Wisconsin To Chicago - April 3+4 & Disney Challenge Day 7/8!

April 3rd, 2011:
 
I woke up this morning and did a quick 20 minute (alright...19 minute) workout.  The 'exercise room' was just that, a hotel room, with the bed and dresser cleared out, and then an old non-electric bike, old treadmill (that I felt like I was making move myself) and a big weight machine.  There was a tv! I felt like I was making a lot of noise early in the morning and gave up quickly. Instead I showered and we had a free continental breakfast that included waffles and Orange Juice! I snagged some apples and danishes for the road before finding out Ashley doesn't like them - oops! (The apples and peanut butter came in handy later on though!). We jammed to Ryan Seacrest's America Top 40 and some country as we headed towards...

Pretty sure Wisconsin is the Indoor Waterslide Capital of the US...They are everywhere!!

Yogi Bear!

 PARDEEVILLE!

Pardeeville is where my old manager Janice is from! It's a small town of 2085 people (approximately) and a lot of the shops were closed because it was Sunday (everyone let out a collective "awww!") however not the gas station where I found this:

Stephen Colbert's Americone Dream!

It was no Jimmy Fallon's Late Night Snack but we couldn't find that one anywhere!!

We went for Subway attached to the town bank...and found these. Horse Parking!!

Goodbye Pardeeville! 

We left Pardeeville through a town of 631 people! We made our way through the countryside to Chicago! Ashley was a mad good driver through the multiple lanes of traffic.  We arrived around 430 and after a little internet time we went for some Deep Dish Pizza!

It was sooo good! We also had a Honkers Ale beer and it was delicious.  After dinner and watching the blackhawks lose (YEEYAH!), we took the ‘C’ line train to Wrigley Stadium and had a drink in the bar across the street.  He didn’t want to take our Canadian licenses as ID, wanted a passport instead, but we grumbled a little and he let us in! I had a Mighty Arrow Seasonal Pale Ale. It was a Belgium beer and very nice. Ashey wasn’t a fan and had a Coors.  Then we headed back because we were sooo tired!!!

April 4^th

We woke up around 830 and were out the door by 9.  We had Panera Bread for breakfast and man was I stoked!! I got a Panera Card so I get a free smoothie next time I use it! Yeehaw!  Then we headed out to explore Chicago.  We walked all around Grant Park, Lincoln Park, the Museums by Lake Michigan, the Planetarium and the Aquarium.  Then we found out where Ashley could get a Jonathan Toews tshirt as he is her favourite, and also from Winnipeg.  Then we found out where HARPO studios was!!! Yup, check this out...I went to HARPO! Well  the outside anyays, We didn’t see Oprrah but I picked up my darling niece or nephew an adorable bib!!!!  Pictures below...

 Hostel Welcome Wall

Panera Bread is the greatest thing ever. So Yummy!

 Lion and me!

 Oprah!

 This is my favourite musical! I've seen it twice...I want more!

The other Chicago baseball team.. White Sox!

We bussed back downtown and got our luggage and the car.  I really like Chicago. It is a really super clean city, crazy clean! And everyone was so friendly! And nice. We didn’t even ask for help and it was offered J   Then after a brief GPS issue, we met Ashley’s friend’s Christine and Frankie for lunch in Forest Park, Christine’s neck of the woods.  They were both culinary CPs (college program cast members) and worked the Epcot Food and Wine Festival 'Canada' booth with Ashley on her first contract. We went to a funky café where local artists work was on the walls and for sale.  I had a tofu veggie wrap – yum! 

We left Chicago towards Lafayette where we stopped by Purdue University! It was a spur of the moment thing but fun to see!  On our way through Indiana we noticed a freakishly HUGE amount of wind turbines..which I just googled and apparently are part of a Wind Farm. Who knew?...

We made our way through Indianapolis into Kentucky on our way to Louisville! We stayed overnight in Shephardsville which was right outside Louisville.  Once we arrived we sorted out what we were going to do in Florida so that was really good! I may have also thought we were going to get killed in this hotel (not based on reality whatsoever) but made Ashley share a bed with me! The joy of good friends :)

Disney Challenge Day 7: Favourite Disney Sidekick

My first thought was Lefou hands down.  He sings one of my favourite songs "Gaston" and is just hilarious.  Yes he is awful and mean and I'm sure there are plenty of really fantastic good sidekicks, but for me, Lefou is where it's at!

However then I thought about it a wee bit more, and realized that Jiminy Cricket is probably considered a sidekick.  He's dressed to the nines, and let's admit it, he's the concious we all need. I <3 Jiminy!

Disney Challenge Day 8: Favourite Disney Villain

My favourite Disney villain is tough. My favourite villain that I've interacted with is probably Captain Hook.  We went to the same villain stop a few days in a row trying to meet Hades, but we always missed him and ended up with Captain Hook..the same one of course. He recognized us and was pretty funny.  My favourite Disney Villain though has to be the most evil on of all (besides the Devil from Fantasia..he's just too creepy)... Maleficent! Everything she does is out of spite and her evil knows no bounds.  She isn't a joking, silly villain or a messed up, dufus villain - Maleficent is straight up evil.  

Also when I was younger I met her and it was so scary! She asked if I knew her name, which I only kind of knew how to say, so I mumbled, she told me to 'speak up!" and I guess I said it well enough because she allowed me to have her autograph.  It was freaky!