OMG, how hilarious, Sara
I thought it was a little strange that you were referring to "said adopted stepchild" but I figured I'd just go with it. You never know what family situations are out there and I'm sure there are lots of second marriages where a spouse isn't too crazy about a stepchild; so I thought that was the path we were going down
As Gilda Radner used to say on SNL "never mind".
Anyway, as Steve said, there is a daily registration fee for the symposium that would probably work out well for you. And you could always join us for drinks or tea - I for one HAVE to do the tea
Like Angie, I've been to both The Drake and The Talbott, but if I had a vote it would be The Talbott hands down. As she kind of mentioned, The Talbott is the type of place where you can walk through the lobby in a t-shirt and jeans and no one looks at you like you have 3 heads. If you do this at The Drake, someone is likely to either faint, gasp loudly, give you a dirty look - or maybe even all 3 (not in that particular order).
Truth be told I was a little disappointed to see that the symposium is at The Drake. It's a wonderful place and all, but it
is very stuffy and the dress code is a little more than I like to take on unless I'm working. I really don't like to adhere to a dress code in my leisure time, plus I'm sure I'll need to supplement my wardrobe prior to August since currently parts of it wouldn't fit into The Drake's standards.
I'm sure the ANA had their reasons for picking The Drake though. IMO it's a little more centrally located than The Talbott and it has a wonderful view of the lake. I also think it's a larger hotel. The rooms are very nice and the service and staff there are great. It's probably tailored to the "doctor set" more than your "average citizen" - but then again, there will be a large "doctor set" in attendance.
Angie -
you forgot to mention the horse-drawn carriages in the winter in Chicago. It's part of the whole lights, decorations, store displays, weather magic. I try to get the kids down there every year around the holidays. Even if you don't shop it definitely gets you in the Christmas Spirit.
Jan