I'm making my second consecutive trip to the National (also my only two) and with last years trip to Atlantic City still relatively fresh in my mind, I came in wondering how Rosemont would compare. My day started at 4:00 am. My wife and step daughter were catching a 6:00 am flight back to Houston. My flight to Chicago was a few hours later, but delayed multiple times due to severe weather in the Northeast. After a longer than expected day of travel, I finally did arrive on Tuesday as scheduled.
First impressions of the area...Mehhh. As the entire experience will take place within a short radius of O'Hare, the area has all the standard accoutrements...Cheap motels, train tracks, Adult bookstores, interesting people. My first impression...I like the Atlantic City area more. Maybe it's my East Coast bias. Against my gut instinct (and because my wife was subtly auditing my expenditures (living expenses anyway.
) I decided to switch my original reservation from the more highly rated Residence Inn in Rosemont to the still decently rated Wyndham Garden in Elk Grove. Based on reviews, including feedback I saw here on Net54, it seemed worth the risk to go from "Excellent" to "Very Good" if I was saving 50% on cost. In retrospect, I wish I kept the Residence Inn. This hotel seems off. Maybe it was the blood orange setting sun casting an ominous 1970s cinematic "Assault on Precinct 13" (the original obviously) pall over the area. But it just felt like something was about to go down.
If the hotel is 10% full, I'd be surprised. I've been to the lobby 5-6 times in the first 24 hours and barely seen another guest. In the parking lot, upon arrival, there were a half dozen or so cars and a van in the corner missing a tire. It looked like it had been there a while. No one behind the desk when I walked in, but there were slot machines (my hotel in AC didn't even have those). One of the two elevators makes unnerving Oceangate-like banging sounds so I'll be avoiding that one. The room, to my pleasant surprise, however was clean and the AC works great. The hallway was warm and I saw a guy walk in behind me when I first arrived carrying a box fan so I expected the worst. But the room was actually ice cold which I like. No free coffee in the morning...a major black mark for the Wyndham Garden Elk Grove. Oh well...McDonald's in only a mile away.
Dinner #1...It was getting late and I was tired. Just wanted some quick food and bed. Despite the ultra-touristy feel of the decision, I went to Harry Caray's Steak House. The reviews were good enough. The location of the place didn't inspire confidence and the sour beer smell of the bar almost triggered a 180, but I was too tired to go look for something else. I had to listen to the bartender regale the patron next to me with details of Harry Caray's "extremely difficult" bartender training program, and how most people can't cut it and how incredibly busy he was that night (the many empty barstools not withstanding)...but the food was decent. Nothing too extravagant...Just a meatball starter with some bread and an order of brussel sprouts. Completely edible...so no disappointment from me.
The hotel (about 10-15 minutes from the convention center) is surrounded on 3 sides by a trailer park, adult bookstore (with arcade...so the sign says...sounds fun. I wonder if they have Ass-teroids) and a large commercial truck repair shop. However, this morning I was treated to the delightful sight of a majestic Elk casually ambling through the neighboring grove. Luckily I had my phone in hand and quickly captured the moment for my album.
No wait...My bad. That's a garbage truck.