Another day, another experience. This time, it's driving in downtown Chicago. I have to say this... If you don't have a map with you and you are relying only on the NeverLost? DON'T! Why you may ask...
Well, you get lost, wrong turning and most importantly, the satellites don't seem to work in downtown Chicago. It took me a few wrong turns, some waiting on the side with hazard lights on, and also a "dead" engine at a traffic stop. Let see now, in the ideal world, you get your directions before you leave the car park (even if it's a building instead of wide open spaces)... Reality is that the car park blocks the acquisition of satellites.
In the ideal world, when you start the selection of destination, the calculation of route will be instaneous and the acquisition of satellite would be instaneous as well. Instead, you circle/drive aimlessly just hoping that the acquisition will complete and let you know where you should be heading.
Ok, if you are in a constant movement and the GPS does not seems to work well, then in the ideal world, you will pull up by the side and let the GPS acquire it's position and route it immediately. Reality is that... Well... You see the GPS searching and searching for satellite and even if it seems that it can find 2 satellites, the number can suddenly dropped to 0 - none. Thus making you having a frustration time not knowing where/what to do...
In the ideal world, your GPS will work fine, be to give you pinpoint accuracy... Welcome to the real world - your GPS can have fatal error and shutdown itself, leaving you not knowing what to do next and well, driving on the road trying to come to terms with the fact that you have no idea where you are and where you are to head!!! Mind you, it does not reset - it shutdown... So you had to stop the car, turn off the engine and try starting it again. Situation is, if you had been driving a manual car, it works fine. For an automatic, you need to place your gear into Parking mode, and then try starting the engine again - now the question is, if you are already panicking, how would you remember that you have to place it, at least, in neutral gear? Thus causing you to panic more because the engine refuses to start!!
Well, whatever, I am finally glad I am back safely at the hotel. The sad thing about this is that you know that you will have some difficulty in driving in downtown Chicago, but you can't do much about it as the train service only runs in every 2 hours and the last train is at 10.30pm???
Anyway, enough of the ranting there... Had quite an interesting afternoon at the Shedd Aquarium. Took quite a fair bit of photos of fishes and crabs. They happened to have a crab exhibition there, along with the aquarium, oceanarium and wild reef. They has this area (theatre) where they have daily dolphin (Pacific bluefin) shows, which lookout toward Lake Michigan. Nice...
After that, I took this 30 mins skyline boat tour. No idea why I did that, but well, I guess I had time to spare. Despite the warm weather, the wind turns a bit cold when it's further out into the lake - it was the coldest when the boat went near the lighthouse. Interestingly, Lake Michigan is freshwater and supplies water to Chicago. But what is the lighthouse doing in a lake???
Then it was a half hour sitting by the Lake, looking at what some of them are fishing. Apparently you can catch perch in Lake Michigan, at least that's what I was told by one of them there. Kind of interesting to find them throwing out their line trying to catch fish and then seeing different type of boats moving pass the area. But I have to say there are perch out there alright... There was even a kid fishing there with his father and he caught some...
Finally, time to head for Hard Rock, getting the shot glass for Mr. TehPeng. Thought I might as well have my dinner there... Well, it was not to be... They were close for some private party. So I bought the shot glass and then started to walk around to see what's there to eat around that vicinity. Nearly wanted to have it at the corner restaurant in the building that I parked. However, I saw another restaurant a few lots away and sounded interesting... So went to have a look.
It was a restaurant whose cuisine is fondue! Yep, you heard me right. Fondue. So decided to try it out. Boy, that was a treat... Had cheese fondue as an appetizer, followed by California salad, an entree of different meats, seafood and vegetables - which you cook it in the pot as well, and finally chocolate fondue for dessert!!! Took the pure dark chocolate which was so yummy... But boy was I stuffed! Even now, as I was typing this blog, the feeling is I have from my stomach is that I have been a big glutton!!!!
Oh well... Another day is gone. Back to office tomorrow.... Hmmm... Wonder what is install for me this week.... Oh yeah... Hopefully next time I won't have to drive in downtown Chicago again!!!
Oh... And for those interested in Blues music... They just had a hugh bluesfest in downtown Chicago in Millennium Park. So hugh that they had to close some roads for this.... But too bad, I am not a blues fan.
Well, you get lost, wrong turning and most importantly, the satellites don't seem to work in downtown Chicago. It took me a few wrong turns, some waiting on the side with hazard lights on, and also a "dead" engine at a traffic stop. Let see now, in the ideal world, you get your directions before you leave the car park (even if it's a building instead of wide open spaces)... Reality is that the car park blocks the acquisition of satellites.
In the ideal world, when you start the selection of destination, the calculation of route will be instaneous and the acquisition of satellite would be instaneous as well. Instead, you circle/drive aimlessly just hoping that the acquisition will complete and let you know where you should be heading.
Ok, if you are in a constant movement and the GPS does not seems to work well, then in the ideal world, you will pull up by the side and let the GPS acquire it's position and route it immediately. Reality is that... Well... You see the GPS searching and searching for satellite and even if it seems that it can find 2 satellites, the number can suddenly dropped to 0 - none. Thus making you having a frustration time not knowing where/what to do...
In the ideal world, your GPS will work fine, be to give you pinpoint accuracy... Welcome to the real world - your GPS can have fatal error and shutdown itself, leaving you not knowing what to do next and well, driving on the road trying to come to terms with the fact that you have no idea where you are and where you are to head!!! Mind you, it does not reset - it shutdown... So you had to stop the car, turn off the engine and try starting it again. Situation is, if you had been driving a manual car, it works fine. For an automatic, you need to place your gear into Parking mode, and then try starting the engine again - now the question is, if you are already panicking, how would you remember that you have to place it, at least, in neutral gear? Thus causing you to panic more because the engine refuses to start!!
Well, whatever, I am finally glad I am back safely at the hotel. The sad thing about this is that you know that you will have some difficulty in driving in downtown Chicago, but you can't do much about it as the train service only runs in every 2 hours and the last train is at 10.30pm???
Anyway, enough of the ranting there... Had quite an interesting afternoon at the Shedd Aquarium. Took quite a fair bit of photos of fishes and crabs. They happened to have a crab exhibition there, along with the aquarium, oceanarium and wild reef. They has this area (theatre) where they have daily dolphin (Pacific bluefin) shows, which lookout toward Lake Michigan. Nice...
After that, I took this 30 mins skyline boat tour. No idea why I did that, but well, I guess I had time to spare. Despite the warm weather, the wind turns a bit cold when it's further out into the lake - it was the coldest when the boat went near the lighthouse. Interestingly, Lake Michigan is freshwater and supplies water to Chicago. But what is the lighthouse doing in a lake???
Then it was a half hour sitting by the Lake, looking at what some of them are fishing. Apparently you can catch perch in Lake Michigan, at least that's what I was told by one of them there. Kind of interesting to find them throwing out their line trying to catch fish and then seeing different type of boats moving pass the area. But I have to say there are perch out there alright... There was even a kid fishing there with his father and he caught some...
Finally, time to head for Hard Rock, getting the shot glass for Mr. TehPeng. Thought I might as well have my dinner there... Well, it was not to be... They were close for some private party. So I bought the shot glass and then started to walk around to see what's there to eat around that vicinity. Nearly wanted to have it at the corner restaurant in the building that I parked. However, I saw another restaurant a few lots away and sounded interesting... So went to have a look.
It was a restaurant whose cuisine is fondue! Yep, you heard me right. Fondue. So decided to try it out. Boy, that was a treat... Had cheese fondue as an appetizer, followed by California salad, an entree of different meats, seafood and vegetables - which you cook it in the pot as well, and finally chocolate fondue for dessert!!! Took the pure dark chocolate which was so yummy... But boy was I stuffed! Even now, as I was typing this blog, the feeling is I have from my stomach is that I have been a big glutton!!!!
Oh well... Another day is gone. Back to office tomorrow.... Hmmm... Wonder what is install for me this week.... Oh yeah... Hopefully next time I won't have to drive in downtown Chicago again!!!
Oh... And for those interested in Blues music... They just had a hugh bluesfest in downtown Chicago in Millennium Park. So hugh that they had to close some roads for this.... But too bad, I am not a blues fan.
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