Big blowout in the Windy City
EAT, DRINK AND BE MERRY IN CHICAGO (& DETROIT)
MALTA: Snap up seven nights’ half-board at the four-star Cavalieri Art Hotel overlooking St Julian’s Bay for £241. Leave from Luton on December 9. See alpharooms.com. CYPRUS: Hire a five-star holiday villa in the relaxed resort of Argaka. It has three bedrooms, three bathrooms and a private pool. Sleeps up to six. Pay £1,020 and arrive on December 15. Return flights to Paphos are from £229pp. See novasol.co.uk. Property reference CYP035. DOWNTON ABBEY: For many, the cars featured in the legendary
007 films are as much the stars of the films as the James Bond actors! This DVD counts down the most iconic vehicles featured in the ever-popular spy movies.
Featuring the Aston
Martin DBS V12, the Sunbeam
Alpine, the underwater Lotus
Esprit, the unforgettable
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Then enjoy the soundtracks to the films including the classics - Dr No, Goldfinger and Live and Let Die plus another 15 tracks.
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LOCALS say first-time visitors to the Windy City should do two things…
You must stand at the top of the Willis Tower and eat a hotdog from a street vendor – but not necessarily at the same time.
So with the aroma of sizzling meat from a stall on the sidewalk proving too enticing to resist,
I cross the road and order a proper
Chicago dog.
Smothered with white onions, green relish, pickle, peppers and salt, it is four dollars’ worth of food heaven.
Next I travel in the 60-second lift to the top of Willis. From the Skydeck,
103 floors up, it is possible to see four states. Illinois, Indiana, Wisconsin and Michigan are all visible on a clear day.
The bravest visitors can walk out on to a glass platform called the Ledge and gaze from a height of
1,353ft at the cars far below.
I stroll out and look down. It is a little cloudy but, as a local saying goes, if you don’t like the weather in Chicago, wait an hour.
The Willis Tower is America’s second tallest building, but several others here battle for space in the skies.
On the Shoreline Sightseeing architecture river cruise I learn how the city rose from the ashes of the Chicago fire of 1871.
It’s considered to be the birthplace of the skyscraper and with many more huge projects under construction it will soon have new second and third highest buildings.
For a destination so rooted in Prohibition history, people in Chicago certainly like a drink.
“Welcome to town!” declares one reveller as I sip a $5 beer at midtown bar The Boss.
On the screens are baseball and basketball so I have to shout over the cheers as the local side hits a home run.
This is clearly not my new friend’s first drink of the evening as he staggers and holds on to my table.
“Chicago’s awesome man. You’ll love it!” he drawls.
I’ve only been here for two days but I wholeheartedly agree.
The night before I’d enjoyed lamb enchiladas at Mexican restaurant Frontera Grill, washed down with a couple of beers.
“Tequila for dessert?” the waiter asked me. My kind of town…
History is everywhere in Chicago and my hotel, the wonderful Blackstone, is full of it.
Former US presidents have stayed there, including John F Kennedy. In fact, JFK learned of the Cuban Missile Crisis while dining here.
Gangster Al Capone also held meetings here while getting his hair cut in the barbershop.
I leave for my second leg of the trip – Detroit – via a 40-minute Delta Air Lines flight over Lake Michigan.
The city went bankrupt in 2013 and thousands of residents left. But developers are now snapping up the long-empty buildings and trendy new businesses are opening. From the ashes of a place neglected for decades, a vibrant city is rising.
Stopping for lunch at the Rusted Cow, a business recently opened in a previously ignored building, I order a $15 PB & J Burger. It’s a concoction of brie, peanut butter, bacon and Brussels sprouts in a brioche bun. I have it with fries and mac and cheese while chatting with my server.
She tells me: “Sixty restaurants have opened here in the last two years. The food scene has exploded – it’s the comeback city.”
My base for the trip, the MGM Grand Hotel with five restaurants,