Yesterday the Young Cattlemen’s Conference class flew into Chicago for a quick couple of stops.

We ate a famous Chicago Dog and Italian beef sandwiches at Portillos.

And then stopped at the top of the John Hancock Building on the 96th floor in the Signature Room for photo opps and a drink.

Bright and early this morning we headed out for the Chicago Board of Trade.

We watched the opening bell. No photos were allowed, or I would show you the pits crowded with traders in bright colored jackets. Do you remember the Eddie Murphy movie, “Trading Places?” It’s like that. Only today, with the advent of online trading, some of the pits were not nearly as full as they used to be. Founded in 1848, the CBOT is the world’s oldest futures and options exchange.

Most of us think a traffic jam is when a couple of neighbors stop on the road and talk through pickup windows. But today, city traffic held up the bus. While we waited, we saw some interesting city sites.

I didn’t get a picture of the guy protesting capitalism across the street from CBOT. If he was trying create a spectacle, he was sadly disappointed. He was outshadowed by the 58 cowboys and girls on a city street. If I’ve learned one thing so far this week, this group attacts a lot of attention.