start to my second day but in the afternoon I got chatting to a girl from Melbourne and we ended up going out to get food and catching a comedy show in the hostel. The Monday was my big 'try and do everything Chicago has to offer' day and so I saw Buckingham Fountain, Millennium Park and Cloud Gate Plaza (the silver bean!), had a drink at Cindy's Rooftop bar, ate a burger at Shake Shack and I went to the observation 'sky deck' at Willis Tower. It was a lot of fun! On the Tuesday I got to go to Navy Pier and an open mic night with a fellow Brit from the hostel and on my last day in Chicago I got on the water taxi from Michigan Ave. to Chinatown for an early dinner - that was yum and then some! So I hope I've done a good job of selling Chicago to you ha 😀.

Right, now I'm off to go have some fun in San Francisco. I have 9/ 10 days before I need to get to LA for my tour of California, which starts on 3rd Oct. More on that to follow...OBVS!!

I'll catch up with you again very soon...

...& l'll be updating more posts with pictures over the next few days :-) ...you lucky things you!!

Lots of love, me x x xRead more