All posts by frankochal
2019 in Wisconsin Dells
Annual trip to Wisconsin Dells on Memorial day Weekend. This was the second time in Wisconsin Dells for Charlie.
2019 White Sox Opening Day
White Sox Opening Day was scheduled for April 4, 2019 but was postponed due to threats of all day rain. The rains came and the White Sox rescheduled Opening Day for April 5, 2019. Most of our 30 person group were able to attend the rescheduled event. It was a great day with sunny skies, temperatures in the 50s and the White Sox won!
Jim Thome Day at White Sox Park
The White Sox honored Jim Thome’s induction into the Hall of Fame with a bobblehead night and ceremony on August 11, 2018. My ticket rep comped the tickets which included dinner and drinks in the Centerfield Fan Deck.
It was a great ceremony which brought tears to the eyes of many long time White Sox fans.
Wisconsin Dells, Andersonville MidSommar Fest and Vienna Museum
April 2018 Baseball in Chicago
Baseball season is here again and I attended 3 games this April. White Sox opening day on April 5, a Cubs game on April 12 and White Dog Day on April 23, 2018. Here are some photos from the games.
2018 Chicago Auto Show and Bruce Birthday Dinner
My annual visit to the Chicago Auto Show occurred in February 2018 with the American MGB Association. Bruce Magers birthday was celebrated at Gibson’s Italia where the food and atmosphere was great. The view down the Chicago River was great as shown in the photos. 
AMGBA Meet 2017 and Alabama, New Orleans, St. Louis and more!
The American MGB Association’s annual car show, Meet 2017 was held in Fairhope, Alabama near the Gulf Coast. This meant a drive by the officers (Bruce, Margie and myself) to bring out the club items to the show. This includes the table, chairs, tent, membership items.
We rented a 2017 Maxima for our journey which started early on Thursday, October 12, 2017. We stopped for lunch in Louisville at Martins BarBCue Joint in Louisville, Kentucky for a pulled pork sandwich which was great.
Next stop was Nashville, Tennessee where we stayed overnight on Thursday. We dined at Husk near downtown Nashville, visited the Hermitage House and took in the sites along Broadway, the heart of the music scene in Nashville.
We left early Friday to Fairhope and stopped for lunch at Jack’s in Montgomery thinking it was a Jack in the Box. It wasn’t but the hamburger was OK.
We made it to the Fairhope, Alabama area that afternoon and checked into the Key West Inn. We went to Wintzells Oyster House for an appetizer along the Mobile Bay. We attended the welcoming party for the car show on Friday night and met with local club members and organizers. After that we picked up Margie at the Mobile airport (MOB) and went out for a late in dinner at Felix’s Camp Restaurant in Spanish Fort, Alabama with Margie.
Saturday was the car show which many of our members attended. The AMGBA sponsored several classes of the awards and the club was mentioned several times at the award ceremony. Afterward we dinner at the Bay House Bistro in Fairhope along the Mobile Bay and was the site of a belated birthday celebration for me.
Sunday morning we left early to meet Margie’s son, Jeff and girlfriend, Cathy in New Orleans. We stopped along the way at Battleship Park on the Mobile, Alabama waterfront where they had a collection of battle items including the USS Alabama battleship.
We made it to New Orleans early Sunday afternoon and headed to Jackson Square in the French Quarter. Margie had a beignet at Cafe DuMonde and toured St. Louis Cathedral in Jackson Square. That evening we dined at the Commander’s Palace Restaurant where we celebrated my July birthday yet again along with Jeff’s earlier in October birthday. We then took an Uber to the Bourbon St area of the French Quarter. We bought souvenirs and attended a jazz session at Maison Bourbon and walked the streets enjoying the sight and sounds on a warm autumn night.
Early on Monday morning we said goodbye to Margie and family and headed back home toward Memphis. Along the way we stopped for a tour of the Mississippi Capitol Building in Jackson. In Memphis we dined at a local favorite, Gus’s Fried Chicken for some southern style chicken and visited the Beale St. area. We stayed overnight near Graceland in a hotel that was heavily Elvis Presley themed.
We headed toward St. Louis early Tuesday morning. In St. Louis we visited the St. Louis zoo, Ballpark Village right outside Busch Stadium where the St. Louis Cardinals play. Lunch was at Smoke Daddys for ribs and the St. Louis specialty, Fitz’s Root Beer. The evening we dined in the Little Italy area of St. Louis called the Hill at Charlie Gittos and visited the St. Louis Basilica.
We stayed overnight in Collinsville, Illinois and woke up early Wednesday morning to visit our printer, Johnson Press in Pontiac, Illinois. In Pontiac, Bruce and I visited the Pontiac Museum, the Route 66 Museum and the War Museum before heading for a tour and meeting with Johnson Press. There we were led on an informative tour of the plant with our Customer Service Rep, Teresa Masching. We went out for a light lunch with her and plant manager, Steve “Buzz” Zeller.
We then headed back home to Chicago on Wednesday afternoon morning and returned the Maxima rental car having put more than 2200 miles on the car!
End of One Era and Start of New One with Charile
Unfortunately I lost my dog of 8 years – “Chuck” to cancer. I welcomed a new addition in “Charlie” – a 13 month old boxer/lab mix from PAWS (Pets are Worth Saving). His name came from another nickname of Charles just as the previous dog’s name. Photos are Charlie at Loyola Beach in Chicago and Chuck’s last days.
2017 Chicago auto show, Birthday dinner, new car and more!
My annual visit to the Chicago Auto Show occurred in February 2017 with the American MGB Association. Bruce Magers birthday was celebrated at Prime and Provision where the food and atmosphere was great. Also shown is a Cubs World Series pennant at my mother’s grave, Margies birthday shirt, White Sox opening day and the 2017 British Car Autojumble in Wheaton, Illinois.
I purchased a 2017 Honda CR-V Touring as a result of comparisons at the show in May
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