ACA-Chicago Conference

I headed to Chicago for the American Camp Association Mid-States conference and was able to visit some key locations in the area before the conference started and right before my flight home. The first and most important spot for me to visit was the statue of Michael Jordan outside the United Center. Jordan was the first player I truly followed and it all started with a colorful Skybox 1991 basketball card. My dad took me to a card show in Salt Lake and while looking at cards, this skybox card caught my attention. I did not really know who the guy was on the card but I just liked the design. When I purchased the card, the seller told me that was a smart choice and if you were going to collect anyone it should be his cards. I went on to buy several Jordan cards that day and went home and did my research and instantly became a fan. I went on to accumulate many Jordan cards and followed his career until his final retirement. To illustrate my devotion to him, my mom almost kicked me out of the house because I was going for him rather then the Jazz during the finals in the mid-90s. Funny story. So to wrap it up I had to get my picture with the iconic statue of the greatest player to ever and will ever play the game!

I swung by University of Illinois that has on their campus the first settlement home in the United States. It was here that Jane Addams created a social revolution. It was remarkable what she was able to accomplish and the impact she had on our society which does include my profession of wholesome leisure:)

I was also able to head down to the lake front where all of the museums, aquariums and sights to see were located. When I went to the science center they had a tribute to our cousin, James:) Just kidding but I did get a picture to show our name (Lovell) is famous.

At this same location is the famous and historic Soldier Field. It is now the home for Chicago Bears but it was also the birth place of the first special Olympics, the venue for several Army-Navy football games and multiple sporting events during the 1920s or otherwise known as the Golden Age of Sports and Leisure.

We hope as a family we get to go back to Chicago during the summer to visit Wrigley Field and also see the White Sox play (I don't care about the Cubs but they do have a historic must-see field). I also did not have enough time to get into the Field Museum that has the Ghost and the Darkness Lions that I really want to see among other historic artefacts. So there is lots to still see. Someday.