Tour and Travel

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Chicago is one of the great cities of the world and one of my favourite destinations for long weekend getaways. Here you will find some useful information about this city that will enable you to plan your own escape to Chicago.

History

In 1673 French explorers Jacques Marquette and Louis Joliet passed through what is now Chicago. Chicago’s first European settler was Jean Baptiste Point du Sable, a fur trader from Santo Domingo of French-African descent. He built the first settlement in 1779 at the mouth of the Chicago River. The construction of the Illinois and Michigan Canal provided a connection between Chicago and the Mississippi and fueled population growth in the area in the 1830s. In 1837 Chicago was incorporated and had a population of 4,170. The city became a transportation hub in 1848 when the Illinois and Michigan Canal was completed and the first locomotive arrived. Chicago was also known for its stockyards which served the nation between 1865 and 1971.

On October 8, 1871 the Great Chicago Fire (supposedly started when a cow kicked over a lantern) started and claimed 300 lives, left 90,000 residents homeless and essentially destroyed the entire city. This turned into one of the greatest opportunities for rebuilding and within just a few years the entire city was reconstructed.

During the second half of the 19th century, the city’s growing industrial worker population campaigned for better working conditions, better wages and an eight-hour work day. There were several clashes between workers and the police, the most well known was the Haymarket Square Riot of 1886.

In 1893 Chicago hosted the World’s Columbian Exposition that attracted nearly 26 million visitor during its six-month run. In order to provide transportation to the fair, the Chicago Transit Authority introduced the first elevated trains to Chicago. Today the system’s “L” train encircles the city’s central business area, referred to as the “Loop”. Chicago’s cultural interests can be traced to this era, when its orchestra, library and major museums were established. In 1909 Daniel Burnham’s comprehensive city plan was published which provided an unobstructed lakefront, a citywide system of parks and a green belt of forest preserves.

Alternate periods of corruption and reform characterized the city’s political history in the early 20th century. In the summer of 1919 race riots erupted throughout the United States, the worst occurring in Chicago on July 27. The riots shocked the nation and prompted many to launch efforts toward racial equality through volunteer organizations and reform legislation. The prohibition era during the 1920s saw a lot of gang activity. Al Capone was the most well-known of gangsters. His illegal activities culminated in the Saint Valentine’s Day Massacre of 1929, a violent shootout to eliminate his competitors. He was convicted of income tax evasion in 1931, sentenced to 11 years in prison and was released on parole in 1939. Crippled by syphillis he spent the rest of his life in a mansion in Miami Beach, Florida.

In 1933 Chicago hosted the the World Fair, dubbed “A Century of Progress”, to show the technological accomplishments of civilization since the city was incorporated. The fair attracted 39 million visitors in a two-year period.

Richard J. Daley was elected Mayor of Chicago for the first of six times in 1955. For 21 years, Daley served “the city that works’. During his time in office, O’Hare International Airport (which became the world’s busiest) began operations, the Sears Tower (one of the world’s tallest buildings) was erected and McCormick Place Convention Center (the largest in North America) opened.

In 1976, Mayor Daley died in office. Since then, Chicago elected its first female mayor (Jane Byrne in 1979) and its first African American mayor (Harold Washington in 1983). In 1989, Mayor Richard M. Daley, son of Richard J. Daley, was elected mayor and still holds the position.

The city of Chicago has increased its exposure as a world-class city by hosting the World Cup Soccer Tournament in 1994, the Democratic National Convention in 1996, the International Pow Wow in 1998 and an International Millennium Celebration in 1999/2000.

Neighbourhoods

Chicago’s multicultural heritage is reflected in its neighbourhoods, which now attract thousands of visitors each year. It is home to nearly three million people from all over the world. People of African, Chinese, German, Greek, Vietnamese, Italian and Scandinavian descent are among those who have made Chicago their home. After Warsaw, Chicago has the second largest population of Polish people in the world.

Architecture

Chicago is the birthplace of modern architecture. From historic landmark buildings to contemporary masterpieces, Chicago is home to unique and innovative designs that have shaped American architecture. Chicago is a living museum of architecture, thanks to geniuses such as Daniel Burnham, Louis Sullivan, Frank Lloyd Wright, Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, Helmut Jahn, Frank Gehry and many others.

Museums

Chicago is world-renowned for its diverse collection of museums, which explore a variety of subjects, including Chicago history, art, African American culture, astronomy, natural history and more. The Museum Campus, located in Grant Park, features the John G. Schedd Aquarium, the Adler Planetarium and the Field Museum of Natural History. Other famous Chicago museums include the Chicago Historical Society, the Museum of Science and Industry, and the DuSable Museum of African-American History. Various ethnic groups, including the Mexican, Polish, Lithuanian, Swedish, Greek, Ukrainian and Jewish population, have their own museums, showcasing their history, art and costumes. The Museum of Contemporary Photography and the Museum of Holography will appeal to individuals with an interest in visual arts.

Tours

Chicago can be explored by foot, bus, bike, boat or plane and its famous landmarks can be discovered on land, river, lake or in the sky. The Chicago Architecture Foundation offers guided walking and river tours to explore the city’s unique architecture.

Taste

Chicago has thousands of restaurants serving a variety of culinary delights to suit every taste, every budget and every mood. Taste of Chicago is an annual festival featuring house specialties from dozens of the city’s restaurants. It is held during the last week of June and first week of July and attracts hundreds of thousands of culinary fans.

Shopping

Shopping in Chicago began on State Street, the center of the Loop. The original and flagship Marshall Field’s department store opened in 1852 on State Street. The famed “Magnificent Mile” that runs along Michigan Avenue from the Chicago River to Oak Street offers hundreds of specialty shops and boutiques presenting top-of-the-line goods from around the world. Oak Street features designs from Paris, Milan and Manhattan.

Family Entertainment

Navy Pier offers more than 50 acres of shops, restaurants, gardens and entertainment attractions. It holds a 15-story Ferris wheel, an IMAX theatre as well as the Chicago Children’s Museum. Kids on the Fly is a “satellite” Chicago Children’s Museum located at O’Hare International Airport that entertains and educates children during layovers or waiting times at the airport. The Children’s Zoo at the free admission Lincoln Park Zoo includes live animal presentations, a petting zoom, a zoo nursery and a hands-on learning center for kids.

Music

Chicago is one of the hot beds for jazz and blues. Jazz began to spread from the South between 1910 and 1920 and Chicago became the nation’s jazz center in the 1920s. “Chicago style” jazz also originated in the 1920s and during the 1930s, Benny Goodman, a one time child prodigy from a poor Chicago family, was established as the “King of Swing”. In the 1930s and 1940s blues eventually came north to Chicago and has remained a popular music genre ever since. Today the city features many jazz and blues venues and hosts a variety of music festivals throughout the year, including the the Chicago Jazz Festival, the Chicago Blues Festival, the Chicago Gospel Festival, the Chicago Country Music Festival, the “Viva Chicago” Latin Music Festival and the World Music Festival.

Chicago features 7300 acres of parkland, including 552 parks, 33 beaches, nine museums, two world-class conservatories, 16 historic lagoons, 10 bird and wildlife gardens. Historic Grant Park and newly created Millennium Park are among the most well-known of Chicago’s green spaces. Chicago also features 6 golf courses, 9 lakefront harbours, and a multitude of tennis courts for outdoor recreation. The waterfront trail along Lake Michigan’s shoreline is a mecca for joggers, bikers and in-line skaters.

Chicago is a big sports town and home to several professional sports teams, including the Chicago Bulls (basketball), the Chicago Bears (football), the Chicago Cubs (baseball), the Chicago White Sox (baseball), the Chicago Blackhawks (hockey) and the Chicago Wolves (semi-pro hockey). It holds historic sports venues such as Wrigley Field, Comisky Park – now known as US. Cellular Field, and Soldier Field.

Key Note’s fourth Market Assessment report on Men & Women’s Buying Habits shows fundamental shifts in the traditional balance of economic power between men and women. The impacts of both prolonged prosperity and the rise in the number of women entering the workplace have brought male dominance of big ticket consumer spending to a new tipping point. Similarly, the growth in Internet retailing has brought a reversal in the previous male dominance of this distribution chain. Key Note research indicates that women are now the leading Internet shoppers, in terms of both volume and value. Elsewhere in the economy, new developments i retailing and marketing are challenging those stereotypes that had influenced strategic thinking in retail.

The UK economy underwent a short, sharp shock in 2004, after interest rates rose. Consumers were forced to rethink outstanding credit arrangements and to rein in their spending. Consequently, consumer expenditure slowed in the latter half of 2004 and beginning of 2005 and the levels of savings began to rise again. Key Note research indicates that this shift in attitude was particularly significant among men who tend to carry higher levels of debt and to have more concerns about repayments. The underlying strength of the UK economy remains undisputed, as other key indicators of low unemployment and inflation do not fundamentally challenge the pattern of rising consumer expenditure set in the 1990s. Leisure and holiday markets continue to benefit from the rise in prosperity.

Other key demographic data are also of primary importance in considering gender differences in buying habits. This report highlights the rapid rise in employment among women. A far greater proportion of women are employed in less well-paid sectors, but women are making inroads in the higher echelons of business and as entrepreneurs. Of greater long-term significance is the gradual rise in women’s wealth. Disparity remains as far as rates of pay for men and women are concerned, but Key Note has identified trends and report findings that support the view that women are gaining a far greater share of the UK’s personal assets as a result of a wide range of factors most notably, early financial independence. The high cost of housing is beginning to have a major impact on young people’s spending patterns and longer-term financial planning in relation to gender. A far higher proportion of men remain in their parental homes for longer than women. These men might have higher disposable incomes for a period of time however, in broad terms, they lack the determination that many women have to set up independently and acquire their own assets at a young age.

Key markets reviewed on http://www.marketsensus.com show the following key trends: a more cautious pattern of consumer spending in the light of the recent corrections in interest rates and the housing market, and a consequent reluctance to spend on big-ticket items; and major alterations in patterns of distribution, e.g. the growing dominance of the supermarket retailers and increasing parity in patterns of demand between the sexes, which is paralleled by the rise of Internet retailing.

The car market, in common with many other markets, has entered a competitive period in which, although volume sales have increased, market values are declining as a result of high capacity, high levels of imports and market saturation. Women are still far more likely than men to live in households with no car, although the pattern is far more equal among younger men and women. Women’s increased earning power and rising economic wealth therefore make them of growing importance in expanding car manufacturers’ threatened sales targets.

The UK brown goods market shows a similar pattern of slow growth in 2005. Key sectors, such as flat-screen televisions and camcorders, are driving market sales. Competition in the market as a whole is ensuring radical changes in distribution. A high number of retail outlets are closing as a result of competition from supermarkets and the growing success of Internet retailing. Key Note research shows little variation in levels of brown goods ownership between the sexes, but one of the key factors in the success of supermarkets’ strategy of selling more electrical goods is the high number of women attracted to their simplicity and value-for-money approach, which contrasts with the fact that specialist retailers are often preferred by men.

The holiday market has been one of the greatest beneficiaries of new spending power. Despite the setbacks of natural disasters and terrorist attacks of recent years, the sector remains strong; expenditure and market volumes are expected to have risen over 2005. One of the biggest transformations in the market has been the impact of Internet sales, which are reported by some providers to account for up to a half of all bookings. The impact of the Internet, low-cost flights and the rise in independent travel are creating a revolution in the way in which consumers both perceive and purchase services. Key Note research clearly indicates that women are no longer playing second fiddle to men in browsing and buying on the Internet.

Several providers report that women now form the majority of online visitors and bookers.
Attitudes towards shopping are clearly also changing in line with changes in lifestyles and the increased possibilities of Internet and home shopping.

Key Note’s research for this report shows a reduction in the use of cars for shopping by both sexes and an increased alignment of shopping trips with patterns of work. There is evidence of a growing distribution made by both men and women of shopping for essentials and non-essentials. For the former, consumers now want efficient and quick solutions. For shopping for clothing and non-essential items, expectations are building for environments that entertain, inform and make a trip to a shop worthwhile. There is abundant evidence within the report of radically different approaches to shopping for non-essentials between men and women with men being much happier to go for the kill, whereas women are still far more inclined to value shopping as a social and therapeutic activity.

Different shopping environments and customer policies that accommodate different tastes of the sexes may have their place but today’s marketplace also demands a far more complex approach, which takes a much more varied customer base into account. For example, research from the US suggests that patterns of shopping behaviour between young men and women who have grown up in affluent households are becoming more similar (see Chapter 4 Buying Habits for further detail).
A growing gender convergence in patterns of employment is beginning to lead to more subtle marketing approaches and a rejection by consumers, and women in particular, of those marketing strategies that stereotype and do not acknowledge the massive societal changes that have been experienced as more women become workers as well as mothers.

Key Note highlights study findings that show an increasing dissatisfaction among women with advertisers’ representations of modern women. Gender complexity is the emerging trend in marketing to both men and women. Just as more younger men now shop more frequently, more women do not want to be characterised as domesticated shoppers even if their appetite for shopping remains as strong as ever.

The success of both the supermarkets and Internet retailers can be said to owe more than a little to a gender-free approach, where men and women are treated on a more equal basis. The growth in broadband access in UK homes will be a major driver of future UK sales growth. Key Note research indicates that women have now overtaken men as online shoppers and, by 2010, around 20% of UK shopping will be carried out online. Other significant findings include a focus on women’s growing independent wealth which will impact on the markets for luxury goods. Key Note’s consumer research for this report also offers extensive detail on different patterns of decision-making between the genders in terms of shopping, car use and home shopping and the remarkable rise in solo shopping for both men and women.

Do you have any idea what does the month of January mean to the boating industry? January is the start of the Boat Show season across North America.

To start off the boat show season, the Houston International Boat, Sport and Travel Show, happening January 7 – 16. The show is located at the Reliant Center in Houston, Texas.

I recently caught up with Lisa Dimond Vasquez, PR representative for the show and I had an opportunity to ask her a few questions about this years show;

1. What would you say is a must “how-to seminar” to take in during this year’s boat show?

Wow, that’s a tough question because all our how-to seminars are so informative. If you are looking for information on basic engine maintenance, you should check out David Whelan’s instruction on Mercury and Yanmar.

Or if you are looking for tips on fishing local waters, we have an abundance of instruction on all different types of fishing. If you are interested in getting your Captain’s license, we have instruction on that too. For more information, you can take a look at the Seminar Schedule.

2. What has always been or will be the “most popular exhibit”?

With more than 300 exhibits, it’s impossible to choose just the one most-popular. Our show is so diverse, as is our crowd, so there are many favorites.

You can find something for everyone here at the Houston International Boat, Sport and Travel Show.

3. In your opinion what’s the “number 1 attraction” of this year’s show?

Our #1 attraction this year will be the always-awesome Comic Bots comedy show – a completely unique interactive robot that sings, dances and entertains all ages. It’s definitely worth seeing.

4. What would be your most “frequently asked questions” about this year’s show?

One of our most frequently asked questions would be “what impact has the BP oil spill had on boating and fishing in Texas?” Our answer is a resounding “We’re still boating and fishing.” While there was much initial concern about the impact of the oil spill, particularly for those fishing guides who make their living on the water, fortunately, the spill never really reached the Texas coast. We really did not see any impact on boating or fishing along the Texas gulf coast.

5. What is “new” at this year’s show?

This year we will have a new experience called the Bubble Runners. It’s an opportunity for kids of all ages to climb inside a watertight “hamster ball” and skim across the water. Watching the kids roll and fall is a ton of fun for everyone.

Of course, there are always the newest models of boats and watercraft, the latest electronic gadgets and all kinds of exciting outdoor-related products.

Sounds like an awesome show this year Lisa, thanks for sharing some time with us.

The Houston International Boat, Sport and Travel Show, take in the experience January 7 – 16. For more information please check out our boating resource box below……..