{"id":9488,"date":"2021-12-28T15:22:12","date_gmt":"2021-12-28T23:22:12","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.jnack.com\/micronaxx\/?p=9488"},"modified":"2021-12-28T19:28:39","modified_gmt":"2021-12-29T03:28:39","slug":"chitown-christmas-21","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.jnack.com\/micronaxx\/2021\/12\/28\/chitown-christmas-21\/","title":{"rendered":"Chitown Christmas &#8217;21"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>Though I can hardly believe it, nine years have passed since our last Christmastime visit to Chicago and Galena. Back then we took the dudes around the city (see <a href=\"https:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/jnack\/sets\/72157632381624922\/show\/\">gallery<\/a> &amp; <a href=\"http:\/\/www.jnack.com\/micronaxx\/2012\/12\/29\/chicago-adventures\/\">post<\/a>) and to the Murrays&#8217; house before heading to Big G. This year we were all set to see the gang at Liz&#8217;s house, but sadly Covid put the kibosh on those plans. Thankfully, we were able to see Aunt Jane for a bit &amp; fuel up on Lou Malnati&#8217;s before heading down to the Palmer House.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><a href=\"https:\/\/photos.app.goo.gl\/DXnwVYweRwmnkZwL8\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"607\" height=\"1024\" src=\"http:\/\/www.jnack.com\/micronaxx\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/PH-607x1024.jpeg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-9500\" srcset=\"http:\/\/www.jnack.com\/micronaxx\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/PH-607x1024.jpeg 607w, http:\/\/www.jnack.com\/micronaxx\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/PH-178x300.jpeg 178w, http:\/\/www.jnack.com\/micronaxx\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/PH-768x1296.jpeg 768w, http:\/\/www.jnack.com\/micronaxx\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/PH-911x1536.jpeg 911w, http:\/\/www.jnack.com\/micronaxx\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/PH-1200x2024.jpeg 1200w, http:\/\/www.jnack.com\/micronaxx\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/PH.jpeg 1214w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 607px) 100vw, 607px\" \/><\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>I have fond memories of visiting the Marshall Field&#8217;s windows &amp; Walnut Room with its giant tree, as well as of myriad trips to Water Tower Place, so the next morning we enjoyed bundling up &amp; taking the dudes to these old haunts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><a href=\"https:\/\/photos.app.goo.gl\/DXnwVYweRwmnkZwL8\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1019\" height=\"1024\" src=\"http:\/\/www.jnack.com\/micronaxx\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/IMG_1662-COLLAGE-1019x1024.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-9490\" srcset=\"http:\/\/www.jnack.com\/micronaxx\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/IMG_1662-COLLAGE-1019x1024.jpg 1019w, http:\/\/www.jnack.com\/micronaxx\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/IMG_1662-COLLAGE-298x300.jpg 298w, http:\/\/www.jnack.com\/micronaxx\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/IMG_1662-COLLAGE-200x200.jpg 200w, http:\/\/www.jnack.com\/micronaxx\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/IMG_1662-COLLAGE-768x772.jpg 768w, http:\/\/www.jnack.com\/micronaxx\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/IMG_1662-COLLAGE-1528x1536.jpg 1528w, http:\/\/www.jnack.com\/micronaxx\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/IMG_1662-COLLAGE-2037x2048.jpg 2037w, http:\/\/www.jnack.com\/micronaxx\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/IMG_1662-COLLAGE-1200x1206.jpg 1200w, http:\/\/www.jnack.com\/micronaxx\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/IMG_1662-COLLAGE-1980x1991.jpg 1980w, http:\/\/www.jnack.com\/micronaxx\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/IMG_1662-COLLAGE.jpg 2046w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1019px) 100vw, 1019px\" \/><\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Our pal Samantha (who escorted Henry on a little train &amp; photo safari back in 2018; see <a href=\"http:\/\/www.jnack.com\/micronaxx\/2018\/11\/25\/chitown-18\/\">post<\/a>) lives right downtown, and it was great to drop by her place &amp; warm up over good stories &amp; a little Irish whiskey. Afterwards, while Margot &amp; Finn took a pit stop at the hotel, the rest of us stopped by Millennium Park to visit the &#8220;Bean&#8221; and the start of Route 66:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><a href=\"https:\/\/photos.app.goo.gl\/DXnwVYweRwmnkZwL8\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"865\" src=\"http:\/\/www.jnack.com\/micronaxx\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/IMG_1741-COLLAGE-1-1024x865.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-9498\" srcset=\"http:\/\/www.jnack.com\/micronaxx\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/IMG_1741-COLLAGE-1-1024x865.jpg 1024w, http:\/\/www.jnack.com\/micronaxx\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/IMG_1741-COLLAGE-1-300x254.jpg 300w, http:\/\/www.jnack.com\/micronaxx\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/IMG_1741-COLLAGE-1-768x649.jpg 768w, http:\/\/www.jnack.com\/micronaxx\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/IMG_1741-COLLAGE-1-1536x1298.jpg 1536w, http:\/\/www.jnack.com\/micronaxx\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/IMG_1741-COLLAGE-1-1200x1014.jpg 1200w, http:\/\/www.jnack.com\/micronaxx\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/IMG_1741-COLLAGE-1-1980x1673.jpg 1980w, http:\/\/www.jnack.com\/micronaxx\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/IMG_1741-COLLAGE-1.jpg 2046w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Afterwards the four Nacks headed to one of my folks&#8217; old haunts, the Italian Village restaurant that&#8217;s just across the street from the building where they both worked. We had a ball hiding out in one of the tiny dinner alcoves that probably haven&#8217;t changed in all the intervening decades.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-gallery columns-2 is-cropped wp-block-gallery-1 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex\"><ul class=\"blocks-gallery-grid\"><li class=\"blocks-gallery-item\"><figure><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"768\" src=\"http:\/\/www.jnack.com\/micronaxx\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/IV1-1024x768.jpg\" alt=\"\" data-id=\"9501\" data-full-url=\"http:\/\/www.jnack.com\/micronaxx\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/IV1.jpg\" data-link=\"http:\/\/www.jnack.com\/micronaxx\/?attachment_id=9501\" class=\"wp-image-9501\" srcset=\"http:\/\/www.jnack.com\/micronaxx\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/IV1-1024x768.jpg 1024w, http:\/\/www.jnack.com\/micronaxx\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/IV1-300x225.jpg 300w, http:\/\/www.jnack.com\/micronaxx\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/IV1-768x576.jpg 768w, http:\/\/www.jnack.com\/micronaxx\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/IV1.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure><\/li><li class=\"blocks-gallery-item\"><figure><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"771\" src=\"http:\/\/www.jnack.com\/micronaxx\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/IV2-1024x771.jpg\" alt=\"\" data-id=\"9502\" data-full-url=\"http:\/\/www.jnack.com\/micronaxx\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/IV2.jpg\" data-link=\"http:\/\/www.jnack.com\/micronaxx\/?attachment_id=9502\" class=\"wp-image-9502\" srcset=\"http:\/\/www.jnack.com\/micronaxx\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/IV2-1024x771.jpg 1024w, http:\/\/www.jnack.com\/micronaxx\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/IV2-300x226.jpg 300w, http:\/\/www.jnack.com\/micronaxx\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/IV2-768x578.jpg 768w, http:\/\/www.jnack.com\/micronaxx\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/IV2.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure><\/li><\/ul><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Lastly, after a second night at the hotel, Henry &amp; I took a whirlwind tour of the former State of Illinois Building (one of my favorite places to visit &amp; photograph as a kid), noticing &amp; posing with various Blues Brothers movie locations along the way.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/photos.app.goo.gl\/DXnwVYweRwmnkZwL8\">Here&#8217;s a big gallery<\/a> showing our days on the town.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"aligncenter size-full is-resized\"><a href=\"https:\/\/photos.app.goo.gl\/DXnwVYweRwmnkZwL8\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/www.jnack.com\/micronaxx\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/State.gif\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-9489\" width=\"579\" height=\"1029\"\/><\/a><\/figure><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Though I can hardly believe it, nine years have passed since our last Christmastime visit to Chicago and Galena. Back then we took the dudes around the city (see gallery &amp; post) and to the Murrays&#8217; house before heading to Big G. This year we were all set to see the gang at Liz&#8217;s house, [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_s2mail":"yes","footnotes":""},"categories":[14,3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-9488","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-christmas","category-photos"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.jnack.com\/micronaxx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9488","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.jnack.com\/micronaxx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.jnack.com\/micronaxx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.jnack.com\/micronaxx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.jnack.com\/micronaxx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=9488"}],"version-history":[{"count":7,"href":"http:\/\/www.jnack.com\/micronaxx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9488\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":9505,"href":"http:\/\/www.jnack.com\/micronaxx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9488\/revisions\/9505"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.jnack.com\/micronaxx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=9488"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.jnack.com\/micronaxx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=9488"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.jnack.com\/micronaxx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=9488"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}