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Remember when: A whole lotta shakin' goin' on

John Houghtaling, 92, recently passed away. In case you don’t recognize the name, John invented the motel miracle called Magic Fingers. Remember when you drove cross-country in the 1950s and 1960s, and needed to bed down for the night? When you checked in, tired and achy from hours on the road, that’s when John’s invention offered solace.

Next to your motel bed was a metal box with a 25-cent coin slot on top. That coin would make your bed shake for about 15 minutes, presumably to help lull you to sleep. Of course, stand-up comics made jokes about how the devices could be used for more devious means at so-called no-tell motels.

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Chicago IL: Frank Sinatra Sang About The Great Town PDF Print E-mail


The lyrics sum up what admiring visitors love about the city. The 1964 musical movie starred the Rat Pack, called Robin and the Seven Hoods, sort of a modernized version of Robin Hood.

Each time I leave, Chicago is tuggin' my sleeve.
Chicago is the Wrigley Building;
Chicago is the Union Stockyard;
Chicago is one town that won't let you down:
It's my kind of town!

No matter what the shady reputation these days, senior visitors love Chicago. See the city with the Hop on Hop Off bus. Stroll Navy Pier Amusement Park. Ride a boat on Lake Michigan. Do some great shopping and fine dining along the Loop’s Magnificent Mile.

Joining the restaurant crawl in Lincoln Park on June 13. A ticket to Cravings on Clark gets you samples from 20 Chicago restaurants and discounts at shops on Clark Street and Diversey Parkway, beginning at HopCat.

 
 
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