Just about an hour North of the City in Ottawa, rests Skydive Chicago.  This family-owned facility has grown from a small, little-known place to an enormous, fun-filled adventure over the course of 10 or so years.  There is so much other to do here rather than or besides skydiving.  There is a rec room with billiards, a deli/bar, a theater, pro-shop, etc.  Canoeing, hiking and horseback riding are also avialable on the 230-acre campus.  Just a little to the East of the skydiving hangar lies a pond with decks and volleyball too.  You may even just decide to sit around and chat with other skydivers in the hangars or the grounds.  It’s almost impossible to get bored even if you chicken out of the skydiving part.

After enrolling in a short course in the early morning on the basics of the sport and then practicing your moves on a simulator, be prepared to fly up about 13,500 feet in a small cargo plane filled with other veterans or first-timers. 

The first jump requires, by law, for the jumper to be attached by hooks and cables to an experienced diver, which they call “tandem jumping”.  Once you jump from that plane though, you’ll be glad to have that jumper attached to you as sometimes all you learned that morning goes out the window (as it did with me) and the incredible rush of adrenaline is all-encompasing.  The man I was attached to pulled my ripcord for me when I had forgotten.  Trust me, this is one law that I was glad to abide by.

You can hire a videographer to film the entire jump for you (the videographer jumps with you so he is right there the entire time) which we did and makes for great memories and a perfect conversation starter at parties. 

After we landed, which was very smooth, we sat around and chatted with others for a while and then went on home.  After all, this whole process takes the entire day.  Plan on getting there about 6 or 7 a.m. and staying until  long around 5 or 6 p.m.

And, if I were you, I’d go on an empty stomach.  But that’s just me.

Want to experience Chicago’s famed Lincoln Park but only have a day?

1. Stanley’s Kitchen & Tap (Armitage and Lincoln): Start your day with breakfast at Stanley’s (opens 7AM, Monday thru Friday), where you’ll find biscuits and gravy, scrambles, hash, french toast, pancakes, and a number of sides.  On the weekends, brunch starts at 10AM and includes a make-your-own-omlette bar, sandwich fixings, and a variety of pastries, fruits and vegetables.  This brunch comes full circle at the bloody mary bar.

2.  Armitage Shopping and DePaul History: After breakfast, walk up Armitage past the many boutiques and shops that range from designer consignment to local designer retail.  My favorites include: McShane’s Exchange, Lori’s Shoes, Art Effect, L’Occitane and, to top it off, a hot or cold drink at Argo Tea.  Continue north on Sheffield to Fullerton.  If you aren’t hungry yet, stroll through the comfortably small DePaul University Campus and make a stop at the Richardson Library which also houses art exhibits (Fullerton/Seminary).

3. Bourgeois Pig (Fullerton and Lincoln): The Pig is a locale favored by students, Children’s Memorial staff and others looking for a cafe that’s trendy in a not-even-trying-to-be-trendy kind of way.  The Pig’s lineup includes: sandwiches (also many veggie options), salads, soups, baked goods, ice cream, coffee, espresso drinks and looseleaf tes, housed in large glass jars lining the walls.  Wireless available, as well as eclectic music played by the staff.

4. Lincoln Park Zoo: Next, continue east on Fullerton to and through Lincoln Park Zoo, a free attraction.  This zoo is home to elephants, bears, lions, penguins and many other birds, mammals and amphibians/reptiles.  Also one of the oldest “zoological gardens” in the country, Licoln Park Zoo overlooks a popular section of Lincoln Park and Lake Michigan.  Bring a frisbee for some fun or a blanket for some afternoon rest and relaxation.

5. Victory Gardens (Lincoln Ave, between Beldn and Webster): Home to many Tony Award-winning plays and actors, Victory Gardens has a couple cozy stages on which you can see local and world talents performing primarily local works.  Great for just yourself, a date, or the parents.  If you’re still hungry (before or after), there are plenty of sandwich/pizza shops and bars in this area.  A nicer but very affordable option is Tillie’s, at Halsted south of Armitage, or Green Tea, a tiny but excellent sushi restaurant at Clark and Webster.

When it comes to matters of the heart, it’s hard to deny the
very best for your romantic paramour. 
However, in reality, wining and dining your sweetheart can be a costly
affair.  Here are the five best Chicago ways to have a
seemingly luxe – but fundamentally inexpensive – date with the one you love:

1)      As
Pepe Le Peu proclaimed, what more do you need than “a loaf of bread…a bottle of
wine…”?  How about the grass between your
toes and the sound of Bach in the air? 
The grounds at Ravinia offer
$10 lawn tickets to virtually all of their summer season performances.  All it takes is a short train ride (there’s a
$5 special) and a picnic basket, and you’re there.

2)      Bring
Your Own Bottle restaurants are popping up all over the city, so hop on the
brown bag wagon!  The cost of alcohol can
easily double the total on your dinner bill, so why not bring your own and skip
the double (or even triple) markup on the standard restaurant wine?  Here’s a tip: a lot of newer restaurants in
the city will start off BYOB while waiting for their liquor license – just call
ahead and ask what their policy is.  You
just might be able to score a table at a hot new restaurant that you may not be
able to afford otherwise!  Check out www.byob-chicago.com
for restaurants.

3)      Create
a theme and your creativity will outshine any frugality.  Check out one of Chicago’s Independent Film theaters (try the Landmark Century Cinema at Clark and Diversey) and pick out one of their foreign
films to see.  The first tickets of the
day there are only $7.  Picked a Chinese
flick?  Head up to Ecce Café (3422 N. Broadway) post-show for some pan-Asian – and
very moderately priced – fare.

4)      Want
totally free entertainment?  Take a
stroll through Chicago’s
Lincoln Park Zoo – one of the
nation’s largest free zoos.  Afterwards,
you can mosey on over to the Treasure Island (1639 N. Wells) – on Saturdays, there
are samples of artisan cheeses, breads, and meats abound – and if you ask
nicely, the bakery will give you a piece of chocolate to try!

5)     
Every girl loves to window shop, so take your lady
friend for a relaxing walk down one of Chicago’s
best boutique streets – Armitage
Ave, west of Halsted and up to Racine. 
Check out the latest duds at Cynthia
Rowley and Active Endeavors,
before treating yourselves to some quality Italian ice at Tom and Wendee’s – yum!

Let’s face it:  Chicago is intimidating.  As the third
largest city in the country, Chicago has a lot to offer to everyone,
from every walk of life.  If you aren’t used to living in a city,
then Chicago goes from intimidating to down-right scary.  Having
just moved here myself, I know first hand how hard it is to find
something to do in the hub-bub that is Chicago.  This is why I’m
here:  To help you, the reader, traverse the metropolitan muck of
the city and keep busy, entertained and cultured.

We all hate tourists, no matter where it is we come from.  Loud,
obnoxious and rude, tourists are the bane of any city culture. 
Until you, have gotten your feet wet by exploring the city, though, you
are one of them.  Live it up; there is a lot that you can do upon
moving into the city to get accustomed to your new surroundings. 
Part of the fun of living in the city is the diversity of life; a world
class city like Chicago has Navy Pier, an amazing park district and a
plethora of musuems to frequent.  Take advantage of it all. 

First things first, though.  If you are without a car, get a CTA
thirty day pass.  It’ll be helpful and money well spent. 
Taking the El will get you through the city, and the option of taking a
bus, though sometimes a terrible idea, is always a nice option should
you get stuck/lost.  It’d also be a good idea to head to any
library branch (I prefer downtown because it’s fancy); with a library
card, you have the option of checking out museum passes and visiting
any of the city’s fine cultural institutions FOR FREE.  Be warned,
though:  only certain museums are available at any given
time.  There are a limited number of passes for each museum, so
you may not be able to go to the one of your choice, depending on its
popularity. 

Moving to the city is a big decision to make, but with proper planning,
adjusting to life won’t be too difficult.  There is a lot to do,
places to see, stores to shop, people to meet.  Get out there and
do something, otherwise, your potentially expensive move will be for
naught.  Until next time, enjoy your time in the Windy City.