Milwaukee & Chicago

Although the daily conference lectures were very informative I had to branch out for some nightly entertainment. On Wednesday 4 of us drove up to
Milwaukee and hung out on Water Street. The Harp was a great little Irish Pub with a fireplace and Guinness on tap. After a couple Black & Tans the beertender suggested we try Bar Louie for dinner. Great recommendation! The prime rib sandwich was tasty and the Guinness kept flowing. Thursday evening we attended a tour of the receiving area for the newly arriving recruits to boot camp. Nervous youngsters standing at attention while being "squared away" by the "Old Salts" brought back memories from many years ago but the new facility is high-tec unlike the cinder block structures I passed through in the fall of 1980. Friday night the 4 of us made our way to Chicago's famed Michigan Avenue (the Magnificent Mile) and fell in love with the vibrancy of a spectacular downtown. There was no question as to where dinner would be. My sojourn into the city was based entirely on dining at Frontera Grill. If you haven't heard of Rick Bayless he is a Chicago chef that also appears on PBS in his program "Mexico: One Plate at a Time." He is the favorite TV chef of Christine and mine so there was no way I'd be that close to his restaurant and not go inside. Every facet of the epicurean experience that evening was fabulous! The décor, ambiance, wait staff, beverages and meal were truly remarkable. Blood Orange Margaritas came from the bar just before the Trio, Trio, Trio was served. The appetizer is a sampling of all 3 ceviches on the menu: Hawaiian sunfish, ahi tuna and shrimp with calamari. Ceviche will never taste the same anywhere else, see the photo below. My entree of Tacos al Carbon was made with wood grilled steak, roasted peppers, salsa, frijoles, and guacamole with corn tortillas. Everything in the restaurant is made fresh daily utilizing local farmers and is evident in every bite. If you every end up in Chicago a layover at the Frontera Grill will not be a disappointment.

New Week, Different Lake

Last weekend we were enjoying 80 degree weather as we camped at
Lake Pleasant. This week I've been on the north side of Chicago at the Recruit Training Command attending a conference regarding navy recruit processing. It's been refreshing, though, as the temps have ranged from near zero all the way up to 32. My hotel is right on Lake Michigan and the view is drastically different than that of last week’s lake view from the camper.

Christine & I decided to start this blog in order to keep our friends and family informed on what we are up to in the
Sonoran Desert and beyond. We just got back from a camping trip to Lake Pleasant yesterday in time to watch the Arizona Cardinals clinch their first conference title and a trip to Super Bowl 43 in Tampa. With the Inauguration of Barack Obama tomorrow and the dicey economy at hand there are numerous topics we are deeply concerned with but we intend on keeping this site primarily focused on friends , family and travel.
Ching Ching,
John & Christine