# Chicago CTA question



## v v (Jan 10, 2015)

Does the Chicago CTA Pass cover the Pace bus service too?

Want to get to the nearest Mall to Downtown, North Riverside appears to be about it. We'll start from Monroe Blue and see it's a simple single ride out to Harlem - Forest Park on the Blue Line. From there it's a Pace 307 bus.

When we arrive at Ohare we'll pick up a day pass (24 hours? duration) and am hoping that covers the bus too?

Any local knowledge please?

Thank you


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## George K (Jan 10, 2015)

No, you don't want to go to North Riverside Mall. Trust me. Don't. Stay downtown, go on Michigan Avenue. Nice stores there.

You don't want to go to North Riverside Mall.

Did I mention you should stay downtown?


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## v v (Jan 10, 2015)

Are you sure George?


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## v v (Jan 10, 2015)

Michigan Avenue looks a bit top end and pricey


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## J-1 3235 (Jan 10, 2015)

The single and three day passes are not good on Pace buses. Only a seven or thirty day combo CTA/Pace are available.

I'm not disputing George K's recommendation at all; Michigan Avenue and State Street have many fine stores.

Mike


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## SarahZ (Jan 10, 2015)

You can use the day passes on Pace now.

http://www.pacebus.com/ventra/


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## George K (Jan 10, 2015)

The hassle of transferring between multiple public modes of transportation in Chicago doesn't nearly come close to matching the prices you'll pay for Michigan Avenue. Pace buses run infrequently, and you'll spend a long long time going to a suburban mall from downtown.


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## SarahZ (Jan 10, 2015)

George K said:


> The hassle of transferring between multiple public modes of transportation in Chicago doesn't nearly come close to matching the prices you'll pay for Michigan Avenue. Pace buses run infrequently, and you'll spend a long long time going to a suburban mall from downtown.


There's that too. I was just answering the question. 

You can find many of the major stores off of Michigan Ave yet still accessible by CTA.


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## Acela150 (Jan 10, 2015)

IINM George's opinion is a good one as I believe the North Side of Chi town is a bit of a rough area. Not as rough as the South Side though.


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## MiRider (Jan 10, 2015)

What makes you want to go to North Riverside Mall?

Looking at the store directory, there isn't anything special there, it looks like a C or D grade mall - definitely nothing worth a special trip, imo.

http://www.northriversideparkmall.com/#!alphabetical/c18js

Are there particular stores that you really want to shop at?

State Street, which is easily accessible from Chicago Union Station, has a lot of stores in all price ranges - from Target to Macy's and everything in between.

Go to Google Maps and input '100 S State Street Chicago, IL' and then 'search nearby' for 'shopping' - you'll be surprised at the enormous amount of places to shop at.

In fact, use Google Maps Street View and walk the street and see for yourself.

A one day pass for the CTA is now $10 per person, a single fare is $2.25 (exact change) so unless you're going to take more than 4 rides, it's not worth it.

Catch the 151 bus (my favorite) outside of the old Union Station building (the one with the big columns) at the corner of Canal and Jackson.

Get off at Macy's on the corner of Washington and State.

To get back to Union Station, walk 3 blocks south on State Street from where you got off to Adams where Starbucks is.

Go around the corner on Adams and catch the 151 back to Union Station (the bus will say 151 Union Station on the front)

An FYI - the 151 bus starts at Union Station northbound and ends at Union Station southbound - the best bus to take if you don't want to get lost.

It also goes down Michigan Avenue and is worth a trip even if you don't shop there, just cross the street and take the bus back to Union Station when you're done strolling around.


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## MiRider (Jan 10, 2015)

Acela150 said:


> IINM George's opinion is a good one as I believe the North Side of Chi town is a bit of a rough area. Not as rough as the South Side though.


No one in Chicago says Chi town! and the north side of the city is far from rough.

You don't know what you're talking about at all so stop.


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## George K (Jan 10, 2015)

The *near* north side of the city is probably the priciest real estate in the city. Very nice areas, particularly when you're close to the lake. Practically everything is fine all the way to Evanston (1st suburb north of the city).

And yeah, MiRider, your detailed comments about NR mall are spot on.

I used to ride the 151 bus all the time when I lived downtown. It will take you to anything you want to see in the city, as far as shopping goes. It also goes, as you said, up Michigan avenue - world class shopping. Stay in the city. It's a great town.


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## George K (Jan 10, 2015)

MiRider said:


> No one in Chicago says Chi town!


I got "internet slapped" for saying "Frisco." Never did it again.


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## railiner (Jan 10, 2015)

George K said:


> MiRider said:
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What's wrong with saying, "Frisco"? :huh:

It's a lovely mountain town about 80 miles west of Denver......


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## Bob Dylan (Jan 11, 2015)

railiner said:


> George K said:
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It' s also one of the country's hottest upscale suburbs in Texas' DFW Metroplex!


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## tommylicious (Jan 11, 2015)

A Mall? Surely you jest. If Michigan Avenue is too posh, State Street offers more moderately priced fare.


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## v v (Jan 11, 2015)

Loosely quoting an American author Irma Kurtz in the Great American Bus Ride "I am a traveller of low tastes"

We arrive Ohare at 3 pm and go straight to E Monroe to check in to our hotel and leave our bags. From a past travel experience during a February across 3 states bordering the Canadian border I know that cold can mean very cold. Living in temperate Britain we don't have access to a large variety of good cold weather clothes. We will be in the northern and mid west states for around 10 days in total during end of February to early March, so for the admittedly few occasions we are outside we probably will each buy a winter coat and hat to suit conditions. We are on the CZ the following day so in reality only have the day we arrive in Chicago to go off to get something, the American invention of a mall suits our purpose perfectly, lots of clothes shops at moderate prices in one place, we don't have the time to schlepp around up one street and down another. When we get to the warmer parts of the US in the later section of our trip we will try to give the winter clothes to a thrift shop or similar.

In past US visits I've always bought Levis at JC Penny, plus the odd other thing too. Their clothes always seem to fit me without trying too much on, so I looked for the nearest Pennys to Downtown, simple as that, nothing sinister.

I don't do fashion, snob or care too much what passing strangers think of me, but I always try to respect and sometimes help everybody. So buying from here or there doesn't matter too much, value for money and reasonable quality does matter.

I always consider and respect every reply given to my many questions, for or against our original ideas. Indeed we have modified our travel plans fairly heavily around advice given here, what's the purpose of asking if I don't listen. That said I have managed to get into and so far out of many 'scrapes' around the world over many years but don't like taking stupid chances anymore as not as athletic as before. But Rosie and I are our own people and take from your advice what suits us.

So thank you all for your opinions, advice and time, now where is it best for us to shop?

Today I am in France, they are mourning and celebrating free speech. The roads in this rural area are even quieter than normal, people here are in some form of national shock, maybe similar to 911 for the US.

So I've written with a little more openness today, no intention to offend anybody.

_Je suis Charlie_


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## Ryan (Jan 11, 2015)

Thanks for sharing. Looks like your needs will be well met by the Target on State street. No need to go all the way out to a crappy mall.

Don't know if there is a similar store there, but Target is sort of the "everything " store, from clothes to household stuff to toys, electronics, auto and home repair, to food. Everything one might need under one roof. If you're familiar with a Wal-Mart, very similar.


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## George K (Jan 11, 2015)

What Ryan said.

Target is similar to Penny's, in terms of the stock they carry, but without the service that Penny's had (don't know if they still do). There are no individual cashier stations, rather a line of checkouts by the entrance/exit where people queue line up with their carts. If you look at Target's web site, I'm sure you'll find just about anything you're looking for (though I didn't see Levi's on their web site).

You will find Levi's at Macy's: http://www1.macys.com/shop/search?keyword=jeans#!fn=BRAND%3DLevi%2527s%26GENDER_AGE%3DMen%26sortBy%3DORIGINAL%26productsPerPage%3D40&!qvp=iqvp. Macy's is the former Marshall Fields in the Loop. Fields was a great store with a long and proud history. Known for the Walnut Dining Room, people would make reservations for lunch while taking a break from shopping. The displays are huge, and the staff helpful.

Don't go to the 'burbs. Not worth it. Particularly don't go to North Riverside Mall - have I mentioned that?


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## railiner (Jan 11, 2015)

jimhudson said:


> railiner said:
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And the old Saint Louis-San Francisco Ry. didn't seem to have a problem with it....that's probably where the Texas 'burb got its name from.....


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## Ryan (Jan 11, 2015)

George K said:


> MiRider said:
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Some people are just way too uptight about stupid things.


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## v v (Jan 11, 2015)

George, please stop sitting on the fence and tell me once and for all, should I go to the North Riverside Mall?


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## FriskyFL (Jan 11, 2015)

railiner said:


> jimhudson said:
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## MikefromCrete (Jan 11, 2015)

If you really want to go to North Riverside Mall, it's relatively easy. From downtown Chicago take the Pink Line (which uses the Loop "L" structure) to the end of the line at 54th Avenue in Cicero. Get on a CTA Route 21 or a Pace Route 322 bus and take it directly to the mall. *Between the CTA and Pace schedules, service is very frequent. Enjoy shopping at Penney's, Sears and Carson's and all the other shops. *


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## AmtrakBlue (Jan 11, 2015)

Are the sales taxes less at the mall than in the city? Do they tax on clothing? Just some additional things to think about. I live in a state that does not have sales tax, so I have to remember these things when I travel out of state.


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## Bob Dylan (Jan 11, 2015)

I'll second ( third) the other posts saying to go to the Target store downtown and also look around State Street and Michigan Avenue @ the many stores there ( Macys is a good Dept. Store!) as opposed to going to the 'burbs to a mall that's nothing special!

There is also an upscale mall on S. Canal St. not far from Union Station that has a Whole Foods Market, a Chain Shoe Store etc. One of our members ( pennyk)shops there when passing through CHI and can probably advise you of what all is located there, it is walkable as long as the weather isn't too bad!

Must be an interesting time to be in France now, those of us that were in NYC on 911,or Boston during the Marathon bombing, can really share their feelings! Hopefully all the lunatics involved, and their fanatical associates world wide, will be caught and receive the justice they want to deny others!


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## MiRider (Jan 11, 2015)

RyanS said:


> George K said:
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Hmmm... I've seen a lot of people on this forum way more uptight about things much more *stupid* than that.

Nothing wrong with correcting someone posting bad information and the post was full of it.

Now excuse me while I continue to plan my trip to the Big Apple on The Amtrack that goes from Chi Town all the way to Bean Town.


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## George K (Jan 11, 2015)

AmtrakBlue said:


> Are the sales taxes less at the mall than in the city? Do they tax on clothing? Just some additional things to think about. I live in a state that does not have sales tax, so I have to remember these things when I travel out of state.


Here in Illinois, everything is taxed - though at different rates. Each little subdivision of government takes a bite. The state sales tax is 8%. But, in Cook County, and the City of Chicago add theirs. The total in Chicago is 9.25% (highest in the country) down from 10.25%. Groceries are 2.25%, unless you want a soft drink which tacks on another 3% to the general sales tax (yep, 12.5%).


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## MiRider (Jan 11, 2015)

Tax at Riverside Mall is 9%

http://www.sale-tax.com/NorthRiversideIL

Also, if Levis are a priority, there's a corporate Levis Store on Michigan Ave. not far from Nordstrom's.


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## v v (Jan 11, 2015)

OK, to keep George happy we will be off to Target and Macey's, both are a short walk from the hotel so that's a big bonus and thank you all very much indeed, especially you George K.

We'll have breakfast the next day at Lou Mitchell's as recommended a while back by I think Jim Hudson, then later a light lunch at Union Station. I know someone asked for the best eatery at the station months ago but can't find the thread, any current recommendations for somewhere inside the station that serve something small and tasty?

Jim. Haven't hardly seen any French people this week, but the tv here is in full range of sombre to uplifting. The French people we know tend to be serious but with a sense of humour, they do hold their 3 essential values of Liberte, Egalite and Fraternite very very dear to themselves, so this last week will have affected them quite a lot. We'll understand more by the time we reach Chicago.

Thank you everyone


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## Bob Dylan (Jan 11, 2015)

vv: Lou Mitchell's is still excellent!( take a big appetite)

As for Union Station the Deli downstairs by the Great Hall is Excellent!

Upstairs in the Food Court ( take the escelator on your left in the hall outside the Metro Lounge on the way to the Coach Waiting Room)Gold Coast Dogs have excellent Brats and Dogs and the Chinese Joint kept several of us alive during the Chicago Gathering in 2013!

The so called Mexican food joint and the Pizza Hut, McDonalds etc. is a waste of time and money!

Didn't mean to skip mentioning England's spells of terror during "the troubles" and today's religious lunatics doing their thing in London!


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## trainman74 (Jan 11, 2015)

This might come in handy: Here is a 10%-off "international visitors" voucher for Macy's that you can print out and present with your passport.


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## tp49 (Jan 11, 2015)

I second Lou Mitchell's, love the place for breakfast. Target is similar to Carrefour in France of a Tesco Extra in the UK if you didn't already know that. Also, Macy's always has sales going on what you can do is look in the local newspaper (Chicago Tribune and Chicago Sun Times) look for their advert and usually there will be a "savings pass" for some additional percentage. Macy's also would have the pass available on their website and through their app (for iphone and android.) Worth having to save a little money.


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## John Bredin (Jan 12, 2015)

If you really must go to a suburban mall  take the Blue Line to Rosemont, where there's a frequent shuttle bus (or a few block's walk if the weather's decent) to a big new(ish) outlet mall.


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## MetraUPWest (Jan 12, 2015)

The Target store on State Street is nice, but there is a bigger one at Roosevelt Road and Clark Street, a block away from the upscale outdoor mall Jim was talking about.


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## NorthShore (Jan 12, 2015)

The Target on State is the historic Carson, Pierre, Scott department store building. It is a beautiful Louis Sullivan design that should be seen. Similarly, with Macy's (just a block away) being the historic Marshall Field's. If you want a small taste of historic American shopping (pre mall) districts, this is the place as it is, in some real sense, where it all started.

For a different sort of take on malls, take the bus a mile up Michigan Ave to experience the vertical skyscraper which houses Water Tower Place, which led the way for what is now one of the most significant high end shopping districts in the country.

North Riverside Mall is very much in the vein of an average (but certainly not above average) U.S. Mall. The Mall of America in Minneapolis it is not. Woodfield Mall in suburban Schaumburg would be more representative. North Riverside did once have a local landmark which was kitschy but interesting: old cars on a spindle. Alas it is now gone. If you were to travel there, you would want to take the Pink Line to 54th, then the #21 CTA bus, to be able to use that day pass without having to pay an extra fare on Pace. You do pass by some interesting and colorful local businesses along Cermak which show the historic character of this suburb, as well as the vibrancy of its current population. For a nearby oddity of curiosity walkable from the mall is a Showmans Rest at Woodlawn Cemetery. Here are buried circus and other entertainment industry people, including many who perished via the early 1900s Haggenback Wallace train wreck. There are very nice elephant monuments which mark out the place.

Other mall options would include Ford City (so named because it sits on the site on an early Ford plant) near Midway Airport. It has some history attached, as an early era mall, but isn't anything special or interesting today. There is a lot of other shopping surrounding, also. But, really, you will do just as much (if not more) walking as you would do around the streets of downtown.

My recommendation, if you were intent, is the very nice and outdoor (between shops) Old Orchard Mall. Take the Yellow Line from Howard (Red or Purple from downtown to get there) then the 97 bus. Or, alternatively, take the 201 from Howard through Evanston and past Northwestern University and its pretty campus.

For lunch before departure, head over to Halsted (just a bit west of the station) and eat at a restaurant in Greek Town. Or wander north along Canal past Madison and the Ogilvie Transportation Center (formerly Northwestern Station) to what is dubbed the French Market for a great variety of tasty eats from various vendors.


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## Metra Electric Guest (Jan 14, 2015)

Old Orchard is also easily reachable by CTA, as NorthShore said. The new mall in Rosemont is a "fashion" mall with overpriced merchandise in my opinion. There are also Sears stores reachable by CTA in the city.

Old Navy & etc are on State Street along with lower end retail. North Michigan is mostly higher end mall stores, outside of a few outliers and Oak Street.


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## NorthShore (Jan 14, 2015)

Metra Electric Guest said:


> Old Orchard is also easily reachable by CTA, as NorthShore said. The new mall in Rosemont is a "fashion" mall with overpriced merchandise in my opinion. There are also Sears stores reachable by CTA in the city.


Oh, yeah. While there was a Sears on State until recently, there are still a couple of the old neighborhood department stores around.

Take the 56 Milwaukee bus to Six Corners. Along the way you'll see something of the city's neighborhoods via this classic route of immigrants and upward mobility.

Or, for a nice L ride via the winding routes that were originally patched together from private plots of land which were purchased and over alleys, take the Brown Line to Damen. There is a Sears just a couple of blocks away on Lawrence.


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## Metra Electric Guest (Jan 14, 2015)

NorthShore said:


> Metra Electric Guest said:
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> > Old Orchard is also easily reachable by CTA, as NorthShore said. The new mall in Rosemont is a "fashion" mall with overpriced merchandise in my opinion. There are also Sears stores reachable by CTA in the city.
> ...


I'm probably wrong, but I think the Sears on Lawrence is now gone. Nope, spoke too soon, still open. Thought it had been closed and turned into a Mariano's (supermarket).

The recent sears on State was pathetic. Of course, the old one at Congress was no great shakes in it's last days either. Macy's on State is pretty sad, imho, it's like going to a KMart with better merchandise. Even when Target owned Marshall Field's it was tidy and organized (of course, when it was truly Field's, it was something special).


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## v v (Jan 14, 2015)

Thanks again for all the different angles, we'll need a week to follow all the recommendations. Only thing I can say definitely is, as I don't want to upset George K we wont go to the North Riverside Mall! What I do for this forum.

As an aside. First visit to the US about 15 years ago, we flew to NC, picked up a car and headed south. After an hour or so passed, what to a first timer in the US European was an absolutely enormous supermarket, a Wall Mart super store.

Wanted to pick up a carton of orange and a couple of pair of socks, and that was it. It didn't stop me from taking an equally enormous cart into the store, just in case. Rosie didn't come along as she was beat from the flight, so she stayed in the car and slept.

Came back 2 hours later with a full cart! and although I accuse her of exaggerating what happened it was full to within a couple of inches of the top. I'm not a shopper in the usual sense but do like a bargain, I hadn't seen so much, so cheap under one roof before. Also had never seen guns on sale in a supermarket before either, Guns next to clothing and food???

Since that day on I am only allowed into a shop alone with a (short) list, it's for my own good so I'm told.


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## Bob Dylan (Jan 14, 2015)

Outstanding story vv! Our Huge Mega Stores really do surprise first time visitors! " Stack ' em Deep and Sell 'em Cheap!" is the Modern American way!


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## NorthShore (Jan 15, 2015)

> I'm probably wrong, but I think the Sears on Lawrence is now gone. Nope, spoke too soon, still open. Thought it had been closed and turned into a Mariano's (supermarket).


Marianos is across the side street and down the block, next to the Metra line. It is on the old Sears parking lot property. I imagine if they had a key shop on the lot, that's gone. There is also a gym in the new building. And the structure includes its own lot.


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## NorthShore (Jan 15, 2015)

Too bad Marshall Field's old bargain basement isn't still around.

Or Stop and Shop.

Oh, you might want to get some Garretts popcorn (on Madison just east of State)


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## Metra Electric Guest (Jan 15, 2015)

Ah, Stop & Shop, was trying to remember the name of that place the other day. And of course, Hillman's.

There's also a Garrett's on Jackson just west of State too.

Back to the OP I suspect Macy's will do you for jeans and basics. I'm cheap and just buy Old Navy rather than Levi's which are, in my mind, highly overpriced these days.


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## Ispolkom (Jan 15, 2015)

v v said:


> Guns next to clothing and food???


Now, come on, surely the guns were a couple of aisles away, in sporting goods.

Of course, I've lived in places (St. Croix Falls, Wisc., Minot, N.D.) where the gas station/convenience store stocked ammunition on the same shelf as candy, and, come to think of it, I bought said ammunition occasionally when I was as young as 12 or 13. (Sure, what I bought were .22 LR cartridges, but it wasn't as though they weren't next to shotgun shells and .30-06 rounds.)


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## Bob Dylan (Jan 15, 2015)

I've worn Levi 501s since I was a kid, but I agree they have become way overpriced!

Store brand Jeans such as Arizona ( Penny's), Faded Glory ( Wal- Mart) cost 1/3 to 1/2 as much ( jeans are always on Sale!) and work great for travel!

As for the guns and ammunition, I live in Texas where its easier to buy a semi- automatic and a magazine of cop killer bullets than it is to get a drink or find a bookstore, so seeing weapons and ammo for sale everywhere is just normal to me (but insane! Soon as some of these self appointed religious fanatics shoot up a school or store the great unwashed that accept this madness will be howling for the government, who they want to go away, to " do something!")


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