Chicago: August 2001

August 2001:
Hotel: Omni Chicago Link to my review
Restaurants: Topolobampo Link to my review
Brasserie Jo Link to my review

Sights: Navy Pier, Art Institute, Shedd Aquarium, Field Museum of Natural History, Sears Tower, Museum of Science and Industry

Chicago: Omni Chicago (August 2001)

My spouse and I stayed at the Omni Chicago for three nights in mid-August 2001. (We stayed at this property for a second time in early-June 2003.) The Omni Chicago Hotel is located at the center of Chicago’s most prestigious neighborhood, 3 blocks from the shores of Lake Michigan and around the corner from St. James Cathedral. The Museum of Contemporary Art is a 5-minute walk, and the "L" train stop is at Chicago and State, 4 blocks away. This property claims to be the only all-suite luxury accommodations on Michigan Avenue. The hotel features 347 all-suite guest rooms, an indoor swimming pool, two outdoor sundecks on the fifth floor, a spa, and a rooftop garden. Private suites are approximately 400 square feet and include an elegant parlor separated by classic French doors, two telephones, two televisions. The 676 Restaurant and Bar is an American bistro overlooking Michigan Avenue that serves comfort food.

I stayed here in August of 2001, and have a reservation for June of 2003. I really liked the hotel and thought the rooms were quite luxurious. I did encounter one minor problem with my room, however. The Omni Chicago claims to be an all-suite hotel (with a separate bedroom closed off by French doors and a pull-out sofa in the living area), but the first room I was given was not a suite, although it was decorated quite nicely and had good amenities. After calling the front desk to complain, I was upgraded to some sort of high-end suite that not only had a separate living room and bedroom, but also a dining room with table seating for six. It was also a corner room, so it had long walls of windows on two sides. What a bonus! If you have an Omni Select Guest upgrade coupon, I highly recommend using it at this hotel because the differences in the rooms were tremendous. The indoor pool and outdoor sundecks were nice. I didn't try the restaurants. The location is superb, although I didn't find many restaurants within view, and none within walking distance that were serving past 10 pm (Chicago definitely isn't New York). The only inconvenience for this hotel is that the lobby isn't on the ground level as you enter from Michigan Avenue--you must take an elevator up either one or two floors (I don't recall), and after checking in, you need to take yet another set of elevators to reach the room. I wasn't bothered by this, and obviously liked the hotel or I wouldn't be staying there again. If it's good enough for Oprah (all her guests stay here), it's good enough for me!

Theatre: Noah at Millennium Theater (August 2001)

Sight & Sound’s unique theater experience begins with a 2,000 seat auditorium, a 300-foott stage that surrounds the audience on three sides, state-of-the-art technology, and live animals. Each production is intricately created—from the finely-stitched costumes to the grand staging of massive sets. Meticulous attention is given to every detail as they magnificently come together to transport you right into the heart of the story. Music at Sight & Sound takes its cue from musical theater and the cinema. Original scores are composed and recorded utilizing world-class orchestras from across the globe, while every lyric and accompanying vocal is delivered live from the stage.

Sight & Sound’s entertainment is designed to be universally appealing—regardless of age, life experience, or previous exposure to the Bible. As a family-owned, family-led company, our desire is to see families and friends come together for a shared experience that leaves them with a lifetime memory. Our vision is to bring the Bible to life through who we are and what we do. While we love staging these stories, we are even more passionate about living out their truths. From greeting guests to creating shows, we strive every day to embody our mission of presenting the gospel – both in front of and behind the curtain.

Growing up on a dairy farm in rural Lancaster County, our founder Glenn Eshelman was so inspired by the beauty of the world around him that he began painting landscapes as a boy. As he grew up, Glenn continued to pursue his artistic interests, eventually buying a camera to take reference photos for his paintings. Photography quickly became his passion. After marrying his wife, Shirley, Glenn sold his artwork out of the trunk of his car to make ends meet. But in 1964, his side show became the main act. After presenting his scenic photography at a local church using a slide projector, a turntable for musical underscore and a microphone for narration, the audience response was overwhelming. This first unofficial “Sight & Sound” show became a humble success. By the mid-1970s, Glenn and Shirley were taking their multimedia presentations to audiences all around the United States. This popularity gave way to a permanent home for their productions, and in 1976, the Living Waters Theatre opened for business. It was here that Sight & Sound Theatres was born.

Over time, more live theatrical elements were added to the shows, and in 1987, our first complete, full-length Biblical production debuted: Behold the Lamb. In just a few short years, we outgrew the Living Waters Theatre, and the realization of a new dream began: a larger, better-equipped facility on a plot of land just across the cornfield. In 1991, the Entertainment Centre opened to rave reviews. But no journey is without its trials. On a cold January morning in 1997, billowing black smoke filled the Lancaster County sky as a devastating fire destroyed the six-year-old Entertainment Centre. For a moment, the future seemed uncertain and the road ahead unclear. But Glenn and Shirley would not give up on their vision. Just 18 months later, the construction of a brand new building was complete. This new 2,000-seat, state-of-the-art theater featured a massive, 300-foot panoramic stage that wrapped around the audience, with the ability to house sets four stories tall. The first show to take the stage was Sight & Sound’s signature production — Noah. Audiences gasped as they were immersed in a spectacular ark full of animals that surrounded them on three sides.

Today, with a decade of operating two theaters, producing and premiering a brand new show every other year and designing each production to travel between Lancaster and Branson, we are slowly honing our craft of taking stories from the pages of Scripture and bringing them to life on stage. What began with a dairy farmer, his wife, a few slide projectors, a passion for creativity and a desire to serve God, grew into the Sight & Sound Theatres we know today—the nation’s largest organization of its kind, and one of the top three theater destinations in the country. We are humbled by this success and grateful to remain a family-owned business, led by the next generation of the Eshelman family with a passionately committed team of 600 employees.’

In the Abrahamic religions, Noah was the tenth and last of the pre-Flood Patriarchs. The story of Noah's Ark is told in the Bible's Genesis flood narrative. The biblical account is followed by the story of the Curse of Ham.

The Genesis flood narrative is one of many flood myths found in human cultures, indicates that God intended to return the Earth to its pre-Creation state of watery chaos by flooding the Earth because of humanity's misdeeds and then remake it using the microcosm of Noah's ark. Thus, the flood was no ordinary overflow but a reversal of creation. The narrative discusses the evil of mankind that moved God to destroy the world by the way of the flood, the preparation of the ark for certain animals, Noah, and his family, and God's guarantee (the Noahic Covenant) for the continued existence of life under the promise that he would never send another flood.

Chicago: Topolobampo (August 2001)

My spouse and I dined for dinner at Topolobampo in mid-August 2001 with another couple. Topolobampo is located on Clark Street, just south of Illinois Avenue, in Chicago’s River North neighborhood. Rick and Deann Bayless opened Topolobampo in 1989, a few years after opening Frontera Grill. The two restaurants were designed to have the same front door, but that would be one of the few things they would share. If Frontera Grill rocks and claps, Topolobampo slinks. She is the quiet, sleek, classy sister. She’s also the more daring one. Topolobampo’s food has always been contemporary, and it becomes more so every year. Now almost 25 years old, our menu is divided not into appetizers and entrees but rather into categories like “soulful,” “vibrant” and “luxurious.” You can have all of those experiences, or you can choose just one. At Topolobampo, we don’t dictate what kind of experience you have, so long as you have a good one. Topolobampo’s dishes are organized under eight categories, such as “vibrant,” “soulful” and “enchanting.” Guests choose from these categories to create their own three-, five-, or seven-course tasting menus. A fourth option, The Perfect Seven, gives guests a seven-course meal chosen by the chefs.

Chicago: Brasserie Jo (August 2001)

My spouse and I dined for dinner at Brasserie Jo in mid-August 2001. Brasserie Jo is located near Dearborn and Hubbard Streets in the Near North neighborhood of Chicago. Another location of Brasserie Jo is in Boston.

Lancaster: Historic Strasburg Inn in Washington House Restaurant/Henry Bear Room (August 2001)

Centrally located in the heart of Pennsylvania’s Dutch Country, the Historic Strasburg Inn's beautiful setting captures the spirit of Lancaster County. Enjoy the quaintness of a bed and breakfast with the services and amenities of an historic inn. Along with accommodations, the Historic Strasburg Inn also has an acclaimed on-site restaurant for hotel guests and others traveling in this area. This casual dining location is called the Henry Bear Room, and it has a typical dining area, as well as high-top bar tables and a bar area. The inside of this restaurant has two working fireplaces, and guests can also enjoy meals and drinks on the deck, when the weather permits. The Bear Room commemorates Henry Bear, owner of the tavern in 1954. In every room of the restaurant, patrons enjoy candlelight dining with service provided by colonially-garbed waitstaff. The olonial country cuisine is recreated by the chefs at the Inn. (A funny memory is when asked if we wanted bottled regular or sparkling water, we responded by saying that tap water was fine, and they told us that they didn't have tap water!)