So driving to the quilt show in Rosemont (right next to Park Ridge) would be easy. We met at a local park and ride lot and off we went. I'm at the wheel as we go through Milwaukee, talking and laughing, down through Kenosha area and Racine....headed south. And then, suddenly, I was going toward Chicago on 94 - I forgot to merge right to get onto 294. Egads. After some quick discussion/planning I decided to just stay on the highway and then go west on 90 toward our destination. About 15 miles out of the way....but highway instead of stop lights and side streets. So we continue along and talk and laugh.....until I realize that there is no way to merge from 94 to go west on 90.... we are now heading east directly to downtown Chicago. In Chicago traffic.
Sigh. So we get off the highway, now following GPS directions, and circle back to get on 90 west. Ten minutes later we exit the highway and have no problem getting to the convention center - after all, this was my neighborhood growing up! I know how to get to River Road and go south to the show. We find a parking garage across the street, turn in, locate a space on 2D (which my friend writes on the parking ticket so we won't forget!) and we cross the road following signs to the quilt show. Passing over River Road on the covered walkway, make a few turns down hallways....always following the signs....then down the escalator to the ticket booths.
We spend happy hours exploring the quilt show....beautiful work, lots of great vendors, enjoy a quick lunch and then more wandering. A lovely day! By 3:00 we were all tired and ready to head for home.
If only we could find the car.
Evelyn knew where we needed to go. We thought we were re-tracing our steps....back over the road sheltered by the walkway. But when we tried to insert the parking ticket in the pay station it kept spitting back out with some kind of message like "Incorrect ticket"???? After trying several times we pressed the help button and a disembodied voice explained that since our parking ticket had a black arrow on it we were in the wrong garage. We had to go over to the one by the other big hotel across the street
So we tried to re-trace our steps.....back into an unfamiliar hotel lobby, where I went to talk to the bellman who pointed us in the right direction. Once again....the pay station would not accept our ticket or any of our credit cards. Oh my aching back. We approach another employee who looks at our ticket and says "Oh yes....you are looking for the Wilson Parking Garage." (Why wasn't that printed on the ticket?) He gave us directions to walk outside a few blocks, cross a few streets, turn a few corners...and yea! The correct parking garage.
We successfully insert the ticket, make the payment, take the pay stub and get on the elevator to the second floor. Pat knows exactly where we are going.....but we end up in 2C and there doesn't seem to be a 2D. I try making my car horn honk....no luck. We wander....oh my aching back. Finally Evelyn locates the car up 1/2 level and we all crawl in.
Now all we have to do is exit the parking garage, turn on River Road and get back on the highway leading to 294 (again, I've done this hundreds of times). Only we don't exit onto River Road....we come out of the garage on some little street I do not recognize at all. We are now following signs to 94/294/90 and somehow end up on the highway heading to O'Hare Airport! Once again we wander a little but follow Evelyn's GPS talking to us from her phone, turning and twisting and success! The big green sign says THIS WAY TO WISCONSIN.
And we made it - exhausted.....but all happily holding totes with some more fabric, some memories of amazing work on display and a nice day together.
Wandering with friends......I can think of much worse ways to spend a day.
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