The Chicago Traveler

Being an English major and eventually a writer and blogger, I have always had a fascination with words: how we use them, how we understand them,, etc. Sure, we Americans all speak English, but are we all saying the same thing?
I was shocked when I learned that many of the words I grew up with as a Chicagoan were not used by everyone in the U.S. Or, at least, not always in the same way. I touched on this a bit in my post about Chicago highways. Rather than call our local expressways by their route numbers, we refer to …read more

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It’s time to say good-bye to 2007. The year has treated me very well. I moved to a new apartment, did some traveling, and, best of all, began writing The Chicago Traveler! Many thanks to Mary Jo and everyone at b5media who has been so welcoming and helpful.
Even though The Chicago Traveler is only a few months old, let’s take a look back at the ten most popular articles of this year.
10. Abegweit. Resting peacefully on Lake Michigan, this beautiful ship was once the most powerful icebreaker in the world.
9. Let’s Boogie Records & Tapes. This music store on the …read more

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Even though I’ve lived in Chicago all my life, I have to admit that I haven’t done very much driving on the city’s interstate highways. That’s why I always have to “translate” directions from Chicago natives. Chicagoans do not call each of the seven major highways by their Interstate numbers. Instead, the roadways are known by various given names, completely confusing anyone not from the area.
For example, Interstate 90/94/190 is better known as “the Kennedy.” It runs east-west between the Circle Interchange (in downtown Chicago) and O’Hare International Airport. The CTA Blue Line train runs right down the middle of …read more

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