SENIORS OF 1962 DO CHICAGO!

     Little did I realize until later in life the significance of the Chicago Senior Skip Day.  It was May 1962. It was dark and late at night at the train depot in Grinnell, Iowa. Our senior class, most at least, with chaperones, were ready to get on the "Rocket" coming in from Denver, Colorado.

     Most small school graduating classes went somewhere in their final spring. Ozarks, Chicago, Kansas City, somewhere to go all together for one last fling. No Hillbilly's for us. We were headed for Chi-town. The Big City.

     We checked into the Palmer House hotel (still there as of this writing.) on that great street-State Street. While we were there we rode in cabs which for most of us was a first time experience just like the train ride. The cab rides were something you would never forget. We knew after that why horns were invented!

     One thing we didn't do was go to a baseball game (Chicago Cubs) as it got rained out. The big event while there was seeing Andy Williams,  the "Moon River" man, at the hotel in the Emerald Room with dinner no less. We also saw the Kingston Trio, who was also performing at the hotel and too considered big time entertainment at the time.

     Seeing Chicago, a train ride, cab ride, big time entertainment, and staying in a swanky hotel, all, for the first time in one week-end was too much!!

     P.S. To this day I marvel that none of class recalls raising money for our trip. In today's dollars, it would have been a fairly expensive trip. All I can say is thank you parents!!