The Chicago Traveler and all of us here at b5media would like to wish all of you a very Merry Christmas. May you find joy and happiness this holiday season and all year round.
Photo credit: (c/o Flickr) circulating
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Santa’s on his way! Have you been naughty or nice? When I was a kid, I would often be so excited about Santa’s arrival that I couldn’t sleep. And then I’d be worried that he passed me by already because I wasn’t sleeping!
Now, with modern technology and the help of NORAD, you can find out exactly when Santa will be coming to Chicago. Check out NORAD Tracks Santa 2007, and you’ll know just the right time to set out the milk and cookies.
Photo credit: Steve Woods, NORAD Tracks Santa
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As I mentioned yesterday, I love seeing the city decked out in lights this time of year. Here are just a few examples of what I mean:
Under a Blanket of Lights
Merry Christmas from the Wrigley Building
Navy Pier at Christmas
Daley Plaza tree
Photo credit: (c/o Flickr) www.richardcawood.com, circulating (1, 2), kellyhafermann
One of my favorite things about this time of year is seeing all the beautiful holiday displays around the city. Not only do people dress up their homes, but many of the city’s attractions are stunningly dressed in lights. You can’t help but get in the holiday spirit when seeing these twinkling lights.
• Brookfield Zoo: Want to see some real reindeer? Get up early on Saturday or Sunday, and you and the kids can have breakfast with Santa at the Brookfield Zoo. After your meal, say hello to the animals, including the reindeer, polar bears, and penguins. At night, the …read more
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In honor of the holiday season, today’s Friday Film is a Christmas Classic: National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation. This 1989 comedy was the third installment of the National Lampoon Vacation series.
National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation (1989)
Directed by:
Jeremiah Chechik
Produced by:
John Hughes
Matty Simmons
Starring:
Chevy Chase
Beverly D’Angelo
Juliette Lewis
Johnny Galecki
John Randolph
Diane Ladd
Distributed by:
Warner Bros.
All Movie Guide
IMDb
Amazon.com
Chicagoan Clark Griswold (Chevy Chase) trips, falls, and continually injures himself while decorating his house and preparing for his visiting relatives, but he still manages to keep his incredible holiday spirit. He is determined to have the perfect Christmas with his family, his wife’s parents, his own parents, and his slightly offbeat …read more
• 2007 has been one crazy year. Alberto Gonzalez, Blackwater, Michael Vick, Miss Teen South Carolina, and look! It’s OJ again! “Uh-Oh”7: The Year in Revue at Donny’s Skybox Theatre takes a satirical look at the names and events that made this year unique. (Dec 21, 28)
• Friday is National Burger Day! Join the folks at Silver Cloud Bar & Grill, and enjoy their specialty menu which includes the chili burger (chili, sour cream, cheddar, and red onions), southwest burger (blackened burger with avocado, jalapenos, cheddar, and cumin mayo), the burger of champions (fried egg, bacon, and cheddar), and more. …read more
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Do you love a man in uniform? Do you love a man out of uniform?
The 2008 Chicago Firefighter Calendar is now on sale, and it features 12 local firemen and their stories. All proceeds go to the Ignite the Spirit Fund, dedicated to Chicago firefighters and their families in times of need. Supporting this fund helps give back to these community heroes who do so much for us.
If you’re interested in meeting some of these handsome gentlemen in person, stop by the 4th Annual Christmas Party Toy Drive. Benefiting local children’s hospitals, this toy drive has been successful in …read more
My cooking skills are limited to tuna sandwiches and grilled cheeses. Fortunately, for the holidays, I have a rather large family full of talented cooks who make a great Christmas dinner. However, if you’d rather eat out and let the professionals handle the kitchen heat, here’s a list of Chicago restaurants that will be open for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.
Christmas Eve
• Deleece: The popular Lakeview restaurant will serve up a four-course family-style meal along with its regular menu. (5:30 p.m. – 10:00 p.m., $35) link
• Cyrano’s Bistrot and Wine Bar: The prix-fixe here includes dishes like roasted goose …read more
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• Follow a trail of flour, chalk, and toilet paper on the Sixth Annual Great Chicago Anthrax Scare/Santa Hat Run. This four-mile run (for $44) includes a Santa cap, a hazmat suit, and four hours of food and open bar with the Chicago Hash House Harriers afterward. Meet at the Hidden Shamrock by 2 p.m. (Dec 15)
• Aunt Mabel gave you an ugly-as-sin holiday sweater last year. Here’s your opportunity to finally enjoy it. The Second Annual Fugly Sweater Bar Crawl begins at Blarney Stone at 2 p.m. and makes its way through Wrigleyville ‘til 12 midnight. Call for details …read more
You know Dasher, and Dancer, and Prancer, and Vixen,
Comet, and Cupid, and Donder, and Blitzen
But do you recall
the most famous reindeer of all?
The beloved Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer may reside at the North Pole now, but he was originally a Chicagoan!
The Chicago-based Montgomery Ward company (the very first office was at the corner of Clark and Kinzie Streets) had been buying and giving away coloring books for Christmas every year, and it was decided that creating their own book would save money. So in 1939, Robert L. May was assigned to come up with a Christmas story they could give …read more
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