Earlier this spring, a bus pulled out of Philip and headed south to I-90. The passengers on the bus, forty-four band and chorus members and eight chaperones plus music instructor Barb Bowen, were on their way for a whirlwind tour of Chicago.

     While in the Windy City, they would perform a couple of concerts, see some well-known Chicago landmarks, take in a live performance or two and try out some fantastic eateries.

     After traveling through the night, the group arrived in Chicago early Thursday morning. A quick stop for a chance to freshen up then they were off for a busy day of touring the city.

     First stop was the Lincoln Park Zoo. The zoo, founded in 1868, is one of the oldest in the nation. It house more than 1200 different animals. The only zoo within Chicago's city limits, it has several animal houses plus two sections set aside for children. At one time, Marlin Perkins - famed host of the television program Wild Kingdom - was park director.

     From the zoo, the group traveled to the historic Navy Pier where they had an opportunity for lunch and to ride the 150-foot tall ferris wheel. The Pier, along the Chicago shoreline of Lake Michigan, was build in 1916.

     Their next stop was the Sears Tower. At 108-storys, it is the tallest skyscraper in the United States. A trip to the Skydeck on the 99th floor takes less than a minute. (A bit of trivia about the Tower:  the antennas atop the Tower get struck by lightning an average of over 650 times a year and the restrooms on the 103rd floor Skydeck are the highest in the world).

      The group headed to their home-away-from home, the Staybridge Suites. There was time for a quick shower before dinner at the Medieval Times Dinner Theater. There was eleventh century pageantry in an arena around which the diners sat. Knights jousted and displayed their horsemanshipi. A four-course medieval meal was served in metal plates and cups - silverware was not an option. After the meal, it was back to the Staybridge Suites to get some time in at the pool or workout gym and to get some sleep to be ready for a full day on Friday.

     First up for day two was a band performance at the Field Museum of Natural History. The museum is home to Sue, the world's largest, most complete and most famous T-Rex - also a South Dakota native. The museum is part of a lakefront campus the includes the Shedd Aquarium and Adler Planetarium.

     The group went from the Field Museum over to tour the Shedd Aquarium. It contains over 25,000 fish. Since the original building was completed in 1929, it has doubled in size.

     On Saturday, both the band and the chorus performed at Chestnut Square at the Glen, a senior living center. Mrs. Bowen stated that the acoustics at Chestnut Square were amazing and the chorus' harmonies beautiful. After their concert, the kids had a chance to visit with the residents and share homemade cookies and milk.

     This was the second trip to Chicago that a group of Philip music students participated in. Earlier music groups also traveled to Minneapolis. None of the trip was financed through the school. Everyone paid their own way - the students by working in the concession stands, and selling candy and pizza.

Thank you to Deb Smith for the use of her pictures.