Chicago Train Trip 2007

After the raging success of Train Trip 2006, the guys came back for more and decided to follow the wisdom of Ferris Bueller: "The question isn't what are we going to see today.  The question is what aren't we going to see today."  We wanted to hit a couple of the greatest hits from last year's trips, but also find our way into new pictures and situations.  Last year, we sort of "walked in" to McCormick Place to check out the fountains.  This year we just happened to walk, or climb in, to Soldier Field itself.  So here goes...sit back and enjoy the journey through 11 miles of all Chicago has to offer for free.

I stand in the middle of the street to snap a Sears Tower photo.  Who knows what Baran is doing - taking a picture with his phone?  Who knows.

Aspiring young men gaze toward the top, the pinnacle, the storied heights.  Okay, enough metaphors.  We want to get to the top.

This sweet fountain picture would have been better if I let the freshman climb in like they wanted to.

Oh the Magic Bean.  What does one see while gazing at your trippy insides?  I think all of us are actually standing in that center circle.  Crazy.

Only in the Magic Bean can you get a picture of both your front side, your back side, and the Chicago skyline.

We take a break by the Chicago River.

Everyone hams it up on the Magnificent Mile as we stop to say cheese by Watertower Place.

The 2nd Annual picture on the Navy Pier anchor.

It's a family tradition - a second straight picture of Bethke and Wojdyla by the crazy face hologram at Navy Pier.  Next year, we can continue this with Ryan Wojdyla and Eric Bethke.

Kwak says "Hooray!" for ferris wheels.

Check out Cepuran.  He looks like a defeated and drunken sailor.

The boys requested an action shot of their 11 jaunt mile jaunt.

We screwed up a bunch of photos of little kids as we jumped in front of the fisherman guy for a quick group shot.

What a great shot of the Skyline, taken from the Planetarium.

It's time for some meditation in the rock garden.  I love Bollman's face in this one.

Playtime outside of Soldier Field on the wicked web of monkey bars.

For some reason, we decided we wanted someone to pose as if they fell from a tall height.  Bethke volunteered.

A gang of instigators poses inside Soldier Field.  It was open...we swear.

The Gang of 338 gathers for a very quick picture.  We swear that we are just a group of prospective season ticket holders checking out the view.

Well, we couldn't pose inside with Sue so this huge Brontosaurus or Diplodocus creature had to do.

We take a break by General Logan's statue.

Last stop, outside the Chicago Art Museum.