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The Honolulu Advertiser
Posted on: Friday, November 7, 2008

Chicago sees Obama as a draw for tourists

 •  D.C. group's Hawaii-themed inauguration ball selling out fast

By Carla K. Johnson
Associated Press

Hawaii news photo - The Honolulu Advertiser

Barber Tony Coye cuts Kenneth Clay's hair at the salon where neighbor Obama gets trimmed.

Photos by M. SPENCER GREEN | Associated Press

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OBAMA SIGHTS TO SEE IN ILLINOIS

A look at Illinois sites associated with President-elect Barack Obama:

Old State Capitol, Springfield: Obama announced his presidential candidacy here in February 2007 and returned in August to introduce Joe Biden as his running mate. Abraham Lincoln delivered his "House Divided" speech here in 1858.

Hyde Park Hair Salon & Barber Shop, Chicago: It's tough to get near the Obama family home because of heightened security these days. But his barber is nearby.

Medici on 57th Street, Chicago: Pick up your "Obama Eats Here" T-shirt.

University of Chicago Law School: Obama lectured here on constitutional law before getting into politics.

U.S. Cellular Field: Home of the White Sox. Obama's a fan.

Maria Pinto Boutique in Chicago's West Loop: One of Oprah Winfrey's favorite designers. Michelle Obama is a fan.

Chicago City Hall: The morning after the election, Mayor Richard Daley's campaign committee started hanging congratulatory banners here with a rendering of Obama. Expect to see more banners at O'Hare International Airport and in neighborhoods.

Grant Park in Chicago: Obama showed the world a sparkling skyline when he gave his victory speech here.

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Hawaii news photo - The Honolulu Advertiser

Hector Navarro wears the hot-selling T-shirt as he cooks at The Medici cafe.

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Chicago's tourism Web site beckons visitors to "experience the city the Obamas enjoy." The Illinois Bureau of Tourism plans to launch a three-day getaway promotion featuring Barack Obama sites. And tour guides at the Old State Capitol in Springfield may get new scripts to stress two important speeches the president-elect made as a candidate.

It's all part of Illinois tourism officials' rush to capitalize on the Obama buzz.

A security perimeter surrounds the Obamas' block in Chicago's Hyde Park neighborhood, but tourism office volunteer Catherine Williams still tries to get visitors on walking tours as close to the family home as the Secret Service will allow.

"They want to see the house, and, hopefully, they might get a glimpse of him," Williams said yesterday. "He's almost like a rock star."

Nearby, a restaurant has sold 3,000 T-shirts that read "Obama Eats Here," and a hand-lettered sign in the window of 57th Street Books congratulates "longtime customer" Obama, who has shopped there since 1986.

"They ask, 'What does the senator like to read?' " Jack Cella, of the cooperative that runs the bookstore, said of touring customers. "They buy copies of his book and say they wanted to buy it in the bookstore he shops in."

Travel agencies from around the globe have been phoning for information, and the Chicago Convention and Tourism Bureau is in the thick of an Obama-focused Internet marketing campaign, said Mark Theis, agency's executive vice president.

"We completely changed our home page to congratulate Obama," Theis said.

Clicking on the site's new "Presidential Chicago" page gives visitors the skinny on restaurants, stores and other Obama hangouts, including U.S. Cellular Field, home of his beloved White Sox.