Farewell Savvy Traveller

Savvy Traveller, the wonderful travel shop at 310 South Michigan Ave, Chicago, is gone. Or at least, the brick-and-mortar version is. They will try to establish an online presence, so we’ll see what happens.
When Rod and I walked past the boarded-up windows this past week, at first we didn’t register that it was THAT store. How could it be? That store always bustled with customers, buying and asking questions. But then we walked back, and it was true. Our hearts sank in disbelief. Why?
My family and friends will mourn the loss of this resource. Guidebooks, phrase books, maps, mobiles, raingear, games. Everything to make us savvier travelers. How wonderful it was to browse the enormous collection of books about all the places on the globe, to choose from the many other interesting travel-related items—it was here that I found my first collapsible toothbrush, here that I could actually see disposable underwear! That’s the kind of thing that one reads about in travel catalogs, but would never buy until being able to see the real, physical item. It was here that we could come and check that we had the correct plugs for power outlets anywhere it the world, or find out what we needed for a trip to China.
Many times, it isn’t better to shop online. It is better to be able to see and feel stuff for oneself, open a book and read a few sections, try on a backpack, feel the weight of a new knife. This was such a place, and it inspired dreams of the next trip, even if you wandered into the store with no definite destination in mind.
So sorry to see you gone, Savvy Traveller! If you’re a victim of the increase in online shopping, it’s a great pity and we’re all poorer for it.