Got back today. We had a great time despite the 18 hour journey home!

The Weird Chicago tour was brilliant, dealing with large scale death and destruction coupled with ghost hunting in spooky back alleys, theatres and hotels, the kids loved it. The Sox won their game (a rare event this season) and the weather was so hot that day we had to buy sunscreen and insist the kids put some on inside the stadium (I got a touch of sunburn myself)! In contrast on the same night we got caught out in the mother of all thunder storms and got soaked through trying to get back to the hostel. The zoo was a treat. The Art Institute was a couple of hours well spent although modern art is not my thing. We managed to do the Field museum and saw the largest T rex in the world. The boat cruise was interesting but the weather was unkind with a very cold wind blowing and some rain (we were under cover). Meals were taken in a variety of restaurants from McDonalds through Bennigans, Pizza places, Bar Louie's, Chinese buffets etc. The kids shopped for England in the Harlem Irvine Plaza, The Water Tower (if you have to ask for the price then you can't afford it) and Navy Pier. Sears Tower (or the Big Willy as it is known now) was spectacular as we went up just before sunset and so saw the city in daylight then watched the lights come on. The have added 3 completly transparent boxes to the side of the building 103 floors up so you can step into 'space'. The Barrel of Monkeys theatre was enjoyable and funny considering the playlets were written by 6 and 7 yea olds but performed by professional actors. On the last night we paid a rapidly organised visit to the 'Buzz' cafe where some of the kids and myself joined the performers on stage to entertain the punters.

The schools we visited were most welcoming and our kids were able to mix with their American counterparts in lessons and other activities including school lunches (our kids are never going to complain about British school dinners again)! The lads took on the Yanks in a 5 a side soccer game and beat the pants off them, however my risk assessment would not allow them to play American football. We met local politicians and dignitaries and were interviewed by the press. In one school the sherriff's dept were holding a training day about drunk driving aimed at teenagers. Our kids and staff took part including trying out the sobriety tests that the Police carry out on suspected drunks such as walking a line and standing one one foot whilst counting up to 9 (apparently this is harder than counting up to 10) then repeating the tests while wearing 'beer goggles' which simulate vision and balance impairment caused by drink.

All in all a packed and fun visit.

Welcome back Hi de Hi and many thanks for your trip report

The only negative occured during our first 10 minutes on American soil. Why, in a country that is bursting with polite, generous, kind and intelligent people do they manage to put the rudest, obnoxious, dumb and plain ignorant people on their immigration desks? One of them managed to reduce one of our 14 year old students to tears and when one of my colleagues tried to intercede on his behalf was theatened with arrest! The green form that we had to fill out on the plane (despite having completed the same, obligatory, form online before leaving the UK) had a question about the nature of your visit with two choices, business or pleasure. When she asked our student why he was visiting the USA he said pleasure (that was the box ticked) apparently this was the wrong answer but we were never informed what should be the correct answer! It took 15 minutes to process a set of identical twins (Apparently people having the same last name and birthday confused him, don't they have twins in America)? If the one who 'interviewed' me had spoken to me that way in the street I would have punched her lights out! Welcome to America..Not!

Thanks for your report.

Sounds like everyone had fun.