My best friend, Julie Lieurance, and I were nearly in tears from laughing so hard when I heard from across the bus aisle her mom, Linda Boyles, whisper to my mom, “Well, Jan, sounds like some things just never change.”
Just like Julie and I giggled upon meeting in gymnastics class at the ripe age of 6, we are still amused with each other’s company. Fortunately, our mothers caught the giggles and became best friends too.
Our latest girls’ adventure was last week as we hopped on a charter bus with extra-large, room-to-grow suitcases in Lima, Ohio, for a shopping trip to Chicago. The bus was packed with 40 chatty women with Christmas lists to check off and sparkling money signs in their eyes.
We stepped off the bus onto Michigan Avenue at the top of the Magnificent Mile of shopping where the Windy City lived up to its nickname with 30 mph wind speeds.
Layers of long underwear, two pairs of socks, heavy winter coats, hats, gloves and scarves couldn’t defend us from the brutal wind beating.
We lasted hardly an hour before warming up in the Cheesecake Factory where we split a scrumptious piece of Oreo cheesecake topped with a mound of whipped cream.
“Diet starts next Monday, right?” we agreed.
Back out on the street, I gazed through my scarf at each enchanting window storefront adorned with fake snow, red Christmas ornaments and festive, well-dressed mannequins.
Quickly, I learned that Chicago shopping is an art form. For a shopper like myself who devotedly avoids Fayette Mall at Christmas time, it was essential fight off crowds and avoid pesky salespeople.
I was most impressed by the women lugging around their children in strollers. To this day, I have not a clue how they managed to stay sane. They deserve the gold medal of shopping.
I also admired the hundreds of women wearing their designer coats with high-heeled boots, carrying multitudes of paper shopping bags with sturdy hemp handles while still managing to munch on Garrett Popcorn.
We stepped out of being rookie shoppers when we walked through the entire first floor of cosmetics at Macy’s without smelling like a bottle of perfume. The salespeople waiting to pounce on the weak with test sprays were no match for Julie and me. We gave each other a well-deserved high-five once we were in the clear.
A wicked gust of wind that hit us as we crossed a bridge over the Chicago River forced us to catch our first of many interesting cab rides to our hotel.
We entered the extravagantly decorated and elegant Palmer House where we split a bottle of wine, drinking out of Dixie cups, to celebrate being in the heat.
Around the corner, we found our new favorite Chicago eatery at Miller’s Pub before our clan went to a show at Second City, a comedy club where several famous comedians, including my favorite, Steve Carell, got their start.
The entertaining show culminated in a surprise appearance by Jim Belushi and his son, Rob, as part of the club’s 50th anniversary. Several of the alumni, including Carrell, were featured later in the weekend.
With more bearable temperatures, shopping day two was more successful. We stripped off our under layers of clothing, giving us more room to move and breathe in the heated stores.
In search of the perfect boots, we hit up H&M, T.J. Maxx, Filene’s Basement, Urban Outfitters and Charlotte Russe.
Macy’s on State Street left my heart fluttering. Salvation Army volunteers dressed in old-fashioned, full-length trench coats played Christmas carols on trumpets to greet shoppers at the 12-story department store.
Macy’s wasn’t just for purchasing; it was a beautifully designed piece of architecture that I enjoyed without leaving a penny at the register.
One could spend an entire day inside the mega store with an indoor fountain and Tiffany vaulted glass ceiling. I could have bought another bridesmaid dress, a Batman figurine for my 3-year-old nephew, Starbuck’s coffee, a Christmas tree and a new comforter all in one store.
In the evening, we ate Chicago-style pizza at Pizzeria Uno. The concept of putting the tomato sauce on top of the cheese seemed backward to us ladies, especially the Boyles women, who run a family pizza place back home. But when the waitress took away an empty pizza pan, we obviously had no complaints about the delicious pizza.
Then we watched “Up in the Air,” staring George Clooney, which fit perfectly into a girl’s weekend, at a movie theater connected to the classiest bowling alley I’ve ever attended.
With a wooden bar, pristine billiards tables, L-shaped couches, fireplaces and even a dress code, The Lucky Strike felt more like a high society downtown bar, with the exception of Bud Light in bowling pin bottles.
By day three we decided to ditch shopping and catch a cab to Navy Pier.
We snapped pictures with the skyline in the background and enjoyed a breath of fresh air as we took in the views of Lake Michigan.
Inside, Santa Claus and Mrs. Claus listened to kiddos’ wish lists. For 20 minutes, we were entertained by simply watching the reactions of children when Santa belted out, “Ho, ho, ho, Merry Christmas!”
The pier’s convention hall houses Winter WonderFest, which features an indoor ice skating rink, Ferris wheel, giant Christmas tree, Christmas carnival rides, candy cane bouncy blow-up toys and cookie decorating, all the while a high school symphony band played Christmas songs.
We left the harbor to make one final sweep through Macy’s, where there wasn’t a step left vacant on the escalators.
We said goodbye to Chicago with full suitcases, heads full of fond memories with the most precious women in our lives, and a garbage bag overflowing with goodies for our families, our friends and even our own closets (including the perfect pair of boots).
Email: hschiffer@state-journal.com