The annual business trip to Chicago is a long-anticipated event for not only the business department but the entirety of Jacksonville High School.  The itinerary consistently includes stops such as the Federal Reserve Bank and the Field Museum of Natural History, as well as the more classic tourist attractions like Navy Pier and the famed Michigan Avenue, filled with innumerable stores and restaurants and even more people.  This year was no different:  students and teachers were greeted with sights that are undoubtedly unique to the Windy City.

Starting the day off early, the three buses departed at 6:15 A.M.  The four-hour drive was nothing short of eventful (at least on Bus #2), full of the sounds of the plentiful stock of action movies that occupied the DVD player.

The stop at a McDonald’s in Dwight was efficient and quick, and the buses were back on the road in a little over thirty minutes, despite having to satisfy more than 150 people.

The skyline of the historic city broke the horizon much later than expected due to the heavy blanket of fog that separated the city and the anxious group.

The three buses bade each other farewell and parted, splitting up and heading in different directions to get through everything quicker.

The first stop for my group was the Fed.  All fifty of us filed off the bus and into the big, fancy entrance of the Bank.  This is not any ordinary bank, which was made very clear to us when we had to go through a metal detector to even get into the museum, and for good reason, too.  I was amazed by the sheer amount of money that we were surrounded by in the small space of the museum, ranging from historic and priceless bills to stacks of cash counting up to a million dollars.  After we finished exploring the wonders of the museum, one of the spokespeople for the Bank spoke to us about the importance of what the Bank does and how the economy is affected directly by what it does.

We all loaded back on to the bus and set off for our next stop.  It became clear that our experience with fog was not finished once we reached to coast of Lake Michigan.  If I hadn’t known better, it would have looked like a blank abyss of white.  The frosty waters blended perfectly with the pale, winter sky, creating an eerie sight for the onlooker.

Our time at Navy Pier was short but also refreshing and enjoyable due to the fresh, crisp air after spending so long on a bus as well as the many places to eat.  Despite the cold weather, students enjoyed the tourist atmosphere overlooking the lake and the variety of shops to visit inside the main building.

The Field Museum was our longest stop.  We roamed the corridors filled with artifacts and exhibits detailing life as early as millions of years ago.  The extensive dinosaur exhibit was my personal favorite, and the wax dinosaur machines were particularly popular among the many boys in my group.

The final stop on our trip was the Magnificent Mile.  Dropping us off at the Water Tower Place, students split up into groups with their friends and were set free on the city, permitted to go anywhere and do anything they like—as long as they were back in time to leave.

Dinner at Giordano’s was fairly simple and quick, by the city standard, and very delicious!  After we ate, we explored.  Strolling from store to store, shop to shop, we spent our money on a variety of unique and yummy things.  Rarely seeing anyone from our group, we were truly alone in the great city of Chicago, which was an excellent feeling.

After 6:45, funds exhausted and feet aching, we all loaded up for the last time, said goodbye to the incredible metropolis, and left.

The ride home went off without a hitch, other than the hour-long traffic jam that we endured in order to get out of the city and a short pit stop at a rest stop a few hours into the drive.  The buses arrived back at JHS just before midnight.  Students and teachers packed up their many purchases and headed home, ready for a long night full of well-earned sleep.  Thank goodness for Saturdays.