Twenty-five AAPA and NAPA tourists braved the heat and toured the downtown Chicago area Friday afternoon, July 23. The first stop was at the Chicago Tribune building, where we were welcomed by Ray Gibson, who will also be the banquet speaker Saturday evening. The impressive "Trib" building has on its exterior bricks from famous buildings around the world.
A short continuation of the bus trip brought the tourists to the Navy Pier Park. Anyone who strolled through that area without finding anything to buy had to have his eyes closed!
The final stop was a view of the Chicago skyline, then back on the bus for the trip back to the hotel, with thanks to the intrepid bus driver for braving the traffic, and the narrator who pointed out the sites as we drove by.
Members of both groups gathered informally in the hospitality room during the evening for relaxed visiting, typesetting, and to view two videos. The first one was an extensive presentation of the Hamilton Wood Type Museum of Two Rivers, Wisconsin, including a little bit of history of the Hamilton Wood Type Company. The second video was of excerpts from the movie "Seven Pounds," specifically some clips featuring the presses in that movie, and Mark Barbour giving some information about those presses and other machines in the International Printing Museum in Carson, California.
Friday night and Saturday morning featured an impressive "power and light show" that lit up the entire sky and rent the heavens with sound. As we look out the hotel windows this morning, we are presented with a rainy outdoors. Good thing today's activities are indoors!
