Schedule/Description of Events

Tuesday, August 21, 2018

Hilton Chicago

Registration
2:30 – 6:00pm Hilton Chicago / Magnificent Mile Suites

Welcome Reception
6:00 – 8:00pm Hilton - Wheaton Ballroom

Kick off this exciting executive Adventure with a Welcome Reception! Enjoy food and drinks as you meet fellow attendees and our event staff.

Wednesday, August 22, 2018

Chicago Sports Museum

Chicago Sports Museum
12:00pm – 1:00pm Lunch at Harry Caray’s 7th Inning Stretch
1:00pm – 2:30pm Chicago Sports Museum

There’s no better place to begin exploring Chicago’s love affair with sports than the Chicago Sports Museum. Our group fellowship begins with a sports themed lunch at Harry Caray’s 7th Inning Stretch with baseball scholar Bill Savage, Ph.D. After lunch, we’ll even play a little ourselves using interactive body-tracking technology to swing for the fence. Then we’ll cool off amidst the largest collection of Chicago Cubs 2016 World Series memorabilia and an impressive collection of game-used treasures and other artifacts including the infamous 2003 "Bartman Ball" that cost the Cubs the pennant.

VIP Tour of Wrigley Field
3:00pm – 4:30pm Wrigley Field

Go behind-the-scenes of the legendary home of the Chicago Cubs! Nicknamed the Friendly Confines, Wrigley Field is baseball’s second oldest ballpark – it’s where Babe Ruth called his shot in 1932 and the home of the 2016 World Series Champions. Stepping into Wrigley Field today is like stepping back in time. We'll visit the Budweiser Bleachers, the Press Box, the Visitor's Clubhouse, the Cubs Dugout, and even step onto the field. The surrounding neighborhood (called “Wrigleyville”) is filled with fans on game day... Ballhawks wait on Waveland Avenue to catch homeruns during the game... Fans sit atop buildings behind Wrigley Field and watch the game… Ivy still covers the brick walls in the outfield, the scoreboard is still manually operated, and flags still remind fans whether or not the Cubs won the day before, and where they are in the standings.

White Sox vs. Twins

Pre-Game Warm-Up
5:00pm Rocky’s Sports Restaurant

Named Chicago’s “Best Game-Day Bar,” Rocky’s Sports Restaurant is a Southside neighborhood tradition. Enjoy some pre-game warm-ups including the chicken vesuvio sandwich featured on the television show Chicago's Best

Chicago White Sox vs. Minnesota Twins
TBD First Pitch

From their inception in 1901 as charter members of the American League, the Chicago White Sox have played on the city’s South side - now calling Guaranteed Rate Field their home. The club was originally called the Chicago White Stockings, but this was soon shortened to Chicago White Sox. The White Sox won the 1906 World Series with a defense-oriented team dubbed "the Hitless Wonders", the 1917 World Series led by Eddie Cicotte, Eddie Collins, and Shoeless Joe Jackson, and the 2005 World Series led by Paul Konerko, Mark Buehrle, and catcher A. J. Pierzynski.

Thursday, August 23, 2018

Pizzeria Tour

Program
11:00pm – 12:00pm Chicago Shambhala Center

One of the spirituality and wellness components of our pilgramage includes this introduction to mindfulness including the role Buddhist traditions play in the West and an overview of the Way of Shambhala – meeting challenges with gentleness, steadiness, and humor.

Pizzeria Tour
12:30pm - Progressive Lunch

Feel like a local as you dine off the beaten path at four of the highest rated pizzerias in town. Deep-dish, caramelized crust, thin crust, Polish, Italian Beef, or even s’mores pizza – we’ll sample all the historic slices! Learn the science behind ingredient selection and baking methods, and the important role that pizza plays in Chicago’s neighborhood culture.

Buddy Guy’s Legends

Chicago Blues Break
3:30pm – 4:30pm Buddy Guy’s Legends

Since its opening in June of '89, Buddy Guy's Legends has built a reputation as the premiere blues club in the world. Backed by Mr. Guy's personal reputation as the crowned king of Chicago's electric blues scene and his 50+ years in the music business, Legends is distinguished for its innovative scheduling of local, national, and international blues acts.

Pre-Game Warm-Up
5:00pm Cubby Bear’s in Wrigleyville

Located across the street from historic Wrigley Field, the Cubby Bear Wrigleyville is "the place" for Cubs pre-game activities. We’ll be warming up in a private room overlooking the Wrigley Field Marquee with BBQ chicken tenders, mac & cheese bites, mini-meatballs, and potato skins.

Cubs vs. Reds

Chicago Cubs vs. Cincinnati Reds
7:05pm First Pitch

One of America's most popular sports teams, the "lovable loser" Chicago Cubs with their faithful fans, have been consistent reminders of the power of loyalty and faithfulness. Ending a 108 year drought in 2016, the longest in American sports history, the Cubs finally won the World Series in the modern era, and one of the largest crowds ever assembled celebrated in Millennium Park. Being in Wrigley Field watching a Cubs game is one of the great moments in all of professional sports. See the stadium where the goat got booted out of the bleachers, instigating the legendary "Billy Goat" curse, the home field where Ernie Banks, Ron Santo, Ryne Sandberg, Billy Williams, Ferguson Jenkins, and Greg Maddux gave their all, and imagine singing along with the legendary Harry Caray on "Take Me Out to the Ballgame." After the game, you may board the Motor Coach to return to the Hilton or stick around and enjoy Wrigleyville (with return transportation on your own).

Friday, August 24, 2018

Lunch & Program

Lunch & Program
11:30am The Berghoff

The Berghoff is a rarity in America’s restaurant industry – 100% family-owned and -operated for more than a century. Paired with the old-world charm of the landmark building, filled with Chicago mementos and artifacts, The Berghoff has something to delight everyone who visits. Our lunch program is provided by Rev. William Miller who will share some of his favorite stories about baseball and faith.

“Untouchables” Tour
2:00pm – 3:30pm

“Ba da Bing!” Experience 1920’s & 30’s Chicago as we tour the old gangster hot spots (and hit spots). We’ll learn all about the exploits of Capone, Moran, Dillinger and the rest of the boys – the excitement of jazz-age Chicago during the Prohibition Era – as we take a journey into the past and cruise the city in search of the old hoodlum haunts, brothels, gambling dens and sites of gangland shootouts.

National Italian American Sports Hall of Fame
3:30pm – 4:30pm

We’ll take a break from eating to explore this treasure trove of sports memorabilia – Mario Andretti’s Indy 500 racecar, Rocky Marciano’s first heavyweight championship belt, Vince Lombardi’s last coat worn as coach of the Green Bay Packers, and so much more.

Harry Caray's

Free Time
4:30pm – 6:30pm

We've set aside some free time today to allow you to explore Chicago on your own. Our hotel is located in The Magnificent Mile - a trendy area boasting more than 460 retailers, including popular brands; major department stores; international luxury labels and designers; and three vertical shopping centers. The Navy Pier and it's famous ferris wheel are a short walk away, as are several world-class museums, or perhaps head to the top of the 100 story John Hancock building where 360 Chicago offers an impressive view of the skyline.

Harry Caray's Steakhouse
7:00pm Harry Caray’s Italian Steakhouse

Named “Best Steakhouse in Chicago” by the Chicago Tribune Dining Poll, Best of Citysearch Poll and Metromix on CLTV, Harry Caray’s serves the finest prime, aged steaks, chops and Italian favorites. The sophisticated, high energy restaurant pays tribute to the beloved Chicago Cubs sportscaster (born Harry Christopher Carabina) for whom the restaurant is named (and just to stay on theme, the restaurant is housed in what was once home to Frank Nitti, the infamous “enforcer” in Al Capone’s gang).

Saturday, August 25, 2018

Miller Cave

Beer Capital of the World
10:30am Board the Motor Coach for Milwaukee

We’ll begin our day with lunch at one of Milwaukee’s favorite craft brewers for today's program: On Wellness from Living Compass Director, the Rev. Scott Stoner. Afterwards we'll tour the city that was home to 4 of the world’s top 10 biggest breweries of the 20th Century. See the Big 4 – Pabst, Schlitz, Blatz, & Miller – that made Milwaukee famous, plus several other historic beer-related sites including brewer mansions, extinct smaller breweries, & tied-house saloons. Interact with the World’s Smallest Traveling Beer Museum as you see & touch artifacts from the city with the richest brewery history in the nation! We’ll stop to sample everyone’s wears, and enjoy select readings from the Rev. William Miller, the author of “The Beer Drinkers Guide to God.”

Brewers vs. Pirates

Milwaukee Brewers vs. Pittsburgh Pirates
5:00pm TGI Friday’s Homerun Porch
6:10pm First Pitch

The Milwaukee Brewers are for real. Missing the playoffs in 2017 by only one game, the off-season acquisitions of superstars Lorenzo Cain and Christian Yelich give the Brewers one of the best outfields in the National League. One of MLB’s modern legends, Miller Park goes “old school” as a grand structure with its red brick facade, arched windows and a clock tower at the homeplate entrance – then adds a taste of “modern” with a 12,000 ton retractable roof like no other and a massive (105 feet high by 168 feet wide) HD video/scoreboard above centerfield. Tonight you’ll enjoy the Brewer’s home game on the TGI Friday’s Homerun Porch with catered dinner buffet and available private bar (alcoholic beverages not included).

Sunday, August 26, 2018

St. James Cathedral

9th Inning Gathering
10:00am St. James Commons

We'll "close out" our pilgrimage by gathering at St. James Episcopal Cathedral, a short walk from our hotel, to reflect on the highlights of our Adventure, sharing what we've learned and what we hope to take back home.

Worship Service (optional)
11:00am St. James Cathedral

You will have an opportunity to join other pilgrims to give thanks to God and share a simple sacred meal.

 

 

“You don’t save a pitcher for tomorrow. Tomorrow it might rain.” -- Leo Durocher