Upcoming Chicago Trip

Next week, I am heading with the family to Chicago for Thanksgiving. Yeah, I know it is a time for family and turkey and all that, but personally I'm hoping to accomplish 4 goals.

1. Visit the Field Museum with my young paleontologist. Should be a great experience (especially since we don't have to pay anything extra because of our local museum membership).

2. Rest up for the home stretch. Usually, we go to my inlaws in Mississippi and I get lots of peace and quiet and a couple of naps. I doubt that the nap thing will happen, but I hope to get rest. That means not taking my laptop, not checking email, and not planning to do too much writing or grading while I'm there. Of course, I will try to write something. In fact...

3. Practice my travel writing before heading off to Europe next summer. In fact, this is probably the only trip I will take before then.

And finally...
4. Visit at least 1 used bookstore while in Chicago. I have three candidates based on a scan of the internet. Powell's (been there and it was pretty cool, but a bit pricey), Myopic (sounds quirky, and I'm not sure it will have what I want), or Bookman's Corner (ditto). Of course, my wife will just shake her head and wonder if I'm sick or something (perhaps), but I just can't see making a trip anywhere here in the US and not checking out the local used bookstore market. Blasphemy...

I'll keep you posted.