Hughes Your Daddy!

What are you going to see when you go to Chicago?

Wrigley Field? It’s okay the first time… No real need to go the second time.

Navy Pier? Meh… Every town with lakefront/oceanfront property has a similar place.

Sears Tower? You’re really far up… and the shits could fall down any time.

What am I going to see when I go to Chicago?

Places from John Hughes movies!

On a recent trip to visit my friend Keith Olenik, AKA Shooter, AKA Shooter McGavin, AKA Ollie the Goalie, AKA The Netminder, who moved to Chicago a few years back, I partook on the semi-ultimate Hugheserism.

It was the Fourth of July and Ollie the Goalie and his apartment buddy Mike were getting ready for the party they were hosting and I didn’t have much to do, so I threw on my Shermer High School Wrestling Shirt and Hit the Road!

Shermer High School Wrestling Rules!

The first visit was stop was 9511 Harrison Street, Des Plaines…. It’s now the home of an Illinois State Police headquarters… Back in the day it was Maine North High School which served as the exterior for the high school in Breakfast Club… If I had someone along with me, I would’ve recreated the parents dropping the kids off for Saturday school scene… But alas, there was no one there.

Shermer High School now... Five-Oh.

Shermer High School then... Tapin' Larry Lester's buns together.

The next visit was 2604 Lincoln Street, Evanston… The Russell House… From Uncle Buck! It’s everything I thought it would be… I imagined Uncle Buck inside making some big-ass pancakes for the kids… I wanted to park my 1995 Volvo Luxury Sedan in front of the house and snap off some photos, but the neighbors were all eyeballing me… And I have some couth… So I just paced back and forth in front of the house a couple times and snapped off some photos.

The Russell's house now...

The Russell's house then... love the Oldsmobuick!

I didn’t find the next stop to be photo worthy… New Trier High School in Winnetka… It was the school from Uncle Buck, but it had such a face lift that it was nearly unrecognizable… Or I just remember the movie wrong.

After the disappointment, I regrouped and headed to 671 Lincoln Avenue, Winnetka… The McCallister home!... From Home Alone!... The best non-Christmas movie set at Christmastime ever made… Once again, I had too much couth to turn on the water and run like the wet bandits… So I scurried along and snapped a few shots before the neighbors called the cops.

McCallister's all dressed up for Christmas in a non-Christmas movie.

McCallister's house now.

Side Note… In scientific polling, 74 percent of all people agree that Home Alone is a movie that took place at Christmas and not a Christmas movie.

I was re-energized and headed to the Glencoe Union Church… Where Ginny Baker got married.
Jake: Married?
Long Duk Dong: Married.
Jake: Married?
Long Duk Dong: Yeah. Married
[closes door]
Jake: [turns around, under breath to himself] Married?
Long Duk Dong: Married! Jeez

The Sixteen Candles Church now

The Sixteen Candles Church then

And it’s where Jake was waiting out front for Samantha! … There was nobody waiting outside for me. :(

Matt Dillon waiting by the Porsche!

These days Matt Dillon would have to diagonal park.

Side Note… For about 15 years of my life, I thought Jake Ryan was played by Matt Dillon... I had no idea who Michael Schoeffling was.

It was getting close to Fourth of July Party time, so I made one last stop… Glenbrook North High School, 2300 Shermer Road, Northbrook… Ferris Bueller’s school!... If I had someone along with me, I would’ve recreated the picking up Sloan Peterson scene… But alas, there was no one there.

Sloan Peterson... Meeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee-ow!

Principal Rooney musta notta let her out of class.

I had the 1995 Volvo Luxury Sedan parked out front waiting for her.

Glenbrook North’s football field was also home of the Judd Nelson football field scene in The Breakfast Club, but they were re-sodding the field, so a fist-raising selfie was not in the cards… Every time I’m on a football field I want to re-enact that scene.

Unable to recreate due to re-sodding of football field.

As a bonus, on the drive back home to Texas I was able to stop by the Sun Motel, Braidwood… Which was the Braidwood Motel in Planes, Trains and Automobiles!... It’s a real shit-hole now.

I love these guys... One of the best movies ever made.

It's a real shit-hole... I woulda re-created the scene, but i didn't want to get molested.

I still have places I need to get to… I’d love to lay in the front lawn like the Donger… Minus getting the canine cologne… And I’d like to see Cameron’s house with the Ferrari garage and Jake Ryan’s house… But that’ll have to wait for next time… Between Wrigley Field and Navy Pier.If you want to see them yourself... Here's a good reference ... Or just give me a heads-up... I'll come check them out with you.