This video clocks in a little longer than our usual fare. I can’t determine what the ideal length might be for an Internet video. For some people, the shorter the better. (For you short attention span people, our shortest video on YouTube is about 9 seconds long.) Other people tell me they want longer videos. Well, for this crowd, here ya go!

This video about Chicago is one of our lengthiest, with a running time of 8:00. It’s not exactly Lord of the Rings, but it’s longer than my original “Hello Blog!” days. I guess we’ll toss it out there onto the Internets and see what happens.

So, what about camping in Chicago? Truth be told, it’s quite difficult to camp in Chicago, especially if you want a full hookup campground. We’re getting a little soft these days, wanting to take showers and all. There are not many (or to be more accurate, not ANY) full hookup choices available near the city center. Maybe one of these days someone will open a downtown RV resort, but it hasn’t happened yet.

So we opted to stay outside the city and drive in for exploration. There are benefits to this approach. Namely, instead of parking downtown in a barbed wire parking lot, we enjoyed a rural camping experience. There are obvious downsides too, in that visiting the city required about an hour’s drive along packed tollways. We experienced a daily commute, Chicago style. (The toll roads would be much more efficient were it not for the, ahem, toll booths.)

I’ve done plenty of business in Chicago over the years. My usual routine was to arrive at O’Hare Airport, take a cab to the city, and check into my hotel. Most of my impressions of the city were thus formed by hotels, various office buildings, and the core downtown area. This RV camping trip was educational because we were able to visit the suburbs and neighborhoods outside the city center. I feel we got a well rounded taste of the city since we saw it from a commuter standpoint.

Food? Chicago is famous for its unique food, and we had our share. We sought out a number of interesting local establishments. In the video you will see several, including Lou Malnati’s deep dish pizza, and the infamous Superdawg (which is actually quite delicious as hot dogs go). We also grabbed a fantastic heavy metal burger at Kuma’s Corner, and a family style Italian meal at Tufano’s. I’ll do a video about Tufano’s in a future post. One of the reasons we travel is to experience different cultures, and food plays a key role. In Chicago any pretensions of a healthy diet were tossed out the window. This town is not known for its tofu.

Back to the camping. Our campground was a place called Lehman’s RV Resort, located in Marengo, Illinois. The people were friendly, the campsites were nice enough (paved pads & full hookup) in a utilitarian sort of way. Not a lot of trees in our section. It was a good choice for us, but the distance from the city will make it less attractive for some. You will be faced with an hour or so drive into the city. If you’ve ever spent any time in Los Angeles this is no big deal, since in Southern California it takes an hour to cross the street.

As for Chicago itself? You get all the benefits of a massive metropolis, delivered with a pleasant Midwestern attitude. What’s not to like?