If you begin to feel like a corn stalk, Chicago is the nearest oasis of civilization (Indy does not count). To get to downtown, take I-65 North almost to Gary/Hammond. Then get on I-80/94 going west. Then stay on I-94 going north. Chicago, in case you haven’t heard, is a very large town, so it would probably be best to track down a native to find out the real scoop.

• Museum of Science and Industry - in Jackson Park at 57th and Lakeshore. Free, invites participation in the exhibits (push buttons, etc.). Don't miss the coal mine, the Submarine, or the OmniMax theater. Free Thursday. (312)684-1414, Adults $6; Seniors $5; Children 5 - 12 $2.50; Under 5 free Combination Museum admission and Omnimax: Adults $10; Seniors $8; Children 5 - 12 $5.50
• Field Museum of Natural History - in Grant Park (1200 Lakeshore). Free Wednesday. Roosevelt Rd. at Lake Shore Dr. (312)922-9410 Adults $5; Seniors, students, and children 3 - 17 $3 Daily 9 a.m. - 5 p.m.
• Adler Planetarium - just east of Lakeshore (1300 Lakeshore). (312)922-STAR, Adults: $3, Children (4-17) $2; Seniors $2; Sky Show $2 Monday - Thursday: 9 a.m.- 5 p.m.; Friday: 9 a.m.- 9 p.m.; Weekends: 9 a.m. - 6 p.m.
• Shedds Aquarium & Oceanarium - (in Grant Park (1200 Lakeshore). 10,000 fish and sea creatures. They have a coral reef exhibit with Caribbean fish that are fed by scuba divers. The Oceanarium, added in 1990, features marine life rarely seen outside of the major coastal aquariums. Adults $8; Seniors and Children over 3 $6; Children under 2 free Daily 9 a.m. - 6 p.m.; Thursday evenings open until 9 p.m.
• Art Institute - Michigan Avenue at Adams Street. Minimal charge; a good collection especially of French 19th and 20th century paintings. Free Tuesday 111 S. Michigan Ave. (312)443-3600
• Chicago Historical Society, Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago Academy of Sciences - museums also worthy of mention.
• Lincoln Park Zoo - Lincoln Park ( 2200 N. Cannon Dr. (312)742-2000 Daily 9 a.m. - 5 p.m., is downtown. http://www.lpzoo.com/
• Brookfield Zoo - 1st Avenue and 31st St. in Brookfield, (708) 485-0263. is bigger and expanding. To get to Brookfield Zoo, take I-290 or I-55 and get off at First Avenue. $2 charge.
• Rush Street - is the night-life center of Chicago. Lots of bars and restaurants.
• Sears Tower - Adams St. and Wacker Dr. (you can't miss it). Tallest building in the world by some measures. For best results, pick a clear day.
• John Hancock Center Observatory - 875 N. Michigan Ave. (312)751-3681 Adults $5.75; Children 5 - 17 $3.25; Children under 5 Free Open everyday 9 a.m. - 12 a.m.
• Water Tower Place North side of the loop. Full of exotic shops (by local standards). You have to see it to believe it.

There are many interesting clubs and bars all over Chicago. A good source of information on music, clubs, bars, theater, etc. in Chicago is http://centerstage.net/chicago/. Chicago is famous for its Blues music.

• B.L.U.E.S. - 2519 N. Halsted, (312) 528-1012
• B.L.U.E.S. Etcetera - 1124 W. Belmont, (312) 525-8989
• Blue Chicago - 736 N. Clark, (312) 642-6261
• Buddy Guy's Legends - 754 S. Wabash, (312) 427-0333
• Checkerboard Lounge - 423 E. 43rd St., (312) 624-3240

For more info on Chicago Blues bars, check out http://nitescape.com/chicago/blues/.

If you like sports, Chicago is the place to be. Chicago is home to a NFL football team, two major league baseball teams, an NBA basketball team, and a NHL hockey team.

• Baseball - Chicago White Socks and Chicago Cubs
  • Chicago's two major league baseball teams are the White Socks and the Chicago Cubs. The White Socks home turf is Comiskey Park located at 333 West 35th Street, and the Cubs home turf is Wrigley Field located at 1060 West Addison Street and, no, that is not where Elwood Blues lives. For White Socks info, call (312) 924-1000 or visit http://www.chisox.com. For Cubbies info, call (312) 831-CUBS.

• Basketball - Chicago Bulls
  • You want basketball? There's only one place to go. DA-BULLS. Don't even try to get tickets. For more Bulls info, visit http://www.nba.com/bulls.

• Football - Chicago Bears
  • For more Bears info, visit their official NFL web site at http://www.nfl.com/teams/bears/bears.html.

• Ice Hockey - Chicago Blackhawks
  • For more Blackhawks info, visit http://www.nhl.com/teams/chi/index.htm.