Kelly & Ponce hit up Chicago!

Miles traveled: 743.5 miles by car and foot.

Total miles traveled by Ponce: 743.5

Longitude: -87.63721

Latitude: 41.92084

Heading home on I-57!

This weekend Kelly and I, Ponce, took a fabulous trip to her favorite pizza place in the world which is located in the greatest city in the world (obviously, this is all based on her opinion, but I'm not disagreeing...). First, we did our long trek to her house in Glen Ellyn, Illinois, which is a west suburb of Chicago. Once we arrived, we were exhausted and went immediately to sleep. The next day, Kelly, her brother, and I got in the car and headed to Chicago Pizza and Oven Grinders!

Front of the menu.

I know what you're thinking, why did she bring me to a pizza place? How is this place significant? Not only is the food in this Italian pizzeria amazing (I should know, I had some!), but this house is part of history. Chicago Pizza and Oven Grinders, located at 2121 N Clark, Chicago, was one of two important locations during the Saint Valentine's Day Massacre, which occurred at 2122 N Clark (right across the street). Seven mob associates were killed in a warehouse at 2122 N Clark on February 14th,1929. The house that stood at 2121 N Clark (present day Chicago Pizza and Oven Grinders) served as a lookout for Al Capone's men during the massacre. This incident was organized by Al Capone to kill off opposing prohibition mobsters ran by Bugs Moran. Al Capone ran the South Side Italian mob and Bugs Moran ran the North Side Irish mob. This was all part of Capone's ongoing battle to control Chicago and alcohol distribution during prohibition.

Outside the old lookout house.

Alright, so enough about the history of the place. First off I'd like to say I got a first hand look at the world famous Chicago traffic when we headed downtown, as we were stuck in it for probably 30 minutes. We can blame all the Cubs fans and music festival goers who were all heading to Chicago the same time as us, at least that is what Kelly kept saying (don't they know we had history to document for school!?). When we got to the pizza place, I was amazed to see that there was a spot LITERALLY out front (a rare find in Chicago I heard, especially on a holiday weekend). The wait for the pizza place was 30 minutes and the owner doesn't take names 'only remembers faces' (he's really good at it too!). I thought for sure he would remember my face, as I was the only dog there. :) Since it was a beautiful day, Kelly, her brother, and I strolled up and down Clark in the beautiful sunshine. We also had to run into a Walgreens to get money, since Kelly forgot the pizza place only accepts cash. Thank gosh we only had to walk 3 blocks, but I enjoyed the nice walk. Once we walked back, the street was filled with people, as it was when we got there. We finally got our table and ordered our pizza, which either comes in 1/2 pound or 1 pound pizzas. They're made inside a bowl, which when ready are brought to your table and flipped onto your plate! It was truly delicious. During your meal you can read about the history of Chicago Pizza and Oven Grinders, which talks about the massacre. It is located on each one of the menus.

The CPOG Story that talks about the massacre.

Once the dining experience was over, we were headed home. Kelly decided to take Lake Shore Drive so I could see some of her other favorite aspects of Chicago, including North Ave Beach, Oak Street Beach, Lake Michigan, John Handcock Center, the Willis Tower (apparently it is actually the Sears tower...at least that is what Kelly said), and Buckingham Fountain. Kelly asked her brother to take pictures of me with the towers in the background, but he isn't exactly a team player. :( However, I had a great time with Kelly this weekend. The pizza was a nice break from my typical Iams meals, since I am a dog. :) I also enjoyed learning about a part of Chicago history, seeing the sights, and I actually think Al Capone is a pretty cool dude!

Nom nom nom nom!

Pedro and Drew at the Saint Louis Zoo

Total Miles:  traveled 278.4 miles by car

Total Miles Traveled by Pedro (including this trip):  278.4

Latitude:  38.6355 degrees north

Longitude:  90.2905 degrees west

Being a dog famous for exploring the United States of America, I, Pedro, am often asked what I do on specific holidays.  After all, every day is a vacation for me, so why should one day differ from any of the other 365 (or 366) days of the year?  On Labor Day, my friend Drew, his family, and I went on a trip to the Saint Louis Zoo in St. Louis, Missouri.  Why, you ask?  Well, it makes perfect sense to me; Labor Day is the one day of the year that has historically been used to celebrate the workforce, and in the animal kingdom there are few harder workers than the antelopes, bears, cats, dogs, primates, sea lions that proliferate the many zoos found across the country and around the world.  I myself can barely tolerate being carried around by a single individual, so I’m astounded by their ability to put up with crowds of men, women, and children gawking at their every motion.

 When we finally arrived at the zoo (I thought we would never make it through all of the road construction and traffic), I was so excited that I just had to have Drew pose with me in front of the sign for the Saint Louis Zoo.  Did you know that the Saint Louis Zoo is revered for its animal management and research?  The zoo is more than just a world-renowned establishment, though; it is a world-renowned establishment that is free to visit.  Can you believe that?  I can’t even get a single Milk-Bone for free, but I can observe over 18,000 animals in accurate recreations of their natural habitats for a price that is less than what it costs to buy a gumball.  

The only shortcoming of my trip to the zoo was all of the walking that the excursion entailed.  Walking to the zoo from the parking lot was a hike in itself, and then we had to walk even more once we were inside the park; I don’t think my paws have ever felt so sore after a day’s jaunt!  The animals seemed pretty tired, too.  Have you ever seen a sleeping cheetah?  It turns out the only thing greater than its speed is its ability to rest amidst holiday traffic!  Maybe it and the other animals were also taking the day off for Labor Day.

When my stubby legs weren’t being exhausted, my brain was on the receiving end of fatigue as each exhibit contained pages of information about the many species on display at the Saint Louis Zoo; each cage was adorned by a sign detailing a given animal, its unique characteristics, and an outline of the country that the creature can be found in.  I have to admit that I’m more than a little glad that lions aren’t found in North America.  If I can’t even outrun an ice cream truck, how can I be expected to outrun a ferocious feline?  The only cats I have to deal with here are more concerned with maintaining their fur than with chasing innocent canines. 

After a long day of walking, pawing, and barking at stray peacocks (how does such a big bird always manage to escape its cage?), the family and I returned to their vehicle to return to Southern Illinois.  Spending my day at the Saint Louis Zoo really helped me appreciate my relative freedom; I get to travel all over the country while these animals can only lounge in ecosystems that have been artificially designed to look like places from all over the world.  It dampened my spirits, but overall I still had a great time learning about the many different animals that inhabit this beautiful planet.

Krista and Sir Francis go to Millstone Bluff Archaeological Area

Latitude: 37º 27.995 N

Longitude:  88º 41.264 W

Total Miles: traveled 94.16 by car and 1 mile on foot and paws

            Krista Brouwer and I, Sir Francis, went to Millstone Bluff Archaeological Area located in the Shawnee National Forest in Robbs, Illinois on August 24, 2013.  This is off the Vienna I-57 exit in Southern Illinois and is located right on Route 147.  There is a visitor’s sign right at the entrance, so be sure to look for this if you go and visit.  We had a great time (even though it has hot and buggy) as we learned information about the Mississippian and Woodland Indians through the interpretive signs along the trail.  This historical site is protected by the U.S. Department of Agriculture because of the rare artifacts that have been found there.  The reason it is called “Millstone Bluff” is because that is what the local people, who settled here around one-hundred years ago, called the area.  They came here and created large millstones using the surrounding sandstone to grind their grain.  I had Krista take a picture of me sitting on top of the large stone circle that is a millstone.

             One of the first things we saw on the trail was evidence of an old stone wall.  So far, archaeologists have discovered ten of these “stone forts” in the Southern Illinois region, indicating that there were conflicts among the Woodland Indians in the area.  There are also visible signs of a community burial area, which you can see here in the picture that has the rectangular-stone outline coming up from the ground.  Krista thought it was cool, but I thought it was a bit spooky!  Unfortunately, this community cemetery has been raided by looters and those seeking to find Indian artifacts.  This is very inappropriate behavior.  How would you feel if someone stole something from your loved one’s grave?

            Petroglyphs are carved into the rocks in a central location.  Several of these stone-carved pictures are of animals.  Indians highly revered animals as their equals and believed many of them to be spiritual.  The picture with me and a stone with lines carved in it is an actual carving of a Thunderbird.  The Thunderbird is a legendary creature embraced by many North American natives that is supposed to have magical powers.  Boys and girls, it is extremely important that if you go to visit Millstone Bluff that you do not disturb these rocks that have the petroglyph carvings or any other artifacts that are there.  You can do this by simply staying of the trail. 

            Krista and I continued up a small incline where we found evidence of the Indians’ individual homes and a community gathering area.  You might wonder how historians know this.  Historians believe Mississippian homes were built in a rectangular fashion; however, after hundreds of years of decay, a circular-like divot was formed.  When archaeologists find several divots about the same size, in the same area, this is a clue that they may have run across an old Indian Village.  Because community gatherings were, and still are, an important part of any culture, archaeologists many times find evidence of large clearings with larger divots than that of individual homes.  Many times there was a large clearing for outdoor community gatherings and another large area for a community building where special meetings could take place.   These community areas are usually in a central location, with evidence of smaller ground impressions surrounding it.  Do you know of a building in your community where people gather for meetings?  What kinds of decisions are made there?  

            Krista and I ended our hike by reading the last interpretive sign that has a quote by Abraham Lincoln.  It reads, “A country with no regards for its past has little to remember in its future.”  What do you think this means and why would historians feel that this is an important to quote to end the trail with?  Krista and I talked about it, and we think it means that the past, present, and future are all very closely linked.  Learning about those in the past help all of us make decisions about what we do today.  When today becomes the past tomorrow, what will we have learned that helps us make better and smarter decisions to make the world a better place tomorrow? 

Welcome!

Welcome to CI 424.  Join us as our class travels around the midwest.