Stain Glass Window at the Ahwahnee
Today was a rainy, lazy Sunday. The rain moved in last night and continued until noon today. Anne and I did make it outside for a walk before sundown, but mostly, we busied ourselves with various arts and crafts. Anne worked on her current knitting project and I got around to taking some arty photos that I’ve been pondering for a while. I’ll roll them out later this week.
We’ve rethought our proposed trip to Washington DC and have instead settled on a long weekend in Chicago. A combination of the state of our finances (taxes) and a timely Post-Dispatch Travel section article on winter getaways to the Windy City convinced us that this more modest trip idea was the smarter way to go. I’ve already thankfully declined our two US Senator’s invitations for DC tours.
Instead of driving there, we’ll be taking Mega-Bus. Anne has been using Mega-Bus for several years now on her annual summer migration back north. Mega-Bus will take both of us from Union Station in Saint Louis to Chicago’s Union Station and back again, for the mere sum of $26.50. That’s right folks two-people, roundtrip all for less than the price of one tank of gas. The Prius would have cost at least twice as much, plus its wear in mileage. It will probably cost more getting to and from the two Union Stations than it will to get between them. Plus, Mega-Bus offers free wi-fi, so I can live blog about the passing Illinois cornfields, kidding. It will be an adventure, at least that’s what Anne tells me.
We’ve booked a hotel room in downtown Chicago, instead of our usual Oak Park venue. This will put us close to the lakefront museums. The Post article recommended either buying a Saint Louis Science Center membership and then using the reciprocity agreement between our science center and some of the Chicago museums or getting a Chicago City Pass . I’ll have to run the numbers, or better ask Anne.
Anne took this photo of a stain glass window at the Ahwahnee. The Ahwahnee Hotel is a destination hotel in Yosemite National Park. It is located at the north end of the Yosemite Valley floor. It opened in 1927 and is a premiere example of National Park Service rustic architecture, and was declared a National Historic Landmark. When we stayed in Yosemite last summer, we visited, but did not lodge at the Ahwahnee. It’s room’s range in price from $439 to $1015 per night. We lodged in a much more affordable Curry Village tent cabin, with a steel bear box out front and mice with their Hantavirus in the neighborhood.