Murphy’s Bleachers and a crawl down Clark Street

I’ve been long overdue in completing my Wrigleyville rooftop game series of blogs.  Chalk it up to a long, brutal week in the real world and my real job.  At any rate, to continue where I left off last time …

If there’s one “must stop” place for me after a Chicago Cubs home game, it’s probably Murphy’s Bleachers at the corner of Waveland and Sheffield.  Appropriately enough, it’s right behind the bleachers and across from the Harry Caray statue.  And between Murphy’s Bleachers and the Cubby Bear (across from the main gate), most people have the same idea when it comes to congregating after the game. 

Scenes from a Wrigleyville rooftop

Well, I finally covered all the pit stops my friend Kent and I made on the way to Chicago for our Wrigleyville rooftop party.  You’d think we would have been ready to call it a day and get some rest before the next day’s festivities.  Well, we weren’t that smart. 

We stayed the night before at the Holiday Inn Chicago-Mart Plaza, which is located right on the Chicago River where the Loop ends and the River North neighborhood begins. Here’s a morning view of downtown Chicago from our room; the Loop is on the left. 

Loafing through Lemont

I’m continuing my road to Wrigleyville from last summer with our final stop before we hit Chicago – historic downtown Lemont, Ill. 

Lemont is actually one of the oldest communities in northeastern Illinois.  It’s been around since 1836 and prospered early because of its position on the Des Plaines River.  Because of the small town charm it’s retained through the years, along with its historic significance in the development of the nearby Illinois and Michigan Canal, Lemont is more thriving than surviving again.  In other words, the suburbanites are discovering it. 

Going on the road to Wrigley (aka Crawling up I-55)

As we conclude the regular season in Major League Baseball, what better time to reminisce about one of my more adventure-filled weekends from this past summer when I somehow joined a pharmacy school alumni group on a Wrigleyville rooftop to enjoy a midsummer game in the classic St. Louis Cardinals-Chicago Cubs rivalry.

But I’m getting way ahead of myself.  After all, getting there is half the fun, right?  That’s what my friend Kent and I thought when we planned a multi-stop small town bar crawl along Interstate 55 from Springfield, Ill., to downtown Chicago.  The game was on a Saturday, so we left noonish Friday to allow plenty of time at each stop we chose.  And, of course, some “small” towns were larger than others.  Case in point:  our first stop at the Alley-Bi Saloon in Lincoln, Ill.

      

Kent is pumped to go into the Alley-Bi.