Route 66 Blog Day 1

This will have to be a quick post this morning, as, after being up for 25 hours yesterday, there quite literally are not enough hours in a day.

After arriving in Chicago late yesterday afternoon, my wife and I dismissed the temptation to take a quick nap, and headed straight out to the Uptown district

for an Italian meal and a visit to The Green Mill, an historic cocktail lounge, jazz and dancing club.

The bar, was apparently, a favourite haunt of the notorious mobster Al Capone. We were told that his favourite booth gave him a view of both the front and back doors of the club to facilitate his escape from the police raids.

But we weren't there to dwell too much on the Capone story. Our aim was to hear some local live music and watch some very stylish dancing. The place didn't disappoint. It was so atmospheric, and although the Joplinesque Ragtime music genre is not one I am over familiar with, just seeing local music played by live musicians in the city where the style became famous, is always interesting to me.

Ten years or so ago, we visited New Orleans, and was blown away by the style of jazz music that was played all over the city, almost on every street corner. I got that same feeling here, as I did back then.

Off this morning for an architectural tour by boat in the downtown district. The best way to see the city for those that have a limited time frame, we have been told.

As Frank Sinatra once warbled I 'm off to find out if "Chicago Is My Kind Of Town"

Playlist for today:

Meet me in Chicago: Buddy Guy

Tonight, Tonight : Smashing Pumpkins

Sweet Home Chicago: Robert Johnson