Chicago's El, short for elevated train

The best, and most scenic, way to get around Chicago is to ride our famous El. Short for elevated train, the El is one of the most reliable methods of transportation within the city limits. Conveniently located right next to the Summit site, the El services both O’Hare and Midway airports, all downtown areas, and many suburbs. The El has eight train routes known by colors (the Red line, Brown line, Orange line, etc.). The Rosemont El stop is the Blue line, which runs from O’Hare to downtown.

I know that visiting a new city can be intimidating in and of itself. Add mastering the public transportation system and some of you might be overwhelmed. I understand. I’ve been there. So here are a few resource for using the El.

• Purchasing Tickets - you purchase tickets at any El stop. Each ride is $2.25. You can load money onto a fare card or you can purchase a 3 day pass for $14. The 3 day pass allows you to ride the train and bus system for 72 hours from the time you first use your card for an unlimited number of rides. Purchase your tickets at one of the fare card machines. For more information, see the CTA’s Fare Buying guide.

• Planning Your Route – the easiest way to figure out which train to take and where to transfer is to use a service like Google Maps. Say you want to visit the Field Museum while you’re here.  Enter in your starting and end points, click the By public transit option, and Google Maps tells you the best route to take, complete with transfer instructions. For more route-planning tips, see the CTA’s Finding Your Way guide.

• Asking Questions – we don’t expect you to remember all of this. If you have questions, please stop by the STC Chicago Hospitality table and asked one of our friendly volunteers (who also happen to be Chicago residents). We’re here to make your visit to the Windy City as seamless as possible.

The CTA offers a host of resources at their site. If you know you’ll be exploring the city in your free time, consider familiarizing yourself with what they have to offer.

Now get out there and train through my favorite U.S. city.

Adam Evans is a member of the STC Chicago 2012 Host Committee and a technical writer at kCura.

Chicag's Willis Tower (formerly Sears Tower)

There are ways to get away from it all, and then there are ways. How about straight up? Here in Chicago you can get a bird’s eye view from two different towers.

Most famous is the Willis Tower, more familiarly known as the Sears Tower until a few years ago. The tower is (by either name) the tallest building in the western hemisphere at 1,410 feet and was completed in 1973. At that time it was the tallest building in the world (and it remained the tallest until 1998). You can get near the top at the Skydeck, at 1,353 feet above ground. Recently added glass boxes (The Ledge) let you appear to be floating above the skyline (be sure to have a friend take your picture).

The John Hancock building is 1,127 feet tall and officially opened in 1970. The Observatory at the John Hancock is 1,000 feet up and was refurbished in 2008. In addition to the Observatory, the Signature Room at the 95th is located (where else?) on the 95th floor (one floor above the observation deck) and offers full service dining with the backdrop of 360 degree views of the city.

So, how do they stack up?

Either tower on a clear day provides a view of Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, and Wisconsin. And both are included in the CityPass, which gets you into five major attractions: the two towers, the Shedd Aquarium, the Adler Planetarium, and the Museum of Science and Industry.

And if you go up about an hour before sunset and linger, you’ll see both the daylight and evening views, as well as the sunset.

The STC Annual Summit is just around the corner. What are you packing for your trip to Rosemont? Do remember to reach in time to listen to and interact with some of the best known faces of the TechComm world.

Adobe is committed towards bringing together thought-leaders in this space a day before important events and none gets bigger than the Annual STC Summit! On Sunday 20 May, a day before the STC Summit begins, we welcome you to attend this free conference (detailed agenda and registration link) at the Hyatt Regency O’Hare.

Some of the speakers and sessions include:

• Ann Rockley on “Developing an Adaptive Content Strategy”
• Joe Welinske of WritersUA on “Multi-Screen Help Authoring—How to Deal the Explosion in Device Sizes”
• Beth Gerber and Pam Harrison of Lightext, Inc on “Multi-Purposing your Policy and Procedure Content for Today’s Enterprises”
• Panel discussion—“The Decade Ahead: Opportunities and Challenges for Tech Comm Professionals” (Ann Rockley, Bernard Aschwanden, Joe Gollner, Joseph Ganci, Lynne A. Price, Matt Sullivan and Neil Perlin).

If you missed the links on top, they are provided below. Adobe events can be a lot of fun even as they help you learn and network. Hope to see you there!

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Date: Sunday, 20 May 2012

Time: 8:00 AM–1:00 PM CDT (with breakfast, refreshments, and networking lunch included)

Venue: The Hyatt Regency O’Hare, Rosemont, Illinois, USA

NO REGISTRATION FEE! Just sign up and attend! Important links:

• Registration
• Detailed agenda
• Speaker profiles

An email was sent to each attendee providing a link to log in to Zerista and set your password. After you enable your account, you can access Zerista in several ways:

• Go to http://stcsummit.zerista.com and log in to use the full site or mobile site, based on the device you use to access the site.
• Go to your smartphone app store and get the free Zerista app (search for Zerista). Then, when you log in using the email address you used to register for the STC Summit, you can select stcsummit and use the mobile app.

If you have any difficulty using the site or have registered for the Summit but did not receive an email with your username and password, please email Lloyd Tucker. Attendees are loaded in stages, so if you’ve registered in the past few days you’ll be in the next group.

You can also tweet your question with the #stc12 hash tag, and someone will try to respond with an answer. We look forward to building connections that last.

Even if you’re unable to travel into Chicago, though, there are plenty of things to do in and around Rosemont and a casino nearby in Des Plaines. The Chicago Chapter has written a number blog posts here about nearby tourist attractions and restaurants, and of course there’s the Music Jam on Monday night for entertainment! Keep an eye on Twitter as well for any unofficial tweetups.

If you’re heading into downtown Chicago, however, here are a few pieces of advice taken from an email by STC member Rick Lippincott (thanks, Rick!) and followup from others.

The Department of Homeland Security has declared the NATO Summit a “National Special Security Event” (NSSE). This means that during the event, in downtown Chicago authorities may ask to see personal identification. This may impact people who are going to the Second City event on Saturday night. Have a current valid photo ID handy and there should be no problems.

Be aware that during the Summit, there will be two main restricted zones:

• McCormick Place and surrounding areas
• Northern Museum Campus and surrounding areas

Chicago news reported that the Art Institute, Adler Planetarium, and Shedd Aquarium will be closed on 19-21 May during the NATO summit. The Field Museum will be closed on Sunday, 20 May.

The FAA will be imposing temporary flight restrictions 19-21 May. Although regularly scheduled flights will be authorized to enter the airspace, it’s reasonable to expect delays due to the increases in traffic and security. The STC Summit site is very close to O’Hare International Airport, and there is a free shuttle from O’Hare to the Hyatt Regency O’Hare (note: make sure you get on that bus for the Hyatt Regency O’Hare and not the Hyatt Regency Rosemont).

Rail service is expected to operate normally, and there’s a rail stop close to the Summit hotel. However, McCormick Place stops will be closed 20-21 May. Bus delays and detours are also possible, particularly any that go near McCormick Place.

Again, we do not expect major issues in Rosemont, but you may run into some if you venture into Chicago. In general, here are some basic suggestions to follow:

• Try to avoid all demonstrations
• Carry proper ID at all times
• Follow the instructions of authorities
• Double-check your travel arrangements
• Allow extra time airport security screenings
• Allow extra time for travel through Chicago

Both Adobe and MadCap Software are offering these free sessions for technical communicators to learn more about their products and plans. See the Vendor Tools Sessions page of the Summit website for full details and schedule for each session as well as how to register. While the sessions are free, you must register with either Adobe or MadCap to participate in the sessions.

STC would like to thank Adobe and MadCap Software for putting on these sessions for the Summit!

Chicago is known as the World Capital of the Blues. Whether you live in the area or are visiting from out of town, you can find live blues 365 days a year, 7 days a week, from the South, West, and North Sides to uptown and downtown.

Blue Chicago
Neighborhood: River North
Note: Blue Chicago is known for women blues singers. Open 7 nights a week.
536 N. Clark (at Ohio)
312-661-0100

B.L.U.E.S.
Neighborhood: North Side/Lincoln Park
2519 N. Halsted
773-528-1012

Buddy Guy’s Legends
Neighborhood: South Loop
Blues Jam: Mondays with Jimmy Burns or Bro. John
700 S. Wabash
312-427-1190

House of Blues Back Porch Stage
Neighborhood: River North
Note: the club is located inside HOB’s restaurant, next door to the larger concert hall.
Blues ProJam: first and last Wednesday each month
329 N. Dearborn
312-923-2000
Back Porch Stage Schedule

For many more locations, see the Chicago Blues Guide.

Russ Friend is a member of the STC Chicago 2012 Host Committee and a SeniorTechnical Writer at Siemens Industry, Inc.

New Flare 8 features include:

• Frameless HTML5 Output
• Sleek New UI
• Mobile Publishing, Now including ePub Output
• High-end Print Publishing Enhancements
• Free Review for Subject Matter Experts
• And much more

Roadshow Agenda

Led by Mike Hamilton, Product Evangelist, the Roadshow agenda covers topics critical for today’s technical communicators, including maximizing content reuse, multi-channel publishing, and formatting your documentation with advanced CSS techniques.

Visit the MadCap website to see the detailed agenda.

Event Details

Saturday, 19 May, 9:00 AM–4:00 PM
Hyatt Regency O’Hare (Summit venue)
9300 Bryn Mawr Avenue
Rosemont, IL 60018

STC Summit Attendees Get In Free

All STC Summit attendees receive free registration. Simply call or email Jessica Mitton at MadCap Software to register.

Direct: +1 (858)320-0387 x210
Toll Free US/CAN: +1 (888) 623-2271 x210
Email: jmitton@madcapsoftware.com

The award-winning Alinea restaurant

The award-winning Alinea, 1723 N. Halsted St., which consistently ranks in the top ten of “Best Restaurants in America” lists, was recently declared the world’s top restaurant by Elite Traveler magazine. Its chef, owner, and visionary, Grant Achatz, is well known for his innovations in molecular gastronomy, his deconstructed food, and his theatrical presentation. Dinner (the only meal served) is prix fixe ($210) and consists of 20 courses over a span of about four hours.Yelp reviewers describe it as “pure genius,” “life changing,” the “most amazing meal I’ve ever had,” and “truly an experience that will transcend culinary predispositions as well as American Express cards.”  

At Next you must buy tickets online in advance!

Recently Grant Achatz also opened Next, 953 W. Fulton Market, for which you must order (and pay for) tickets online in advance. Usually far in advance. However, if you follow their Facebook page, you’ll see that they sometimes offer same-night tickets for unsold tables at $365 per person, including wine pairings. The theme, décor, menu, serving pieces, visual food puns,etc., change every 13 weeks. Paris 1906, Childhood, Tour of Thailand, El Bulli … what’s Next?  

(Note: Next door to Next is Aviary, Achatz’s innovative cocktail lounge and “state-of-the-art drink kitchen,” where the beverages are an often interactive (and never boring) cross between a work of art and a science experiment. You might be able to score some tasty bites from Next by way of Aviary’s appetizer menu, or you might even be able to parlay your cocktail experience into an even bigger payoff: According to Next’s website, they occasionally stay open late for customers at Aviary “who express a desire to dine late.”)  

Top Chef Stephanie Izard's restaurant

Stephanie Izard, chef owner of Girl & the Goat, 809 W. Randolph St., is not only a top chef, she was the Top Chef on Bravo’s Top Chef: Season Four. According to their website, “Girl & the Goat has been serving fun foods, craft beers, and making wine in a rustic and bad-ass environment since summer 2010.” The contemporary American menu changes frequently, but it always includes the categories Vegetable, Fish, and Meat, with some overlap between the three.Prices are quite a bit less daunting than Alinea and Next; you can get a great meal for around$30. Girl & the Goat takes reservations but always saves some tables for walk-ins.  

Frontera Grill, and Topolobampo, both at 445 N. Clark St., are run by another culinary superstar, Rick Bayless. Frontera Grill is a colorful, high-energy Mexican restaurant that won the James Beard Foundation’s Outstanding Restaurant award in 2007. It serves traditional Mexican dishes made with organic, custom-grown ingredients and a contemporary twist. Topolobampo (or Topolo for short) is described as the “quiet, sleek, classy sister” to Frontera. It’s also more expensive. Diners can order upscale Mexican cuisine from one of several tasting menus (which Topolo is known for) or a la carte. And at either restaurant, there’s a good chance of meeting Rick Bayless himself, when he stops cooking long enough to makes the rounds in the dining room.  

Another award-winning Chicago restaurant is TRU, 676 N. St. Clair St., run by executive chef/partner Anthony Martin. TRU describes its own cuisine as “Upscale Mediterranean-influenced French food set in a whimsical setting for the serious diner” and as “showcasing the most pristine ingredients in the world.” The three-course prix fixe menu is $98 per person, or you can get a tasting tour of between six and nine courses for $110 to $145. Courses might include wagyu beef short rib braised with aromatics, apple and jalapeno puree; jidori chicken and rosemary with honshimeji mushroom and foie gras; or fallow deer, celery root, black trumpet mushroom, and red currant.  

This could be your last chance to visit chef Charlie Trotter’s namesake restaurant, Charlie Trotter’s, 816 W. Armitage. Late last year, Trotter announced that he will close his famous restaurant at the end of August, 25 years almost to the day that it originally opened. Winner of 10 James Beard awards and scores of other honors, Charlie Trotter’s offers three tasting menus each day that ensure “a perfectly balanced meal that continues to satisfy afterwards.” All of the dishes feature naturally raised and organic ingredients. Trotter himself has authored 14 cookbooks and is the host of a cooking show on PBS, The Kitchen Sessions with Charlie Trotter.  

Desserts amaze at Everest

Chef J. Joho is a “top” chef in more ways than one. Besides earning numerous accolades, including Bon Appetit’s “Best Chef of the Year,” and serving as a guest judge on Top Chef, Las Vegas, his Chicago restaurant Everest, 440 S. LaSalle St., is located on the top floor (the 40th) of the Chicago Stock Exchange. Diners can savor a seven-course degustation or a three- or four-course prix-fixe menu of Chef Joho’s internationally acclaimed cuisine while enjoying the heavenly view.  

Food becomes art at Schwa

“Mind blowing.” “Sheer perfection.” “As much like performance art as a fine dining experience.” We’re talking about Schwa, 1466 N. Ashland Ave., the culinary playground of chef Michael Carlson. It’s a Michelin-starred restaurant that’s BYOB. The nine-course menu is updated seasonally and costs $110 per person. Named “Best New Chef” in 2006 by Food & Wine, Carlson prefers to create simple dishes (his favorite is the quail egg ravioli) in a “relaxed, intimate setting,” which is probably why the restaurant has only 26 seats. If you listen to the reviewers, it’s not to be missed.  

So these are some of the gastronomic delights that await you. You needed a good way to spend your tax refund, right?  

All of the above restaurants are wheelchair accessible.  

Linda Kelley is a member of the STC Chicago 2012 Host Committee and currently serves as the Vice President of the STC Chicago chapter.

Chicago's Field Museum is offering a Genghis Khan exhibit during Summit 2012

If you have the good fortune to attend Summit 2012 in Rosemont, Illinois, you have a two-fold opportunity that you might not even realize. Of course, you have the opportunity to visit the premiere conference of our profession, but you also have the opportunity to visit Chicago’s Field Museum. The Field Museum, Chicago’s Museum of Natural Sciences, owns the largest, most complete and best-preserve Tyrannosaurus Rex dinosaur. This 67-million-year-old dinosaur, nicknamed Sue, became a worldwide headline in the year 2000. The unveiling of Sue at the Field Museum in May 2000 was just the beginning. Since that time, 16 million visitors have marveled at this prehistoric skeleton. The museum also offers a 3D movie, Waking the T. Rex 3D: The Story of Sue.

However, Sue is just the beginning. The museum has a full complement of exhibits, both permanent and traveling, collections, and special events. The museum covers areas such as anthropology, botany, geology, zoology, and more. During the Summit time frame, the Field Museum will be hosting an exhibit on Genghis Khan. There are many, many special and favorite exhibits at the Field Museum. Take a day and spend time with the natural sciences. It’s an opportunity you don’t want to miss.

For more information, or to plan your day at the Field Museum, visit the museum website.

Accessibility Options. Visitors using wheelchairs or strollers may be dropped off at the East Entrance. Handicapped parking is available in the adjacent east lot on a first-come, first-serve basis. Wheelchairs are available, also on a first-come, first-serve basis.

Elizabeth Burke is a member of the STC Chicago 2012 Host Committee and currently serves as the President of the STC Chicago chapter.