https://www.stevedrice.net/ 2026-04-29T12:49:39+00:00 https://www.stevedrice.net/ https://www.stevedrice.net/_media/wiki/dokuwiki.svg text/html 2015-10-02T20:11:06+00:00 Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) https://www.stevedrice.net/travel/na/usa/chicago/journal/introduction [State Street] Chicago Journal Another summer and another trip to the World Science Fiction Convention. Ever since I attended the convention when it visited my home town of Winnipeg in Canada I have made it to all the conventions. It is also a great excuse to see places I have never seen before purely, as far as I am concerned, at random. The only bad thing is that the convention tends to be held in the US most years which is to be understood since it originated there and there seems to be t… text/html 2015-10-02T20:11:06+00:00 Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) https://www.stevedrice.net/travel/na/usa/chicago/journal/part1 Saturday, August 26, 2000 - Chicago, Illinois Another long day of travel. That is the problem with visiting North America when you live in England - long travel times to just about anywhere. The co-ordination involved for such a trip is also interesting. text/html 2015-10-02T20:11:07+00:00 Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) https://www.stevedrice.net/travel/na/usa/chicago/journal/part2 Sunday, August 27, 2000 - Chicago, Illinois I had a troubled sleep last night, don't know why but I barely managed 8 hours, tossing and turning a fair amount. I guess I had a lot on my mind because I have not really looked into what I will do in Chicago before I got here. Today I am really planning to get familiar with the city and decide what I will be doing over the next few weeks. text/html 2015-10-02T20:11:07+00:00 Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) https://www.stevedrice.net/travel/na/usa/chicago/journal/part3 Monday, August 28, 2000 - Chicago, Illinois Another warm day in Chicago. And a busy one. I started the day by moving to the convention hotel, definitely “movin' on up” as I moved from the Motel 6 to the Hyatt Regency. With the convention I was only able to get the special rate they offered for a few days on either side of the convention dates so had to wait two days before switching. text/html 2015-10-02T20:11:07+00:00 Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) https://www.stevedrice.net/travel/na/usa/chicago/journal/part4 Tuesday, August 29, 2000 - Chicago, Illinois Museum Day 2: Revenge of the Museums -- The day began after a rather refreshing sleep at the hotel (8 hours, a record for me this holiday - seem to be having trouble sleeping, could be the damn cold air conditioning that I don't seem to be able to control). text/html 2015-10-02T20:11:08+00:00 Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) https://www.stevedrice.net/travel/na/usa/chicago/journal/part5 Wednesday, August 30, 2000 - Chicago, Illinois Another day in Chicago - out and about, never a spare moment...It started well with actually a breakfast...of sorts...I was able to finish off the pizza from last night (with the temperature in the room it was as if it was in a fridge all night). I did have to leave my room early though because of the cleaners text/html 2015-10-02T20:11:08+00:00 Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) https://www.stevedrice.net/travel/na/usa/chicago/journal/part6 Thursday, August 31, 2000 - Chicago, Illinois The 58th World Science Fiction Convention - Chicon 2000 The first day in a hectic schedule (I am sure). I began the day with a little walk into the downtown area (well, more downtown than the hotel is already) in search of a shop that would sell me batteries for my camera (annoying when you want to use it and it does not work - like last night). After clearing that up and walking through the heat and humidity (and the dry of the hotel) I stopped j… text/html 2015-10-02T20:11:08+00:00 Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) https://www.stevedrice.net/travel/na/usa/chicago/journal/part7 Friday, September 1, 2000 - Chicago, Illinois The 58th World Science Fiction Convention - Chicon 2000 Another short night but longer than it might have been since I gave up on trying to get to the 8:30 am session and slept on in...I am getting too old for this (GRIN). I managed to drag myself out of bed for the 10:00 session though text/html 2015-10-02T20:11:08+00:00 Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) https://www.stevedrice.net/travel/na/usa/chicago/journal/part8 Saturday, September 2, 2000 - Chicago, Illinois The 58th World Science Fiction Convention - Chicon 2000 The 8:30 session turned out to be an impossibility yet again so I headed off to the next session. I found out that, due to rather dubious programming planning, it was cancelled and the other session I wanted to see was postponed until tomorrow (who knows when). A sign of things to come, unfortunately text/html 2015-10-02T20:11:09+00:00 Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) https://www.stevedrice.net/travel/na/usa/chicago/journal/part9 Sunday, September 3, 2000 - Chicago, Illinois The 58th World Science Fiction Convention - Chicon 2000 Another lost first set of sessions due to sleeping...I will look forward to being able to get 8 hours of sleep again... Session: Conversation: Joe W. Haldeman and Robert Silverberg text/html 2015-10-02T20:11:09+00:00 Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) https://www.stevedrice.net/travel/na/usa/chicago/journal/part10 Monday, September 4, 2000 - Chicago, Illinois The 58th World Science Fiction Convention - Chicon 2000 The final day of the convention, probably for the best as I really do need some sleep soon. I find that even just walking around I am like the walking dead (though some say this is typical of me even on a good day text/html 2015-10-02T20:11:12+00:00 Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) https://www.stevedrice.net/travel/na/usa/chicago/journal/part11 Tuesday, September 5, 2000 - Chicago, Illinois My first day of freedom and I spend it running around the city -- debatable as to whether this is better than running around the hotels -- at least there is fresh (somewhat) air outside...I began the day by skipping breakfast (as is my want) and taking the text/html 2015-10-02T20:11:13+00:00 Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) https://www.stevedrice.net/travel/na/usa/chicago/journal/part12 Wednesday, September 6, 2000 - Somewhere between Chicago and Minneapolis - On Board Amtrak's Empire Builder Train A bit difficult to type on one's lap but I will make do. It is dark now but we had the sun up until about an hour ago when I saw the sun set from the dining car. I have never actually been on a train like this ever, really. Other than some trips on board the train between Winnipeg and Regina when I was in university (which is not quite as long as this trip) on trains MUCH sub-sta… text/html 2015-10-02T20:11:13+00:00 Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) https://www.stevedrice.net/travel/na/usa/chicago/journal/part13 Thursday, September 7, 2000 - Burnsville, Minnesota (just south of Minneapolis/St. Paul) I am finally here. It was a long trip but I think it really was worth it. Mike is just like I always remembered him (easy to get along with, very humorous) and his girlfriend (who is living with him in his rather spacious apartment) is really quite nice text/html 2015-10-02T20:11:13+00:00 Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) https://www.stevedrice.net/travel/na/usa/chicago/journal/part14 Friday, September 8, 2000 - Burnsville, Minnesota (just south of Minneapolis/St. Paul) Today we headed off to see a few more stores, stopping for lunch at a great Vietnamese place right near downtown. It reminded me a lot of a place that we visit in Winnipeg. Mike had been told about this place by someone who lives locally. text/html 2015-10-02T20:11:14+00:00 Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) https://www.stevedrice.net/travel/na/usa/chicago/journal/part15 Saturday, September 9, 2000 - Somewhere between Minneapolis (Portage, WI) and Chicago - On Board Amtrak's Empire Builder Train It really does make a difference when you travel during the daytime. We missed a lot of scenery because it was dark on my trip into Minneapolis. Near the beginning of this trip we followed the Mississippi for quite some time before passing over it, following a small range of hills and passing through a few state parks. It is quite simple countryside. I have seen cra… text/html 2015-10-02T20:11:14+00:00 Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) https://www.stevedrice.net/travel/na/usa/chicago/journal/part16 Monday, September 11, 2000 - Woking, Surrey, England What an incredibly long day (and night and now, it seems, another day) I think I will be sleeping for quite some time. Getting up as late as possible (I was up quite late last night flipping channels text/html 2015-10-02T20:11:14+00:00 Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) https://www.stevedrice.net/travel/na/usa/chicago/journal/sidebar * Chicago Journal * Saturday, August 26, 2000 - Chicago, Illinois * Sunday, August 27, 2000 - Chicago, Illinois * Monday, August 28, 2000 - Chicago, Illinois * Tuesday, August 29, 2000 - Chicago, Illinois * Wednesday, August 30, 2000 - Chicago, Illinois * Thursday, August 31, 2000 - Chicago, Illinois The 58th World Science Fiction Convention - Chicon 2000 * Friday, September 1, 2000 - Chicago, Illinois The 58th World Science Fiction Convention - Chicon 2000 * Saturday, Septembe…