Chicago Field Trip Reminders

1. Read and bring along the two handouts: "Schedule and Neighhborhood Descriptions" and "Chicago Attractions.

2. Bring your belongings in a backpack or a suitcase with good rollerblade wheels. We have to carry 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).

3. Bring good walking shoes (broken in); we'll be walking 6-8 miles the first full day. (Flip flops were a disaster for one of last year's students). 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.

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 fleece jacket and a waterproof shell to wear over it, as well as a baseball cap. Some people might prefer an umbrella.

5. Bring clothes that will work for court--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); 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.

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 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 wouldnt' be hard to spend $300 (though I never have).

12. Rollerblades (optional). I bring mine as there's pretty good rollerblading along Lake Michigan, especially going south from the downtown. Going north is good too except that you have to negotiate some bridges and inclined sidewalks in the middle. A helmet and wristguards would also be wise.

13. Bring your text if you haven't already read it; people often get quite a bit of reading time on the train. Some of you may want to write your paper on the train home, so you might want a full size notepad to write on. On the other hand, there's a lot to be said for a small notebook where you record your observations and thoughts and then waiting till you get to a computer where you can word process freely and revise as needed. And of course there are always laptops, especially if yours is small and light.

If you get 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.