Have a bike and enjoy riding in huge packs?  The Chicago Critical Mass may be for you.  The mass meets every last Friday of the month (TODAY), and takes a bike ride around the city with a large number of strangers.  Read all about the purpose of the mass here.

Apparently, this can be a pretty exhilarating experience and a great way to see the city, but U-PASSPORT has never partaken.  Maybe in October.

The ride always starts at Daley Plaza downtown.  For those of you nearby, you might just ride over there, but for everyone else, a CTA bus is a great way to transport your bike.  You can also bring your bike on trains, but not during rush hours, so 5:30 isn’t a great time to try and use a train with your bike.

USE YOUR U-PASS: It’s often a 10-15 mile bike ride, so you might want to take the bus to get there.  Make sure you use directions that have a bus, not a train.

Where do you go with your U-PASS? Let us know in the comments, and some of the best ideas could win prizes.

This sign is your key to hot dog heaven.

Most would say that there’s little special about a hot dog.  They eat hot dogs in Arizona and in Connecticut.  They eat hot dogs in Europe.  Despite the commonality of the hot dog, there’s nowhere that does it like Chicago does.

In Chicago, the hot dog is a delicacy untarnished by ketchup and created meticulously.

For a true Chicago experience, you want your hot dog to look exactly like the one pictured on the left.  Generally, any establishment with that Vienna Beef sign will do the trick.

To experience some of the more famous (and more unique) Chicago hot dog spots, check out this article on the Passionate Eater, and use Google Maps for some U-PASS directions.

Today is the first in our new series, ‘Name that Building.’  U-PASSPORT will post a picture of a recognizable Chicago building, but only a portion of the building.  The first person in the comments to correctly name the building wins $15 Dragon Dollar$ for use on campus.

Make sure to use your real e-mail address in your comment submission to we can contact you for your prize.

Today’s picture:

What is this mystery building?

There’s two reasons why it’s sad that Farmer’s Market season is almost over in Chicago.  The first is obvious: you only have a little bit left before there’s no more fresh fruits and vegetables.  The second is a it sadder: before you know it, it’ll be 5 degrees outside.

Before it all ends, though, Whole Foods South Loop is putting on two great events revolving around the Farmer’s Market.  On September 18th, you can meet the director of the 61st St Farmer’s Market, who’ll provide info on properly shopping your local market.

Then, on Sunday the 20th, visit the corner of Roosevelt and Canal for a South Loop Farmers Market.

USE YOUR U-PASS: This is an easy one for students living on South Campus, who should just take the Roosevelt bus.  For everyone else, there’s Google Maps.

Whole Foods Calendar of Events

This Friday marks the opening of tons of art galleries in Chicago’s fall season.  While some of the galleries probably require a tux and a large donation, there are lots of galleries filled with local artists just looking for some visitors.

Take a look at the nifty google map over on Gapers Block for some idea of where to go.

Depending on where you’re headed, make sure to use Google Maps transit option for the best CTA directions.