MSP carpet. The design was commissioned specifically for the Minneapolis/St. Paul Airport.
This week, it felt good to be standing on MSP carpet after a long absence: I’d last seen the inside of an airport back in March 2020. It felt even better to be on an early morning flight to Chicago.
1. ‘L’ from Chicago Midway Airport to the Chicago Loop
From Chicago Midway Airport, I rode the ‘L’ to the south side of the Chicago loop.
Google tracked me. I rode the ‘L’, walked, and biked before taking the ‘L’ to Chicago O’Hare, northwest of Downtown, for the flight home that evening.
2. Walk: Loop and Riverwalk
The ‘L’ (‘Elevated) defines and borders the four sides of the business area of Chicago known as “The Loop.” Normally, when I visit Chicago, I like to explore some of the architecture. This time, though, I was on the move.I navigated through the Loop by combining parts of two “mural walks.” Here, Chicago’s Muddy Waters is sandwiched between Old Glory, and one of the Marshall Fields (now Macy’s) clocks.Beyond the loop, I reached the Chicago Riverwalk which I followed down-river to the Lakefront.
3. Cycle Lakefront
Chicago is an excellent beach city, at least in the warmer months. I pointed my phone at a barcode on a shared bicycle then cycled several miles north until I suddenly felt really hungry.
4. Lunch
Lake fish and fries, washed down with a local IPA, sitting at a beach bar. Life’s good.
5. Cycle to ‘L’
After lunch, I undocked another shared bicycle and headed away from the lake to an ‘L’ station. Here, I dropped off the bike.
6. Ride ‘L’ Back to Downtown
The ‘L’ is easy to ride. I just placed my phone on a panel at the barrier, and Google Pay did the rest.
7. Cycle
Once back Downtown, I picked up another bicycle which I rode several miles northwest on Milwaukee Avenue. I chose this route because there’s barriers between the cycle lane and the busy road. Eventually, I reached the 606, Chicago’s High Line. This elevated trail is constructed on a former railroad bed, and provides excellent rooftop views.
8. Ride ‘L’ to O’Hare
The route that I cycled closely follows the ‘L’ Blue Line, which terminates at O’Hare Airport. When the time came to start the journey home, I docked the bike then rode the ‘L’ to the airport.
I’m grateful for doing normal things like taking a plane and exploring a city. However, we’re still not living in normal times.
