Chicago Field Trip Reminders

1. Read the materials linked in the email I sent with these reminders and begin to make a few notes about what you may want to do during our visit to Chicago.

2. Bring your belongings in a backpack or a suitcase with good rollerblade wheels. We have to carry/pull them 8-10 blocks when we arrive and when we leave. Try not to have two suitcases. (There are coin-operated washers and dryers at the hostel if you run out of clothes; notbody has yet).

3. Bring good walking shoes (broken in); we'll be walking 6-8 miles the first full day. (Flip flops are not a good choice). It might not hurt to throw a few bandaids into your purse or billfold, in case your shoes aren't as good as you may think. Also bring sunscreen, particularly if your skin is fair.

4. Bring a warm jacket (Chicago is known as the windy city, and when the wind blows off Lake Michigan, it can be cold); hat and sunscreen; rain jacket. I bring a wam jacket and a waterproof shell to wear over it, as well as a floppy hat to keep the sun off my face.

5. Bring clothes that will work for court and church --something that isn't torn.

6. Bring photo id(driver's license or state id card), in case they want it for the train (they say they do but we've never been asked) and also in case you need it for the courts; bring student id because there are some places that give student discounts.

7. Bring a lock if you want to use one of the lockers in the hostel room to store your valuables. There are a limited number, so you will need to share.

8. Cameras. I'm hoping some of you will bring cameras and hopefully contribute to a refreshing of that display window on second Cina.

9. Use Mapquest to get directions to the Amtrak Station in St. Paul ( 730 Transfer Road St . Paul , MN 55114. ). You should be there by 7.15 a.m. You can park a car in their lot; they don't guarantee its safety but I've never had anything stolen there. Get a parking permit at the ticket counter and put it on the dashboard.

10. If you have a watch, bring it; it might be nice to coordinate with people in different rooms or if you're joining people at a destination in Chicago.

11. Money. We've had people get along on $100 or less, eating mostly at the hostel and depending on free entertainment. On the other hand, if you look at the Chicago attractions list, you'll see that museums are expensive, as are theaters, bars, and the fancier restaurants. It probably wouldn't be hard to spend $300 (though I never have).

12. Rollerblades (optional). I bring mine as there's pretty good rollerblading. Going north is good except that you have to negotiate some bridges and inclined sidewalks in the middle. Going south is wide open all the way down to Hyde Park. A helmet and wristguards would also be wise.

13. Bring a notebook for thoughts and observations while in Chicago; it will help with writing your paper--and in fact you may want to use the notebook to work on a first draft on the way back.

14. Computers. The second floor of the hostel has wi-fi access, and of course, if you bring your computer, you could use that to begin work on your paper or just to make a few notes after a busy day.

14. Bring your text if you haven't already read it; people often get quite a bit of reading time on the train.

If you have any other ideas, feel free to "reply" to the emails I send out to the group, in order to share your ideas with others in the group.