If you have been wondering why I haven’t made any motorcoach videos in a while, it’s because we’ve been really busy with field trips.
I drove a two-coach move on a recent June day taking a bunch of school kids to the Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago.
What made this trip even more fun is that my friend and right-hand man Kelly O’Hara drove the second bus. Once we dropped off our group, we had about four hours to sit and chill and do whatever we wanted. After parking the buses, we took an Uber to Chinatown.
Special thanks to blogger Mike Chen. (His blog Strictly Dumpling has more than 4 million viewers.) The last time Mike was in Chicago, he went to the Richmond Center, where there’s a huge food court. I’ve been to Chicago’s Chinatown over a thousand times and I’ve walked by this building (at 2002 S. Wentworth Ave.) never realizing that there was a food court like this there. This is why it pays to watch other YouTubers!
The one thing I love about driving with Kelly is that he is not afraid of trying anything. This guy is fearless and an adventurous eater like me. (I’ve traveled with drivers where if it’s not a chicken nugget, they balk at it. You know who you are.) Kelly lives in a small town called Chicken Bristle, Illinois, where the population is about 10 people. It might explain why he’s willing to try different things.
I ordered dumplings and the Shanghai chicken pack with some hot oil. The dumplings were fluffy, light, and filled with meaty goodness. They make them from scratch right there. The nice little burnt area just added to the taste of it. It was a combination of contrasts and textures and flavors. I loved the toasty bottoms, and that was good chili oil. I asked for extra spicy.
After lunch, we found some other Chinese treats at the shops. I got dried mango that was brined and pickled, then dried. You know you’re in Chinatown when Walgreens has Chinese characters on the building.
After lunch we headed back to our coaches. I had enough time for a nap. If I drove a little more, I probably would invest in one of those motorcoach hammocks that people have been hanging in the aisles.
Thanks to you for coming along with me on my trip. I’ll catch you next time. Toodles.
Viewers’ thoughts
Here’s what some of you had to say about my Chicago Chinatown experience.
kerwin may: I drove for Illinois School Bus Co. out of Crestwood, Illinois, some years ago. I love it when charter season comes … Museum of S&I is one of my favorite places.
Rheilffordd: Just finished watching this, excellent stuff, I want to go to my nearest Chinatown now for a feed! (Also would love to visit the Museum of Science and Industry to see the 727 hung up on the roof and the large model railroad)
Anthony Williams: Mr. Wang, I really want to drive a bus again…I have an overwhelming feeling to move to your state and drive for your company because of your videos.
Bus & Motorcoach News contributor James Wang is co-owner of Peoria Charter Coach Company and a bus geek who shares his passion for the motorcoach industry on his two YouTube channels, J Wang and Motorcoach World.
Read more James Wang’s columns here.
