Chicago Kenny's Tours and Road Trips

06/16/2024

Today's Bear's Game is at Brookfield Zoo.

There's a rumor started by me, that photographer Haley Carney hopped the fence to get a closer shot.

02/16/2024

Currently reading this recent release.

Dive into the story of how railroad land at the nexus of the Chicago River and Lake Michigan was transformed into a commercial and residential high-rise enclave. 𝙁𝙧𝙤𝙢 𝙍𝙖𝙞𝙡𝙮𝙖𝙧𝙙𝙨 𝙩𝙤 𝙃𝙞𝙜𝙝-𝙍𝙞𝙨𝙚𝙨. Available now on Amazon. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CNDBH3T4

12/14/2023

Last night I made my annual pilgrimage to Chicago's Sauganash Neighborhood.

12/08/2023

Can you guess the name of this statue?

12/05/2023

From the glory days of Marshall Field & Company.

In late autumn a team of professional timber cruisers and a store representative would head to the forests around Lake Superior. Their task was to find a symmetrical balsam fir at least seventy feet tall. The top forty-eight feet would be lopped off and the branches tied back to prevent damage.

A bulldozer was required to clear a path through the forest, followed by a sled carrying the tree. The tree would arrive in Chicago on a Saturday night by train, and streets would be blocked off to facilitate the journey to the store.

The revolving doors at Randolph and State would be removed and once inside the tree would be hoisted seven floors through the lightwell, then moved to the Walnut Room where she would be erected by block and tackle. This process took about three hours.

Eighteen trimmers, some suspended by boatswain’s chairs freed the branches and decorated the tree with 1,500 ornaments and thousands of yards of lights, ribbons, and garland.

Three firemen were hired each year to watch over the five-story tall Great Christmas Tree.

12/04/2023

I bumped into Santa at Jimmie's Red Hots at Grand and Pulaski.

Out of respect, I kept the conversation short. I wouldn't want his fries from Jimmie's to get cold.

12/02/2023

I'm flipping a coin to decide on where to go to pick up dinner.

Heads = Brother in Laws for rib tips.
Tails = Brother in Laws for rib tips.

Heads it is!

I've been smelling the smoke and asking for extra napkins at this joint since the late 70s or early 80s.

Back then it was known as Fredine's.
Today, they are located on Chicago Avenue just west of Hamlin.

12/02/2023

Two Marathon Dancers at the White City Amusement Park in 1931. They danced a total of 1343 hours and the last 500 with no rest.

Why did they do it? This was a contest that 126 couples entered. It occurred during The Great Depression and the Grand Prize was $1,000. I believe every dancer was paid something to live off.

During the Depression, these contests were popular in big cities across the country. At one Marathon, nine couples were still dancing after 145 days! Of course, there was a system in place for taking breaks and sleeping. The dancers were fed eight times a day. A medical staff was present and needed as more than a few contestants were carried off on a stretcher.

The event's organizers usually made a hefty profit.

08/23/2023

Sorry Clemenza, I left the gun but did not take the cannoli. They had a slice of Tiramisu with my name on it.

Hanging out on Grand Avenue in Little Sicily. Neighborhood joints are my favorite.

The homemade bread turned my Italian sub into a great sammich. They hooked me up with mostaccioli and meatballs for tomorrow.
Life is good!

08/19/2023

That's a bold claim and doubt that many Chicagoans would agree.

I've entertained guests visiting our city from practically every nation in the world. Despite conducting my tours on land, I have always considered A Chicago Architectural Boat Tour as Chicago's #1 Experience.

I wish the Museum success and may someday pop in with my grandkids for a treat. Their claim takes Windy City bragging to a new level.

07/07/2023

Happy Fathered Day

Imagine listening to grown men brag about making women pregnant. Unfortunately, I’ve witnessed this notches-on-a-gun belt mentality many times in the Hood during my career as a street activist.

We have all heard Fathers talk up their children’s accomplishments in school and other walks of life. Feels good to be proud. But self-deception is rampant among those living in a world of drugs and gangs. They want to feel proud too. Some hang their hat on being a man because they can fight and the number of women they have known. Even harder to understand is some women look up to these guys for the same reasons.

I’ve heard the lost brag on street corners. At times, it’s subtle, or it can be outright chest-thumping, but the common denominator is the lack of financial help or any help for mother and child. You know, Dad stuff.

Once I listened to drug dealer Frank, just back from partying in Vegas, talk about eleven kids sired. I could see it in his eyes. Frank thought he was King Stud.

I could not let this twisted logic go, but I had to be careful. There are certain people you do not want mad at you. The answer? I played a dumb geek that’s not from the Neighborhood. “You have eleven kids? I could never remember all of their names! Me! Trying to remember eleven birthdays? Forget about it.”

I’m pretty good at playing a geek. I threw in a few more lines about Christmas gifts, homework, and bills and knew I had made my point, and Frank stopped feeling proud.

That encounter took place over ten years ago. By now, some of Frank’s kids are probably making kids. I know another man with eleven and many women with two to six. I’ve watched many grandparents struggle to raise abandoned children.

Angry at the deadbeats? Most of them are from single-family homes too. The dysfunction caused by the absence of Fathers has wreaked havoc on some families for three and four generations.

What can you do? The battle is for hearts and minds. Should a situation present itself, accept the challenge and mentor someone who needs it. Find and support organizations with boots on the ground working to make a difference. I’ve personally witnessed families being united and healed. Watching a grown man with tears in his eyes for the right reasons sure beats hearing him brag.

Happy Father's Day.

06/19/2023