Experience all of Chicago's best sights from the air on this exciting helicopter tour! Aboard a state-of-the-art helicopter, you'll enjoy a magnificent view of Lake Michigan and fly past several top Chicago attractions like Willis Tower, Navy Pier, Millennium Park, the Shedd Aquarium and Lincoln Park. Your pilot will provide expert commentary about the sights you see and can answer any questions you have. Tour route is subject to change.
Explore Chicago by following the heated tunnels, walkways, and passages that connect the city's famous landmarks and buildings. Your comedic guide takes you on an interesting, informative, and humorous walk while highlighting Chicago's well-known and lesser-known landmarks from a different perspective.
Welcome aboard Chicago's largest luxury yacht at Navy Pier! Satisfy your appetite and take in breathtaking views of Chicago's skyline on this 2-hour lunch cruise. While you are on board, not only can you enjoy a freshly prepared three-course meal, but also enjoy live musical entertainment which makes for a truly unforgettable experience.
Experience one of the world's most beautiful cities on a 60-minute cruise on the historic Chicago River. On this architecture cruise, head down the main branch of the Chicago River, up the north branch to the East Bank Club, and then south past Willis Tower (Sears Tower) to the old Post Office Building. Take in magnificent city skyline views as you see more than 40 notable buildings, including the John Hancock Center and the Wrigley Building, and learn about their distinctive architecture from your onboard guide, an expert in architecture.
Don't miss Chicago's famous sights and fabulous views on this award-winning small-group sightseeing tour of the city. Travel through Chicago with an expert guide on a comfortable minibus, stopping at iconic locations like the Willis (Sears) Tower, The Rookery in downtown Chicago (Frank Lloyd Wright architecture), Museum Campus (for the BEST skyline view), The Magnificent Mile, Lincoln Park, Gold Coast, Lake Shore Drive and more! Along the way, your guide will provide historical and informational commentary about the area and its beautiful attractions. The small-group atmosphere with maximum of 12 people ensures a more personal experience. The city tour ends at Millennium Park, home of the famous Cloud Gate sculpture, commonly referred to as "The Bean."
Chicago is recognized as a leader in Modern architecture, a style that revolutionized our visual world during the mid-20th Century. View iconic Modern skyscrapers during this walking tour. On this tour, you'll encounter famous skyscrapers by Modernism pioneers like Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, Bertrand Goldberg and Harry Weese. We will also enjoy superb views of Chicago's riverfront. Highlights include Marina City, the Daley Center and the IBM Building.
Note: Ticket price includes admission to the Chicago Architecture Center within 7 days of your tour.
There is no better way to see Chicago than from the waters of Lake Michigan. Enjoy the amazing skyline views on board during this unforgettable 2-hour brunch cruise on the Odyssey Chicago. With unsurpassed views of the Sears Tower, the John Hancock Tower, to the Museum campus and the Aon Center, you'll be stunned by the beauty this city has to offer!
Discover the opulent exteriors and interiors of the Roaring '20s Jazz Deco and the classic finishes of Art Moderne buildings in this 2 hour tour. Learn of Chicago's influence on the international Art Deco movement, and trace the history of lively architectural heritage.
Experience the vitality and excitement of Chicago on this sightseeing tour! Explore Chicago's main business district, one of the financial epicenters of the world. Then, experience the hustle and bustle of the city's North Side with your guide as you tour the famous "Loop" and the great State Street -- where Chicago's fame began. Upgrade your city tour to enjoy a relaxing cruise down the Chicago River!
Learn about Chicago's haunted past and see its mysterious sights as you glide through the city on a segway at night. Venture through the dark with your local guide, and see alleys, hotels, and sites of some of the most gruesome disasters and murders in Chicago's history. During your spooky adventure through the city, you'll also see Chicago's famous landmarks lit up in glistening lights.
Accompanied by a local guide, take a city tour of Chicago and see its spectacular sights before ending the tour with a famous Chicago-style deep-dish pizza! Board a luxury trolley or motorcoach and make your way to the Loop, Lincoln Park Conservatory, the Hancock Tower and more. Make sure you bring your appetite, as a visit to one of Chicago's most popular deep-dish pizzerias completes this fun sightseeing tour.
Enjoy Chicago's evening pizza scene like a VIP! Our team of guides and drivers make sure all you need to do is have fun. Our bus guided evening Pizza & Drinking tour is the perfect way to explore Chicago through the eyes of local food and drink. Visit 3 top rated pizzerias to sample full slices of varying styles and pair with a craft beer or wine. Save room for dessert at the end.
Discover Chicago from both land and water on this scenic half-day tour. Take a narrated tour through the city's South Side and see highlights including Grant Park, the Loop, the Shedd Aquarium and exclusive shopping areas and neighborhoods. Then, experience Chicago from the water! Cruise along the Chicago River in a beautiful streamliner yacht and admire views of the stunning city skyline.
Connect with a local professional photographer in Chicago and capture your most memorable moments during this private photoshoot. Get insider tips on the best things to do in Chicago, including where to eat and what to see from your vacation photographer. Return from your trip with beautiful, high-quality, vacation photos.
Come join your expert tour guide for a delightful 2,5 hour stroll through some of the Chicago's most decadent dessert boutiques and chocolatiers along the Magnificent Mile on the Chocolate Tour of Chicago! With skip the line access, all chocolate tastings are included.
Perfectly formed. Lovely to look at. Delicious to eat. Elaborate, sweet, and often decadent, cupcakes are delightful treats that spark the inner child within us. The Cupcake Tour of Chicago frequents the finest culinary artisans and dessert boutiques along the Magnificent Mile to bring the heavenly experience of these sinfully good confections straight to your salivating tastebuds! Prepare to yum on the Cupcake Tour of Chicago! With skip the line access, all cupcakes are included.
This 2.5 hour tour is a walking tour that includes entrance fees, cupcake tasting and a professional guide.
Special Offer - Book by December 18 to save 50% off our previously offered price! - Book Now!
Chicago's culinary pedigree is, much like Chicago itself, quintessentially American. Upon further investigation, however, you'll find that many of Chicago's signature specialties derive from the cuisine of Italy. Come join your expert tour guide for a delightful stroll through the home of the Chicago Italian Beef sandwich, the original Pizzeria Uno, and much much more on the Italian Food Tour of Chicago! Prepare to mangia!
Valerie's original chocolate tours are back! Join a guided walking and tasting tour of top chocolate shops, bakeries, and cafes in Chicago's Magnificent Mile neighborhood! The tour is 2 hours long, and the price includes all chocolate samples. Learn the history and health benefits of chocolate, and sample lots of it, on this fun, fascinating, and delicious tour led by chocolate expert Valerie Beck!
Valerie's chocolate events are back for Valentine's Day! Tour the world of chocolate, without leaving your seat, during this 90 minute chocolate tasting at Hannah's Bretzel led by chocolate expert and original chocolate tours founder Valerie Beck. Learn the history, health benefits, and romantic stories of chocolate, and taste cacao and bean-to-bar chocolate. Why is chocolate associated with love? Why does it lift our mood? We'll focus on the answers, and on sustainable chocolate, and we'll taste a lot of it, at this fun, fascinating, and delicious seated chocolate tasting! Great for couples, singles, or girls' day out!
Chicago is made up of 77 official neighborhoods and this tour explores Andersonville, home of your local tour guide. Andersonville, at one time a large and prosperous Swedish community, is now home to a multi-ethnic that is famous for its boutique shopping and varied, high end dining. But it is also a community of amazing architecture and history. This tour allows you to experience what makes Chicago a city of neighborhoods. Explore Andersonville today!
Music. Art. Architecture. Literature. If these are topics that are of interest to you then you should walk this tour. You'll discover the other side of the magnificent mile which is rich with history, culture, and legends.
The Loop is the heartbeat of downtown Chicago! This walking tour will take you through the Loop and educate you on the various buildings, businesses, history, and architecture of this bustling area of Chicago.
Chicago's Magnificent Mile represents the best of both shopping and sightseeing. During this tour, you'll experience the many stores and sights and also learn why this area of Chicago is termed the Magnificent Mile.
This walking tour along the Chicago river is sure to educate and entertain. You'll learn why the river is referred to as Chicago's lifeblood and an engineering marvel. Rich with architecture, bridges, and disaster, the Chicago river is an important part of the city of Chicago.
Experience a historic store tour of Macy's on State Street and learn how Macy's has become America's largest department store, with over 800 locations and more than 150 years of retailing history. Originally Marshall Fields, tour highlights include the breathtaking Tiffany vaulted ceiling, the graceful Burnham fountain, the world-renowned Walnut Room restaurant and a taste of the famous Frango® Mint Chocolates. Tour will consist of no more than 12 people and all guests will receive the 10% Visitor Savings Pass!
Taste some of the finest donuts that the Wicker Park / Bucktown neighborhood of Chicago has to offer on this 2 hour Walking Tour. On this tour, we'll make four stops at some of the best donut spots in the city. We hope you can join us.
Explore Chicago on a custom SUV tour with a private guide in your language. Guides are available in Arabic, French, German, Italian, Mandarin, Portuguese, Russian and Spanish. Please specify language when booking. See the Loop, Museum Campus, Millennium Park, Lake Shore Drive & Wrigley Field, OR Explore the neighborhoods with visits to Chinatown, Pilsen, Little Italy, University of Chicago/Hyde Park. See world-renowned buildings by Frank Lloyd Wright, Mies van der Rohe, and Louis Sullivan and the world's most beautiful skyline at your own pace in complete comfort! Your local guide and professional chauffeur customize the experience for you!
Chicago Helicopter Experience provides you the most spectacular, panoramic views of the world's best skyline from the optimal vantage point.
Your journey begins at our downtown just minutes from the "Loop." You'll check in at our guest center where you can learn fun facts about the city and its history. Once aloft, you'll glide through the air in one of our luxurious, state-of-the-art aircraft. Our experienced pilots are well versed in the lore of the city, which they'll share throughout your 24-mile journey. You'll marvel at breathtaking vistas of the skyline, Navy Pier, Millennium Park, Buckingham Fountain, Willis (Sears) Tower, John Hancock Center, Wrigley Field and so much more. Bring your camera for the optimal photo ops or get our GoPro to record your exhilarating adventure. Once you land, don't forget to pick up the photo of you and your helicopter as a souvenir of your amazing event.
Special Offer - Book and save 38% compared to the local supplier's prices! - Book Now!
This combo ticket offers the best views of Chicago's world-famous skyline. You'll soar Chicago's 24 miles of shoreline on a guided helicopter flight that covers all of the city's famous landmarks and iconic skyscrapers. Then you'll ascend 94 stories to the observation deck of the John Hancock, one of the tallest buildings in North America, for a bird's eye view of the city below.
See Chicago's most essential landmarks from the comfort of a private vehicle on this 3-hour jaunt around town. Your guide will pick you up directly from your Chicago accommodation, after which you'll be whisked away to see the sights. From the storied Magnificent Mile to the glamour of the Gold Coast, you'll encounter the best of the Windy City. This private tour is available in Portuguese, English, or Spanish, and kicks off promptly at 9am.
The customization options of a "private tour" offered to the public, this tour is nicknamed the "The Mix Tape" - each tour is unique and customized to your group's interests, and showcases some of company owner's favorite spots in downtown Chicago. No two offerings of this tour are alike! From historic skyscrapers to hidden gardens to "the Bean" itself, the variety of stops and sights on this ever-changing tour is endless!
On this 'architecture lite' tour, you visit the most beloved spots in downtown Chicago during this enchanting stroll. You will stay very close to Lake Michigan, weaving your way through secret spots that one can only discover on foot, as you make your way to the absolute best view of Chicago. Bring your cameras as this is one place you'll want to capture the view!
Please note, this tour is 'architecture lite.' Rather than learning a ton of information about architecture and history, this tour is meant for the simple enjoyment of the city's prettiest spots at night. You won't find a boat, a bus, or even a segway on this tour. Come and take an evening walk with us.
Discover the exciting diversity of Chicago architecture on this wide-ranging odyssey, which traces the city's development from its founding through the very present.
We cover approximately 30 miles of Chicago design, passing through the Loop and the Gold Coast, as well as Hyde Park and other areas of the South Side. We'll see two university campuses, several parks and residential neighborhoods and admire the lakefront. Stops—some with interior building tours—are made in the Loop, on the Museum Campus and at Mies van der Rohe's IIT campus.
Take in the views on this 90-minute Architectural Tour, a jaw-dropping excursion through a city that defied all expectations … even the laws of gravity.
Stroll through the beautiful streets of downtown Chicago and taste all of the Windy City's favorite eats! Bobby's Bike Hike is America's longest-running city bicycle tour company, whose walking tours have been recognized nationally by National Geographic, USA Today, and Conde Nast Traveler Magazine. This is Bobby's quintessential culinary walking tour, complete with a slice of deep dish pizza, a Chicago-style hotdog, the original chocolate brownie, and local craft beer. Bobby's expert guides will lead you through downtown Chicago's most iconic landmarks, all the while regaling you with tales from Chicago's rich food-centric history. This tour is sure to make memories that will last a lifetime!
Special Offer - Save 6% when you travel Monday-Thursday through December 31, 2018. - Book Now!
This is the tour that made Bobby famous! Bobby's Bike Hike is America's longest-running city bicycle tour company, and has been repeatedly recognized for excellence by National Geographic, USA Today, The Associated Press, Conde Nast Traveler, and more! Bobby's now offers over a dozen specialized tours, but The Lakefront Neighborhoods ride is what started it all. Join one of Bobby's expert guides on this 3-hour romp through Chicago's beautiful North Side neighborhoods. See the ever-rising skyscrapers of Streeterville, the luxe residential property of the Gold Coast, the cozy artists' village of Old Town, and the rolling greenery of Lincoln Park. You'll finish off with a cruise down the Lakefront Trail, one of the most popular waterfront bike paths in the nation. This leisure-paced journey is sure to make memories that'll last a lifetime!
There's nothing more magical than downtown Chicago during the holiday season. Bobby's Holiday Hike is a 3-hour guided walking and food tour through the Chicago Loop, brought to you by Bobby's Bike Hike, internationally recognized for tours by bike and on foot. You'll get to sample the Windy City's favorite winter treats, including a slice of deep dish pizza, hot apple cider, craft beer, German bratwurst, and a chocolate brownie; learning all about Chicago's history with these dishes along the way. You'll see the fabulous Christmas window displays at the original Marshall Field's department store, the annual municipal Christmas tree, the ice skating rink at Millennium Park, and the legendary Christkindlmarket, a traditional German Christmas Market that has been setting up shop in Chicago for years. No other tour offers such an all-encompassing experience of Chicago during the holidays!
Special Offer - Travel by December 31st, 2018 and save 6% off our previously offered price! Travel Monday-Thursday only. - Book Now!
Looking for an exciting and adventurous outdoor activity to do in Chicago after dark? Look no further than Bobby's Electric Bikes at Night Tour. Bobby's Bike Hike is America's longest-running city bicycle tour company! This tour is one of Bobby's most popular, as guests get to see some of the city's most beloved landmarks lit up with Chicago's stunning nighttime city lights! This 3-hour guided tour utilizes pedal-assist electric bikes, making for a awesome ride that won't tire you out—Bobby's still wants you to be able to go out and have fun after the tour is over! You'll catch a glimpse of the downtown skyline, the dancing waters of Buckingham Fountain, Museum Campus, Soldier Field, the larger-than-life public art in Millennium Park, and more! During the summer, Wednesday and Saturday night rides also include fireworks! Don't miss out on this electrifying adventure!
Few neighborhoods in America combine such delicious cuisine with such fascinating history as Chicago's Chinatown. Join Bobby's Bike Hike, America's longest running city bicycle tour company, whose walking tours have been recognized nationally by National Geographic, USA Today, and Conde Nast Traveler Magazine, for an afternoon of interesting beats and scrumptious eats through Chinatown. On this 2.5-hour walking tour, you'll see the bustling Chinatown Square, then get to sampling some of the richest cuisine around, including Cantonese dim sum and tea, Portuguese-Chinese bakery treats, Szechuan chicken, and Mongolian hot pot, all the while learning about the history of how these foods and cultures arrived in Chicago. This is a totally unique culinary tour experience, and not to be missed!
Get acquainted with Chicago's most iconic landmarks on this riotous guided bicycle tour! Join the expert guides of Bobby's Bike Hike, America's longest-running city bicycle tour company, on this exciting and informative adventure. Over the course of a 2.5-hour bike ride (traversed at a nice leisurely pace), you'll get up close and personal with Chicago's legendary Museum Campus, Grant Park, and Millennium Park. You'll become intimately familiar with Soldier Field, The Adler Planetarium, Buckingham Fountain, The Pritzker Pavilion, and Cloud Gate (the formal name of Chicago's dearly-beloved "Bean"). This tour is perfect for first time visitors looking to see all of the classic hotspots, and for returning guests looking to understand more about the landmarks they know and love. Hop on two wheels, and come make memories that are sure to last a lifetime!
Special Offer - Book with us and save 10% off this same tour compared to what you'll pay on another travel site. Offer valid Monday-Thursday through May 24, 2018. - Book Now!
Struggling to find things to do in Chicago with your adventurous young child? Look no further than Bobby's Tike Hike. Bobby's Bike Hike is America's longest running city bicycle tour company, and has been repeatedly recognized for excellence by National Geographic, USA Today, The Associated Press, Conde Nast Traveler, and more! Bobby created the Tike Hike just for families like yours: energetic, curious, and fun. Bobby's has a full range of family bicycle equipment: junior bikes, kids' bikes, tagalongs, trailers, and child seats, making this tour perfect for kids of any age. The two-hour guided tour explores the beautiful Chicago Lakefront Trail, Lincoln Park, and the free-admission Lincoln Park Zoo. The whole tour is comprised of trail riding, so you never have to worry about new riders interacting with traffic. The expert Bobby's guides are ready and excited to provide a fun and informative afternoon for your whole family!
Turn an ordinary summer Wednesday night into one to remember on this Chicago Segway tour ending with the Navy Pier fireworks display. Experience the thrill of riding a Segway around top Chicago attractions including Grant Park, Soldier Field and the Field Museum as your guide shares fun facts about Chicago. End your 2-hour ride with a stop at the Museum Campus along Lake Michigan to witness the dazzling fireworks light up the sky over Navy Pier.
This small-group tour is limited to eight people to ensure more personalized attention from your guide.
Leave the hustle and bustle behind! Explore Chicago's shores with a leisurely trip around Lake Michigan. Take in the world-famous skyline, enjoy spectacular views, and discover the Windy City from the water. This sail is approximately 75 minutes, no guide included. Choose from one of two departure times when you book.
This tour will take you past all the sights of Chicago's Scenic North Side. Heading north out of the Loop past Millennium Park and up the Magnificent Mile where you will see the Fort Dearborn historical site, Chicago River, Wrigley Building, Tribune Tower and Chicago Water Tower and Pumping Station. Your journey continues along Lake Michigan on North Lake Shore Drive to Wrigley Field. The return trip will take you past Lincoln Park Conservatory and Zoo and down State Street viewing Chicago's El Train and Chicago Theater.
Starting at the Palmer House Hilton this tour will take you past all the sights of Chicago's Historic South Side. You will head south out of the Loop down Michigan Avenue past Art Institute of Chicago, the starting point of historic Route 66, Grant Park and the site of Chess Records. Your journey will continue along Lake Michigan on South Lake Shore Drive. Travelling on you will see President Obama's home, Robie House, University of Chicago and Jackson Park and the Museum of Science and Industry. The return trip will take you through Museum Campus and past Buckingham Fountain.
Follow in the footsteps of some of the most famous bootleggers in Chicago history on this haunted gangster pub tour. Our stories on this tour explore some of the most famous prohibition era gangster hangouts and establishments. Tours begin at the haunted Harry Caray's Italian Steakhouse in downtown Chicago and are 21+ only. A costumed guide will lead tour goers on a 1.5 mile walking journey exploring the creepy past of one of Chicago's most famous bootleggers, offering glimpses into the past and revealing the stories of long-dead phantoms and specters who still call Chicago home. You'll visit several different bars, and have time to enjoy a delicious libation (at own expense) as the guide tells them about all the spooky happenings and great history of this town!
Join this Chicago haunted pub tour which is a combination ghost tour and pub crawl that will take you on a walking tour to explore the fascinating history of Chicago and hear some of its most famous and creepy haunted stories. 21+ only. A costumed guide will lead tour goers on a 2.5 hour journey, offering glimpses into the past and revealing the stories of long-dead phantoms and specters who still call Chicago home. You'll visit four different bars, and have time to enjoy a delicious libation (at own expense) as the guide tells them about all the spooky happenings and great history of this town!
The Museum of Science and Industry Chicago is the largest science museum in the country. Housed in the only remaining building from the 1893 World's Fair, MSI is a Chicago must-see! You'll experience 14 acres of hands-on exhibits and have the chance to stand before a 40-foot tornado; take a run in a human-sized hamster wheel; navigate through a mirror maze; board a 727 hanging from the ceiling; transmit your pulse to a 13-foot, 3-D beating heart; and much more!
Expect the exceptional on this 3-hour premier Chicago dinner cruise experience. Newly renovated, this luxury vessel features a newly furnished rooftop lounge, posh atmosphere and stylish interior. Enjoy a 3-course plated meal with celebrity-chef inspired dishes prepared from fresh ingredients right on board. Dance the night away to DJ entertainment or simply relax in the elegant ambiance and take in the unmatched views of the world-famous Chicago skyline as you sail along the shores of Lake Michigan. Take it all in with a front row seat for a breathtaking fireworks show over the Chicago skyline, weather permitting.
Discover fine dining, upscale entertainment and unparalleled riverfront views aboard the brand new Odyssey Chicago River! The Odyssey Chicago River is a brand new, glass enclosed boat, exclusively on the Chicago River – being the first of its kind! This beautiful glass ship provides panoramic views of the Chicago River and its famous architecture right from your table all year round! Included is 3-course plated meal, entertainment, outdoor lounge, high-end table side service, and 3-hour cruise with the best views of the Chicago River! Your Chicago Dinner Cruise experience will include a spectacular fireworks display on Wednesdays and Saturdays. You will observe the show from the decks of the ship and see the magnificent sky lit up at night.
Discover fine dining, upscale entertainment and unparalleled riverfront views aboard the brand new Odyssey Chicago River! The Odyssey Chicago River is a brand new, glass enclosed boat, exclusively on the Chicago River – being the first of its kind! This beautiful glass ship provides panoramic views of the Chicago River and its famous architecture right from your table all year round! Included is 3-course plated meal, entertainment, outdoor lounge, high-end table side service, and 2-hour cruise with the best views of the Chicago River!
In recent years Urban Art has risen in popularity across the world. Making the leap from crime to art, Chicago has become a hub for some amazing local and visiting artists. Join us as we explore some incredible street art and graffiti through one of Chicago's most vibrant neighborhoods, Logan Square. We dive into the history, evolution, and future of the art medium & neighborhood. Put on your favorite pair of paint stained Adidas, grab some Fat Caps, and join us for a truly unique experience!
See Chicago all decked out in holiday lights on a Segway sightseeing tour of the Windy City's sparkling downtown. Get into the holiday spirit as you ride past the bean sculpture and Millennium Park Ice Rink, admire festive window displays at Macy's (formerly Marshall Fields) and glide under twinkling lights along Michigan Avenue. End your 2-hour ride with a visit to the Christkindlmarkt, located around the city's official Christmas tree in Daley Plaza.
We keep our group sizes small, which allows more personalized attention from your guide.
Glide around Millennium Park, through the new neighborhood of Lakeshore East, and along the Lakefront as we unveil Chicago's forgotten past in two hours! Your imagination will come alive as you hear stories of the Chicago Mob, the truth behind the 1968 Democratic National Convention, innovations that changed history, and so much more!
Special Offer - Travel by December 23, 2018 and save 20% off our previously offered price!
This special offer is available for the 11:30am and 2:30pm 2-hour tour options. - Book Now!
Experience 5 "Chicago-Style" iconic dishes in this 2.5-hour tour from the famous restaurants that perfected them in downtown Chicago. The hustle and bustle of Chicago can be intimidating, but relax as an expert guide teaches your small-group the ins and outs of River North and Streeterville. Eating the best foods usually comes with a price of long lines and waits, but not here! Enjoy skip-the-line access on this culinary adventure with a small-group tour.
Navy Pier brings the rich diversity and culinary traditions of Chicago's neighborhoods under the roof of one unique location. From Chinatown to Streeterville to Wicker Park and everywhere in between, our Signature Food Tour at Navy Pier offers guests a variety of authentic Chicago food in one of Chicago's most treasured landmarks.
On this 2-hour experience, your expert tour guide (aka Food Ambassador) will give you a look into Navy Pier's surprising history and impact on Chicago, showcase the best food at Navy Pier and help you enjoy Chicago's extraordinary skyline views. As professional local food experts, we know the best spots throughout the neighborhoods and have the best food spots picked out for you at Navy Pier too. Join us on an experience today!
Learn the meaning of "Chicago-Style" on this 2.5 or 3-hour tour (depending on the season) as you experience 5 iconic dishes from the famous restaurants that perfected them in downtown Chicago. The hustle and bustle of Chicago can be intimidating; relax as an expert guide teaches you the ins and outs of River North & Streeterville. The tour is the only experience where you can taste all of the iconic Chicago-style dishes in just 2.5 or 3 hours! Eating the best foods usually comes with a price of long lines and waits - not here! Enjoy VIP access and skip the lines on this culinary adventure!
Traverse Chicago's hottest foodie neighborhood as you taste foods from award winning chefs & learn about West Loop's restaurant revolution. Once strictly an industrial area, the West Loop has transformed into Chicago's dining epicenter. The offerings are varied, from sleek Japanese restaurants to some of the best pizza in the city, and plenty of fine dining spots to boot. You'll be introduced to several of these all in under 3 hours. It's the perfect mix of unique foods and Chicago classics to satisfy locals and visitors.
Set sail from Navy Pier for a relaxing evening on Chicago's scenic waterways. You'll experience the taste of Chicago's own Lynfred Winery accompanied by light refreshments.
Enjoy the summer scene of Chicago with a 75-minute river cocktail cruise. Ticket price includes one drink ticket and a variety of local live music to accompany the breathtaking views along the Chicago River.
Discover all of Chicago's top sights from great heights on this private helicopter tour. Travel in a state-of-the-art helicopter for magnificent views of Lake Michigan and Chicago's famous architectural features such as Willis Tower, Navy Pier, Shedd Aquarium, Millennium Park, and Lincoln Park. Your private pilot provides expert commentary about the highlights you see, and happily answers any questions that you may have during the flight. Bonus:This flight accommodates a maximum of two people for the ultimate private getaway! Tour route is subject to change.
Explore Chicago's crime and pizza history on this two-hour walking tour through the River North and Gold Coast neighborhoods in Chicago.
• Murder Castle: the hotel designed specifically for murdering people in the late 1800s by America's first mass serial killer: H.H. Holmes.
• Old Congress Hotel: Once the full time residence of its former owner, Al Capone, there are ghosts and spirits that haunt the hallways of this famed location.
Interested in exploring Chicago from the perspective of ghosts and gangsters? Want to really immerse yourself in the history of this great American city, right from the locations that started it all? THIS TOUR visits the locations frequented by some of Chicago's most notorious gangsters along with many of the most haunted locations in Chicago!
On our 3 hour food walking tour of Chicago, you will taste delectable foods from 5 different delicious places. Tease your tastebuds as you savor foods from Chicago's best deep dish pizza restaurant, Rick Bayless' amazing Mexican fare and more.
In addition to all the delicious food, your guide will discuss the history, culture and food scene of the neighborhood. We have vegetarian options at all the food stops and can accommodate other dietary restrictions with advance notice.
Explore two of Chicago's most fascinating neighborhoods on this 2.5-hour food and walking tour. First, visit Noble Square: once known as "Old Polonia," the neighborhood has a lively Polish heritage, and has also undergone rapid demographic and community changes in recent decades. See historic Polish landmarks and sample from the vendors on Noble Square's "taco row" before venturing north to Wicker Park. Previously known for its crime and decay, the vibrant district is now one of the country's trendiest neighborhoods. Peek inside local landmarks and chow down on neighborhood favorites while you learn about its unique history.
On this special holiday walking tour, you'll see some classic holiday sights and get the off-the-beaten path stories of Christmas' past over a couple drinks.
Get the best view of the city in Chicago's only Enstrom 480B, with windows below, above and all around! On this Premiere Helicopter Tour, you will see all that Chicago has to offer from a vantage point high above the city. As you soar amongst the skyscrapers and historic landmarks that have made Chicago famous, your highly experienced pilot will narrate your tour with interesting highlights and facts about the city.This VIP Tour's sights will include iconic views of Willis (Sears) Tower, Millennium Park, Magnificent Mile and more! Day or night tours are available, at the same price, each with a unique perspective and view of Chicago.Your VIP tour will begin and end in the beautiful dedicated tour lounge area at the Vertiport Chicago heliport, where you can relax by the full window walls and view the other helicopters taking off and landing against the backdrop of the city. Whether a resident or visitor, this iis an unforgettable experience. Price is all inclusive. NO additional fees.
Don't just take a helicopter ride, fly it. This one of a kind, breathtaking flight experience is completely new and unique to Chicago — and offered by just one company in the city. In this ultimate flight experience, an instructor takes you up in the Guimbal Cabri G2, a two seater helicopter, and then turns the controls over to you to assist! The Guimbal's cockpit is set up similar to a Drivers Education car, with two sets of controls, allowing for the ultimate in air adventure. Get a view of the city sights and famous Chicago landmarks from a seat with a whole new perspective. If you are looking for a new adventure or are just seeking something new and exciting to try in Chicago, the Chicago Pilot Experience is for you!
Take flight on the Chicago Holiday Lights Helicopter Tour for 4 and see the magnificent lights of the Magnificent Mile from the sky as the city sparkles with holiday magic all season long. Get an unparalleled view of the lights from a vantage point high above the holiday crowds on a 15 minute private helicopter tour, complete with hot cocoa, candy canes and epic views of the holiday lights and decor. This VIP tour offers the best view of Chicago's holiday lights from Chicago's only Enstrom helicopter, with windows above, below and all around for spectacular views from every angle. The Enstrom's heated cabin will keep you warm regardless of the wintry temps outside. This 15 minute private VIP helicopter tour, for up to 4, is available Thursday through Saturday nights starting at 6pm, with the last tour departing at 8:45pm. Be sure to book your tour early, as space is limited!
Explore the beauty of downtown Chicago from the water on a relaxing 2.5-hour kayak tour. In either a single or double kayak, you'll paddle along the Chicago River, passing by landmarks like Willis Tower as you listen to interesting tales about the city from a professional guide. Enjoy personalized attention on this small-group tour limited to 8 to 10 people per guide.
Taste four different styles of pizza in about three hours. Learn about Chicago's 10 pizza styles, and discover why there's more to The Windy City than just deep-dish. Go back in the kitchens to see how pizzas are made, talk to the owners and taste the differences. Expert doughcents will share the history of Chicago pizza as well other interesting tidbits about the neighborhood you're exploring.
Taste four different styles of pizzas in about three hours. Learn about Chicago's 10 pizza styles, and discover why there's more to The Windy City than just deep-dish. Go back in the kitchens to see how pizzas are made, talk to the owners and taste the differences. Expert doughcents will share the history of Chicago pizza as well other interesting tidbits about the neighborhood you're exploring.
Carla is a happy and passionate traveler. Studying photography and refining her culinary skills in Mexico, she specialized in Catalan food in Barcelona, Spain. An interesting fact is that Carla used to work in a Michelin star restaurant with Carles Abellan. Other than cooking, she enjoys a good conversation, stimulating book, and a glass of wine.
Everyone loves a good brunch on the weekend! This event is all about comfort food with a touch of sweetness. During this dining experience, expect some special flavors from around the world.
* Eatwith is world's largest community for culinary experiences with locals. Enjoy local food and browse dinner parties, cooking classes and more in beautiful homes and exclusive venues.
Segways are amazingly fun, and Chicago's lakefront, parks, and skyline are absolutely gorgeous! Add our smart, entertaining tour guides to the mix, and you have the experience of a lifetime!
Enjoy the car-free lakefront trail and explore Chicago's beaches, parks, lagoons, and gorgeous Lincoln Park Zoo (free admission). This tour offers a diverse mix of nature and attractions. Top sights include: The Chicago Lakefront, Navy Pier, North Avenue Beach, Lincoln Park Zoo and the Conservatory. Easy riding and kid-friendly, great fun for the whole family!
See Chicago's best attractions in all their illuminated beauty! You'll ride through the Museum Campus and take in gorgeous skyline views, by Buckingham Fountain - a nighttime water and light festival - and you'll conclude at Navy Pier.
Ease into the evening with a relaxing glide through the parks and lakefront in Chicago. This evening ride offers cooler temperatures and beautiful sunset views as well as views of Chicago's world-famous skyline and graceful lakefront. This segway tour departs near Millennium Park as dusk arrives and passes sights like Buckingham Fountain, Chicago's majestic lakefront, the Shedd Aquarium, and the Museum Campus.
Join this 3-hour tour of Chicago's food scene, and see what sets this friendly mid-western metropolis apart. On this 12 person maximum walking tour of the 'Chicago Loop', a local guide will share with you some hidden gems and great stories about the city. Taste where the world-famous dipped Italian beef sandwich was invented, try some of the best deep dish Chicago pizza. Be shown how important the immigrants that built this town are to the food scene.
Skip the lines to tour & sketch the Art Institute Museum with an artist and museum member. No experience necessary! Lets get creative and see the museum with an artist's eye.
We're going to sketch using water soluble graphite and pencils and a water brush. You'll be able to create awesome shapes and shadows with just the tools I'll provide and I always bring additional, fun supplies for you to try out and play with.
Explore Chicago's Loop and South Loop neighborhoods located right downtown. You'll visit renowned neighborhood establishments, sample delicious beer, and learn how well beer pairs with Chicago's vice history - including gambling, saloons, crime bosses like Al Capone, and other nefarious activities in the 1800s and 1900s!
Sample local and international beer while exploring two iconic Chicago neighborhoods on this 3-hour walking tour. With an in-the-know guide, explore Lakeview and Lincoln Park, stopping at several bars and other venues for tastings of Midwestern craft brews, from porters to lagers, as well as some Irish Guinness. You'll toast Chicago's rich brewing heritage as you learn about its past and present beer culture and watch a home-brewing demo. Plus, enjoy three of your tastings with three different types of bacon.
Indulge in a wine tasting adventure through one of Chicago's many trendy neighborhoods. We go to 3 or 4 places on each tour to taste different varietals of red, white and sparkling wine. At each stop we have selected a variety of food pairings to accompany your vino such as artisanal cheeses, house cured meats, pickled vegetables and fresh baked breads. The wine and food changes often as does the location.We rotate between Chicago's best neighborhoods like River North, Lakeview, Lincoln Park, Andersonville and the Gold Coast. This tour has more drinking than walking and is a great tour in the cold weather. Ladies especially, love this tour and it is great for anyone who enjoys food, fun and drinking wine.
The Underground Chicago Walk is a tour through Chicago's pedway, a little known tunnel system in the heart of downtown. It may sound scary but fear not, the recently rehabbed tunnels are used by 1000's of savvy locals daily. Explore Chicago's beloved landmarks via the tunnels like Macy's (Marshall Field's), The Thompson Center, The Daley Center, City Hall, & the Cultural Center where we view the world's largest Tiffany dome glass ceiling. Miles of new tunnels have opened with miles more in the works. We also sample food at some of the unique restaurants, cafes and shops the pedway has to offer. The tour starts off at Garrett Popcorn shops where guests receive a treat bag of their famous "Garrett Mix". We sample artisan grilled cheese sandwiches, frozen kefir, a wine tasting at Macy's wine shop (Fri- 4pm tours only) and a stop at Macy's Candy Kitchen.
Chicago is the undisputed Architectural capital of the world. Take an educational journey through downtown Chicago with an expert tour guide. Visit some of Chicago's most significant contributions to the Architecture world as well as some little known gems. We update this tour in the winter months to utilize Chicago's underground tunnel system to access famous sites like the Chicago Cultural center to gaze at the world's largest Tiffany Dome Ceiling. Visit the historical Marshall Field's building as well as the Thompson Center, City Hall and more. We end at with a tour of the world's tallest church. It is not to be missed.


text:
Chaldean Catholics in Iraq praying that pope visit will be possible
Cardinal Pell: Vatican financial reform making 'massive' progress
Listening church: Pope gives new vision for Synod of Bishops
Cardinal Lorenzo Baldisseri, secretary-general of the Synod of Bishops, holds documents during a Sept. 18 Vatican news conference to announce synod changes. Also pictured is Greg Burke, Vatican spokesman. (CNS photo/Paul Haring)
By Cindy Wooden • Catholic News Service • Posted September 18, 2018
VATICAN CITY (CNS) — The Synod of Bishops increasingly should be a structure for listening to the Catholic faithful, demonstrating a local bishop's concern for the entire church and a means of expressing all the bishops' unity with the pope, Pope Francis said.
Replacing Blessed Paul VI's 1965 document that established the Synod of Bishops and building on changes made to the synods over the past five decades, Pope Francis issued an apostolic constitution, providing a theological explanation of the synod's role in the church and updating rules for how a synod is prepared for, conducted and implemented.
The constitution, "Episcopalis Communio" ("Episcopal Communion"), also states for the first time that voting members of the synod do not necessarily have to be priests. In preparation for the October synod on young people and vocational discernment, the Union of Superiors General, the organization of leaders of men's religious orders from around the world, elected two religious brothers to be members of the synod.
Discussing the normal voting members of the synod, Pope Francis' new rules, which were published only in Italian Sept. 18, said that "according to the theme and circumstances, others who are not honored with episcopal duties can be called to the synod assembly with a role to be determined by the Roman pontiff."
Asked if that meant that women or women religious could be full voting members of the synod, Bishop Fabio Fabene, undersecretary of the Synod of Bishops, said that according to the new rules the men's Union of Superiors General "can elect any male religious, even nonpriests, as the pope had permitted by exemption in the last two synodal assemblies. As for women, they are already present as observers and participate in the synodal assembly and the small groups and have a right to speak."
"At the moment, it is established that the men's union of superiors elects members," but the women's International Union of Superiors General does not. Bishop Fabene said, "For now, that it how it is."
But the main changes Pope Francis made to the synod are less visible and more profound.
Blessed Paul established the synod as an instrument through which "bishops chosen from various parts of the world are to offer more effective assistance to the supreme shepherd," the pope.
But Pope Francis, almost from the beginning of his papacy, has called for the entire church to be "synodal."
Marking the 50th anniversary of the synod in 2015, the pope said the church should be synodal at every level, with everyone listening to one another, learning from one another and taking responsibility for proclaiming the Gospel.
Through baptism and confirmation, all members of the church have been anointed by the Holy Spirit, Pope Francis has taught. But, even more, he has said, the entire church community is infallible when its members discern together and speak with one voice on matters of faith and morals.
"The 'sensus fidei' (sense of faith) makes it impossible to rigidly separate the 'ecclesia docens' (teaching church) and the 'ecclesia discens' (learning church), because even the flock has a 'nose' for discerning the new paths that the Lord is opening up to the church," Pope Francis said in 2015.
In the new constitution, Pope Francis said each bishop must be "simultaneously a teacher and a disciple," proclaiming the Gospel with the power of the Holy Spirit, but also listening to what the Holy Spirit has inspired the lay faithful to tell him.
"While in its composition it is configured as an essentially episcopal body, the synod still does not live separated from the rest of the faithful," he wrote. "On the contrary, it is an instrument suitable for giving voice to the whole people of God precisely through the bishops."
Obviously, the pope said, the synod is not a Catholic parliament. "In the church, in fact, the aim of any collegial, consultative or deliberative body is the search for the truth or the good of the church," so prayerful discernment and openness to the Holy Spirit is key at every stage.
However, the pope also said the final document adopted by a Synod of Bishops, when approved by the pope and ordered public, becomes part of the "ordinary magisterium," or teaching, of the pope himself.
Cardinal Lorenzo Baldisseri, general secretary of the Synod of Bishops, told reporters it is possible that Pope Francis or a future pope could decide that the synod's final document is enough on one subject and he would forgo writing a post-synodal apostolic exhortation, a tradition St. John Paul II started.
Pope Francis, the cardinal said, saw the updating of the synod as an essential part of the renewal of "all church structures" so that they would be "more missionary, that is, more sensitive to people's needs, more open to what is new, more flexible in an age of rapid transformation."
Father Dario Vitali, a consultant to the synod and professor of dogmatic theology at Rome's Pontifical Gregorian University, told reporters the pope's constitution can be understood through what then-Pope Benedict XVI described as "the hermeneutic of reform in continuity" with the tradition of the church.
Such reforms, he said, allow "the whole church to remain faithful to the Spirit without closing itself off in a defense of the past and its forms, without venturing into ahistorical experimentation, but remaining firm in the living — and, therefore, dynamic — tradition of the church."
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Mike and John started out in a basement with a Pro Tools rig and now work full time out of their studio in New York City writing music for WWE entrance themes and promos. Hear their story in this video and listen to a custom-written track featuring Superior Drummer 3 and the Action! EZX.


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I. Winter in the NW
II. Getting to Work
III. The Job Itself
IV. Workshops
V. Withdrawing Spirit from Yesterday's Bank
Schools being closed again, today is a gift. So I've resolved to circumnavigate distractions and responsibilities just enough to generate a newsletter. We're heading to Orcas Is for Thanksgiving, where I'll be bartering for half off our accommodations by performing at Doe Bay Cafe. December 19-24 I'll be in Gloucester. All in all, much to be grateful for.
Being accustomed to winters out east, it's fascinating to Monica and I that, around here, people simply wait for snow and ice to melt by natural means; if the roads aren't safe, you just hole up and wait till they are -- which can take a while if the thermometer remains in the 20s. At least that's how it appears to be in many suburban school districts. Somehow Tacoma has managed to deal with this last storm -- which only brought a couple inches of snow, albeit with a layer of frozen rain underneath. We see the tracks of a phantom vehicle [a plow? a retrofitted street cleaner?] that leaves parallel groves about 10" apart. But up in Lynnwood -- where I teach -- life appears to be at a standstill. Driving back from there yesterday morning, I was amazed that I-5 [the main drag N/S] still had a treacherous covering of ice and slush. This in sunshine, hours after any precipitation! Us easterners could not imagine I-95 in that condition!
The first thing people in Lynnwood say, when I tell them where I live, is "Tacoma?!!"; and the first thing people in Tacoma say, when I tell them where I work, is "Lynnwood!!?" It's a drive of more than an hour when traffic is moving along -- which is rare -- passing through Seattle. We have, however, worked out a routine that, for the moment, feels sane: I drive up Monday mornings, leave the car at the "Park and Ride" [free] after school and take two buses home [total of $3]. Monica picks me up in Tacoma at 6:15 PM and drops me off the next morning around 7. [Though it would be possible to await a third bus that stops a block from home]. I retrieve my car and drive to school. Tuesday nights, I swim at the Y up there and sleep at the home of the Eddys. She leads teen masses at the parish and he is a bus driver. They have lots of room in their empty-nested home and have made me very comfortable at no charge. I catch the buses home again on Wednesdays and stay with the Eddys again on Thursdays. It is not till Friday, then, that I bring the car back down I-5. Such a scenario is made workable by the efficient Puget Sound bus system and the gracious hospitality of this parish couple. The greatest inconvenience to me, apart from dodging slow traffic Monday morning and Friday afternoon, is waiting in Seattle for the connecting bus. Some weeks, though, I have to drive it more than once -- to accommodate appointments, school events, etc.
It's interesting that I didn't actually apply for this job. Many of us aren't nearly at good finding work as in having work find us. I had an application registered at the Archdiocese of Seattle, but had used it to apply to parochial schools around Tacoma; I wasn't considering working so far north. It was only after getting turned down from a few public school jobs [the districts I had subbed in last year posted about one job each], that I got a call from the Principal at St Thomas More -- where they had not yet found someone they found suitable -- amd drove up to interview. While I was waiting to hear back from them, I got a call from the Fine Arts Director in Bethel SD saying he was recommending me to a principal in Clover Park [less than half hour away from home]. Then I did get offered the job at St Thomas More, but thought I was on the verge of getting the closer job. I also got a job offer from another Catholic school -- but it was half time rather than full. For a while it felt like it could be the tomb scene in Romeo & Juliet -- one of us taking poison before the other wakes up. But in the end, all the back and forth probably helped settle in our minds that we -- St Thomas More School (via the Principal) and I -- were meant for each other. I do think it is a better situation than I would have found in the public schools. Everyone on staff is a willing and warm collaborator.
I teach 8th grade down through preschool -- one class at each level of General Music meeting twice per week. Then there are student-led liturgies about once a month for which I prepare the grade assigned [who become the choir] and the Mass Band -- which currently comprises three guitar players [one of whom I have switched to bass and another of whom is the 7th grade teacher and who also assists me], three piano players [one of whom also plays flute and the other two of whom are best friends and divide up the keyboard between them] and one drummer [a real natural]. I do whatever I can to maximize their participation, even if it means sacrificing perfection. They meet Mondays after school. I also have three after-school choir rehearsals each week. The younger group, mostly 3-4 graders, sees me twice. This was implemented in past years to accommodate their attendance being made inconsistent by sports and other commitments. But I find that the girls miss few rehearsals, and are therefore getting a lot of attention and training from me to prepare them for more advanced work. The advanced choir [traditionally known as Bella Voce] has turned out to be 5-8 grade. Two girls [one 5th, one 6th] are in both groups, meaning they sing with me three hours a week in addition to General Music. They are both quite talented and a joy to teach. There are also two boys in Bella [voices still high]. It is my last event on Fridays, and always an uplifting way to end the week. The 7-8 gr girls emerge from the self-conscious state the General Music class puts them in and pick up on the energy and focus of the 5-6 graders.
There not being a strong tradition of older boys singing, I had them all meet with me one at a time, during my first week, to introduce myself and check their singing range. I then asked seven of them, whose voices had dropped down and who could match pitch, to meet with me twice a week for 15'; I dubbed them The Baritones. Their singing has been steadily improving in this context -- though some of them are still self-conscious about singing in class when the girls are present. One day, I asked the vice-principal if she could supervise the 8th gr girls for 15' [and later do the same for the 7th gr] to give the young men a chance to work with me alone. Later that day, three more 8th grade boys asked if their voices had changed enough to join the baritones. I wasn't even trying to recruit them; I imagine they saw how the other guys had been enjoying their rehearsals with me and looked to this as a rite of passage. They are not matching pitch all that well yet, but I have a sense that it will come with regular singing with their peers. We are memorizing "Christmas in the Trenches" for the Christmas concert -- which speaks to the heart of what it means to be a Christian man more than any other song I can think of. Perhaps you know this John McCutcheon song about British and German troops celebrating together on the battlefield in the midst of WWI. In an effort to get students playing recorders past gr 4, when it has been introduced here, I'm starting a "consort" to do "Good King Wenceslas" [recorders, xylophones, boomwhackers] on the Christmas concert. Someday a guitar program . . .
After getting my Orff Level I certification at the beginning of the Summer -- which required me to spend two weeks down at U of OR -- I was gung-ho to put this approach into practice. I find, however, that expectations accompanying this position limit what I can initiate -- with performances and masses scheduled far in advance. But my classroom is outfitted with [7] mallet instruments, boomwhackers, handbells and percussion; I work these in, along with movement, wherever it makes sense to do so. My principal suggests that after I've seen the year through, I'll be able to work my curricular goals in and around the events that parents and students have come to expect. But I've reserved the local Orff chapter's instruments for the month of Feb; and I hope to get something special together to showcase them. I attended the National Orff Conference earlier this month in Spokane [a happy coincidence that I didn't have to go out of state for my first one, though it's a big state to traverse]. My school covered my registration and substitute teacher. I bought teaching materials and instruments [including a plastic bass recorder for $115! Now I've got a tool rack on the classroom wall that holds bass through sopranino recorders]. I also got to know Paul Winter, who gave workshops and performed there. He's as mellow as his recordings would suggest. . . and such pathos in his sax playing! Then the Seattle Archdiocese sponsored a workshop with choral guru Alice Parker [which my principal mandated I attend!]. It was great meeting Alice, who's from Western MA, and reminiscing with her about Arnie and Ruth Black. Monica was able to come to that too.
You may recall that a while back I put a lot of effort into updating my past listening library to today's technology. I am particularly grateful that I had the time to do that before moving west, because I need a lot of music to accompany me driving [or riding the bus] in my present life. I think back to my first quarter-century, when I was making an exciting series of discoveries (with the same eagerness many of my students show today): the British invasion, psychedelia, Beethoven, Josquin, Berlioz, Mahler, Berg, the jazz masters and, or course, classical guitar technique. Once reaching a saturation point for musical complexity, I sought a wider range of folk and international styles. Nowadays, it sometimes feels like there is nothing new in music. After all, in spite of what a wonderfully crafted song "Come Together" is, I've been hearing it regularly for 40 years now! I wouldn't want to figure out the total number of listenings. I do get excited, however, about new ways to excite my students about music -- whatever the style; and I sensed that excitement from the other Orff conference participants. We're being re-born into the simple while becoming newly fired up by its pedagogical possibilities. The Orff-Schulwerk offers ways to make good on my experience as composer and dancer -- I got to do a lot of creative movement at the conference -- which helps me feel more at peace with the circuitous path of my life.
I'm trying to put my finger on what this spirit is about. Remember when top 40 radio was playing "I am the Walrus" or "Strawberry Fields"? Didn't it feel like anything was possible? Or was that simply an illusion -- when the music industry was behind something creative because it happened to sell at that point. Likewise with the selling of Barack O. We hoped change could be generated from the top floor. I pray that now -- with the U.S. political scene having degenerated beyond the point of students gone wild on the substitute teacher, in the belief they won't be held accountable -- some real change might be generated from the street. In the meantime, wherever I get that spirit from -- the umpteenth time hearing Hendrix do "All Along the Watchtower" or the culmination of themes in the slow movement of Mahler's 6th -- it is incumbent on me to pass it on to my students. They're going to need it to take the country back.
Peace, Jeffry


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Brrrrrr!!! Shorter days and colder nights mean it's time to breathe new life into that winter wardrobe. Wrap up warm in our winter jackets, in vintage styles which are sure to keep you cooler than the weather outside!


EAT THIS CITY is your weekly tour of the best restaurants in one of our favorite cities, as chosen by top chefs. This week, we visit Portland, Oregon, with husband and wife chef team, Greg Denton and Gabrielle Quiñónez Denton. Seems Portland is for Lovers, too!
Anyone who's seen Portlandia has a vision of Portland as a hot bed of coffee snobs, feminists, and obsessive recyclers. A place where people get eggs from the chickens in their backyards, and carry their dogs in harnesses. A Mecca for farmers' markets, independent bookstores, and sustainable brunch. The stereotypes — expertly exaggerated by Fred Armisen and Carrie Brownstein — aren't completely fabricated. But who wouldn't want artisan donuts and single origin sipping chocolate?
The truth is, it sounds pretty great to live in an eco-friendly town that cares about equality and art, and also has lots of awesome places to eat.
Portland is also a great place to move if you're ready to settle down, but want to hang onto a little bit of urban edge (in a laid back Pacific Northwest kind of way). That's what Chefs Greg Denton and Gabrielle Quiñónez Denton did in 2008 after their "romance was set ablaze" at the grill station in Napa. They opened OX in 2012, honoring the wood-firing traditions of Argentina, and the culinary heritage of Spain, France, and Italy. They were James Beard Finalists for Best Chef's Pacific Northwest in 2015, and have a new restaurant called SuperBite opening up in March.
Greg Denton says that being a husband and wife team usually means the press wants to put you in your separate boxes (okay, who's the pastry chef and who's the executive chef here?), but he insists they are fifty-fifty owners and co-head chefs. They come up with all the dishes together in an environment of complete trust and mutual respect. The dream of the '90s is alive!


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Australia, 2017: bureaucrats who see citizens as enemies
The use of a citizen's personal information by a vengeful public service department, in cooperation with the media, is a new low for a government seemingly committed to collecting and exploiting our data.
Bernard Keane,
Having gone after MPs, whistleblowers and journalists using private information, the Turnbull government has reached a new low that is simultaneously a logical extension of its abuse of power: using private information to attack a member of the public who had the temerity to criticise the government. Moreover, the bureaucrats involved actually boasted about it and warned that others would receive the same treatment.
Blogger Andie Fox wrote a comment piece for the Fairfax papers on February 6, outlining her experience with Centrelink: her ex-partner hadn't lodged tax returns, which meant Centrelink's automatic data matching system tallied up a debt in Fox's name for Family Tax Benefit she had claimed. Fox mentioned that privacy laws had hampered her ability to prove her relationship was over and that her ex-partner's actions shouldn't impinge on her. The Department of Human Services hit back, disclosing much of her personal information to The Canberra Times. The targeting of Fox by the Department of Human Services and Human Services Minister Alan Tudge was not merely an extraordinary breach of privacy purely for political ends, it was intended as a warning to any Centrelink client who might think about publicly criticising the agency. Justifying the breaching of Fox's privacy, Human Services accused Fox of lying, and warned "unfounded allegations unnecessarily undermine confidence and takes staff effort away from dealing with other claims. We will continue to correct the record on such occasions."
That's a particularly obnoxious mix of bureaucratese and officious sanctimony of the kind you'd normally expect to hear from a Beijing state media outlet rather than the Australian public service. To idly toss off a reference (wholly incorrect, as Fox has shown) to "unfounded allegations" and then complain of "confidence" being undermined — whose confidence? That of Centrelink staff? The public's? Because no Australian can now have any confidence that, should there be a perceived political need, this government won't use their private information.
[Stealing your eyeballs: Dutton's stealthy plan to track you]
Nor should any whistleblower have any confidence that the Canberra Times can be trusted, given its participation in the assault on a citizen's privacy.
There's a pattern here — of a government that wants ever more access to its citizens' information, and that ever more aggressively uses that information for political ends. The government's mass surveillance scheme is now in place — although it has no idea where, or how securely, our biggest telecommunications providers are storing our metadata under its data retention regime; it is currently conducting an inquiry into allowing private companies and individuals to get access to metadata; the Australian Bureau of Statistics converted the census into a lifelong monitoring mechanism that would permanently compile individual information from across government, including agencies like Centrelink, for the equivalent of richly textured personal files on every citizen; the Australian Border Force has repeatedly tried to obtain Australians' biometric data; a national facial recognition system has been established.
At the same time we've seen repeated sooling of the Australian Federal Police onto journalists and even opposition MPs and staffers, including attempting to collect email traffic between parliamentary staff and journalists. Witness K, who revealed the Australian Security Intelligence Service's illegal bugging of the East Timorese cabinet, has been harassed and prevented from leaving Australia and his lawyer threatened with prosecution. And now the institutional apparatus of government, armed with personal information, has been turned on a citizen who did nothing more than exercise her basic right to criticise the government for hounding her over a non-existent debt.
[Data breach illustrates danger of mass surveillance]
Peculiarly, the normally voluble poseurs of free speech on the right of politics — the Leyonhjelms, the Bernardis, the One Nationers — have had nothing to say. Nor has that doughty defender of free speech, The Australian, unleashed a barrage of articles aimed at the presumptuous bureaucrats and their minister who used the power of government to attack a critic.
It's one thing to target a Labor shadow minister and his staff, or to go after journalists working for big media companies like News Corp and Fairfax. They have institutional support, they can deploy lawyers, they have bully pulpits to hit back at the depredations of the AFP. But a member of the public has little support in the face of a vengeful government that has her most private information. You can be publicly called a liar and have your most personal details exploited for political purposes without any recourse.
What next from this outfit? Leaking Medicare data to attack critics of its health policies? It's already sought to use asylum seekers' medical data against them. Handing tax data to a friendly media outlet for a hatchet job on a business criticising policy? Governments have access to vast troves of data on all of us, and this one has now demonstrated it is prepared to use it to punish critics — and to send a signal to anyone else contemplating going public.
It's beyond the pale and — to use a dreaded cliche that's wholly apt — unAustralian. A signal needs to be sent that this is unacceptable. That means that Tudge, and the Human Services bureaucrats who approved this tawdry exercise, are sacked. Only that will demonstrate good faith and a renewed commitment to protecting privacy.
Otherwise — and of course it will be otherwise — we've all been given the clearest of signals: no arm of this government can not be trusted with your personal information.
Bernard Keane
Politics Editor @BernardKeane
Bernard Keane is Crikey's political editor. Before that he was Crikey's Canberra press gallery correspondent, covering politics, national security and economics.
Alan Tudge
Andie Fox
The Department of Human Services
Why you should boycott the census
The government already has far too much power over us and wants more
Data retention is an intolerable threat to democracy
Great article. Worth noting that Centrelink/DHS also has form on punishing employees who try to correct false information designed to cast Centrelink in a better light: https://www.fwc.gov.au/documents/decisionssigned/html/2016fwc1460.htm
See especially: paras 61-79.
peter love
It is almost unbelievable. It is bad enough that personal information to one department is now provided to others, but this is truly George Orwell. Government and Public Service are to serve the people, they can "correct the record" if they think this is required In that pursuit, but not this way. Not specific personal information.
Dog's Breakfast
This is a lazy and spiteful government, and the bureaucrats no longer have the courage or intelligence to question or deny their political masters.
Shouldn't that end bit read 'no arm of this government CAN be trusted?' Convoluted!
Reply to Dog's Breakfast
Convoluted? It is just yer standard double negative which anyone, with a concept of grammar, knows asserts the positive – that the government CAN be trusted.
One might expect this of a jobbing (sic!) unpaid intern from a skool that didn't have no class.. in anything much.. but in our premier disreputable news outlet?
The Gerb
surely in the last line you mean: "no arm of this government can be trusted with your personal information."
no chiefs
Thanks Bernard. At least some small factions of the media are willing to call this situation for what it is – the establishment of an American-style draconian surveillance state that is progressing year-by-year. Where is the ABC on this? Fairfax? Politicians? Almost silent. Perhaps everyone fears being doxxed now. The Government's strategy seems to be working a treat.
Lesleygray
Reply to no chiefs
Couldn't agree with you more NC. This government has real problems, including the use of technology that is often unusable like Mygov, the census debacle, and now the debt letters. It shows the high level of inexperienced, untrained and truly unqualified people at the highest levels of the DHS, who due to their fear use their position to turn on those they are paid to served, break their own rules of privacy, to protect their own cosy existence, as they lurch ever closer to an Orwellian existence


text:
"It will take all of us working together – government officials, and diplomats, academic experts, and scientists, activists, and organizers – to come up with new and innovative approaches to strengthen transparency and predictability, reduce risk, and forge the next generation of arms control agreements."
– Wendy Sherman
U.S. Deputy Secretary of State
Iran Nuclear Talks Show Some Progress
The eighth round of negotiations on reviving the 2015 deal resumed in January.
AUKUS States Sign Information Exchange Deal
The United Kingdom and the United States may now share naval nuclear propulsion information with Australia.
U.S., Russia to Continue Strategic Stability Dialogue in 2022
U.S. and Russia plan to meet in early 2022 to continue strategic stability talks, while Russia's withdrawal from the Open Skies Treaty becomes official. The P5 nuclear-weapon states meet in Paris ahead of the 10th Review Conference for the 1968 nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty, which begins in January.
Iran Plays Hardball in Vienna
Negotiations to restore the 2015 nuclear deal with Iran resumed in Vienna, but Iran's hardline approach raised concerns about the prospects for success. Iran continues to stonewall IAEA efforts to clarify its safeguards declaration and ensure continuity of knowledge at the Karaj centrifuge component manufacturing facility.
From Division to Constructive Engagement: Europe and the TPNW
Deep divisions over the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons are hampering the ability of Europe
to influence the goal of nuclear disarmament.
NPT States Prepare for a Critical Conference
States-parties to the nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty (NPT) will convene in January for a review conference that will shape the future of international arm control.
Iran's Nuclear Growth Puts Deal at Risk
As negotiations to restore the 2015 nuclear deal resumed, Iran's uranium-enrichment program continued to grow, deepening international concerns.
Russia, U.S. Adhere to New START Limits
Iran's Failure to Cooperate with the IAEA is Raising Tensions
Iran's refusal to allow inspectors to access a site where centrifuge components are produced is escalating tensions ahead of the resumption of talks to restore the 2015 nuclear deal.