Friday dawned beautiful and sunny, boding well for all the outdoor activities scheduled for the day. After the Chicago traffic adventure of the day before, we had decided to leave a half hour earlier than planned in hopes of reaching the boat tour on time. Our trusty driver Bob had gotten up at 3:30 AM in order to exchange our faulty flame-thrower of a bus for a new one that had been delivered to us from Missouri overnight. We scarfed down our eggs, sausage, and French toast, then headed for the bus, bracing ourselves for the traffic ordeal that undoubtedly awaited us.
Miracle of miracles; we sailed right down I-90 without a bottleneck in sight, arriving in downtown Chicago a good 45 minutes ahead of schedule! This left us just enough time to take a side trip to Millennium Park, home of the infamous “Bean” sculpture. This huge, metallic object resembling a giant kidney bean afforded us some great group picture opportunities, with the beautiful Chicago skyline providing the backdrop. We also had just enough time to visit the artistic band shell and concert area, as well as the two giant picture projections. These tall towers show an interesting collection of Chicagoans on huge screens that periodically spew water on kids who wait patiently in the shallow reflecting pool below.
As Bob pulled the bus up alongside the park, we all hopped back on for a quick trip down to the Wendella Boat Tour docks. After a short wait for our river cruiser to dock, we all climbed aboard for a leisurely trip down the Chicago River that runs right through the heart of the city. As we cruised in the sunshine, a young “trainee” narrator told us all about the various skyscrapers that loomed on either side. At one point, we floated by the Sears Tower (actually now called the Willis Tower, except no one in Chicago bothers to call it by its new name). This sleek black building rises over 1450 feet, at one time the tallest building in the world. We also learned the story of the Great Chicago Fire, a catastrophic event from the 1870’s that burned over 5 square miles of the city and killed over 300 people.
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Following our cruise, it was time to head for revered Wrigley Field on the near North Side to take in the Cubs/Cardinals baseball game. As we drove to the ballpark, we drove through some of the more famous north end neighborhoods, easily seeing why this is such a popular area of Chicago. We pulled up alongside Wrigley, quickly found our seats along the 3rd base line, and settled in for the game at one of the truly iconic ballparks in the country.The sun was shining brightly on the St. Louis fans this day (and there were quite a few of them, judging from all the “red” in the stands and the loud cheering for the Cards throughout the game), as the Cards quickly jumped out to a 5-0 lead before the Cubs could get a single out! This lead held up through the 6th inning before the Cubs finally picked up a run on a pinch hit homer. Carpenter was in fine form, allowing only this single run before exiting in the 7th inning. The Cardinals added 2 insurance runs in the 8th and blanked the Cubbies the rest of the way for an easy 7-1 victory!
As we left the North Side and headed back to the highway, we finally encountered the traffic we were becoming accustomed to, but we still managed to get back to the Hotel Indigo for about an hour of R & R. Then it was back on the bus for the short trip to Medieval Times. Upon entering the huge, castle-like structure, we were ushered through the gate, got our group picture taken, met the “king and princess” of the castle, milled around in the large anteroom, and got pumped up for the festivities to follow. We found out that we’d be sitting in the Yellow section, so we knew we’d be rooting for the Yellow Knight once the tournament began. After lots of picture-taking and a little highjinks, we watched as all the other “color” groups were led into the arena before us (of course, they were saving the best for last!). At long last it was our turn, and we filed into the semi-darkened arena to await the show. It wasn’t long before our narrator, astride his horse, began the announcements, and the festivities began. We learned of the efforts of the king to bring peace to the region, with his son the prince being sent as an emissary to help seal the deal. Unfortunately, he was ambushed and kidnapped immediately, setting us up for the activities to follow.
Back at the king’s castle, we were all entertained by a variety of horsemanship and falconry. Soon we met the Knights of the Realm, cheering mightily for the Yellow Knight (and unlike what Jeff had told us, we didn’t manage to get the “hottest” one this night!). While all this was going on, our repast was set before us, one course at a time. We feasted on tomato soup, garlic bread, roast chicken, ribs, potatoes, and finally fruit turnovers, without the benefit of any silverware! As we cleaned ourselves up from dinner, the tournament ensued, with each knight holding his own in the various contests. It soon became apparent, however, that the Green Knight was there to cause trouble, and he was lustily booed at every turn by all members of the audience except his own section. After the dust settled and the Yellow Knight was bested early by none other than the Green Knight, we were finally treated to the last battle, with the prince and the Black and White Knight besting the Green Knight and his entourage. At last we emerged from the arena, getting a chance to meet our heroes out in the vestibule, with many pictures taken (especially with the resident “hottie,” the Red and Yellow Knight, and our very own Yellow Knight, who turned out to be a pretty decent guy). Finally it was back on the bus, back to the hotel, and quickly to bed to await the adventures that Saturday would bring!
Saturday, May 29th
After another protein pile-on at breakfast, it was time to “take care of business” at Carl Sandburg Middle School. After a relatively short, event-free bus ride to the venue, we filed into the building to find our warm-up room. Mr. Huneycutt put on his game face (which still has a big smile on it most of the time), and the choirs showed what choral music is supposed to sound like. The warm-ups allowed for some minor performance adjustments and augmentations, while the choir dusted off a few cobwebs from all the travel and play of the previous days. When it was time to report to the gymnasium to perform, however, there was no sign of rust, as all three choirs sang beautifully. We even noticed the judges shaking their heads in amazement on a couple of occasions because the Nixa singers were so impressive. It was definitely a tour-de-force of vocal performance from this tour escort’s point of view!
Once the performances were over, it was time to play! Bob quickly deposited the group at 6 Flags, and the students were off to enjoy the myriad of coasters and attractions at the park. Mid afternoon saw the Nixa students chowing down on pasta salad, hot dogs, chicken, etc. at the Picnic Grove. Then it was off to the Southwest Amphitheatre to find out the results of day’s events. Jeff had been predicting all day that Nixa HS would walk away with three 1st place trophies. He was wrong as usual, but this time it was a case of underestimation. The 3 Nixa choirs walked off with a whopping FIVE 1st place trophies; one for each choir, one for violin accompanist Michael Monroe, and the coveted Esprit de Corps award given to the school with the finest overall performance! Folks, it doesn't get any better than that!!
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