The tiny lady in her eighties or more wearing designer gym gear was clearly surprised to be surrounded by the giants of the Wales squad dressed in their familiar Under Armour tour kit."Who are these guys?" she asked while staring skywards at the giant frame of Luke Charteris as he walked through her local Chicago fitness centre heading for the equipment geared to make strong muscles scream.
Near him was a clutch of other forwards pumping huge weights with ease as they enjoyed a low key work-out in between the rest of the match week preparations.
The lady didn't know who the players were but she had heard of Wales and knew of rugby so she whispered a good luck wish for their encounter with her homeland in her hometown on Saturday.
It was a rare moment of recognition for squad members who are enjoying relative anonymity in a city where American football, baseball are the talking points of any day.
The trip to the gym from the team hotel zigzags through streets lined with stores like Bloomingdales and some major big-name fashion houses.
Maybe those stores are not high on the agenda of must-visit attractions for the Welsh players but the squad realise they are located right in the heart of a famous city.
Although the city centre location has offered the opportunity for some relaxing strolls the week so far has been organised into a packed agenda of training sessions, match analysis and conditioning advice.
The walls of the team base are dotted with analysis information and tables are lined with laptops where players and coaches study the vital detail they need to know about their own play and the opposition.
.
That focus has sheltered the squad from the constant showers of rain and strong winds which have whipped through Chicago. Deiniol Jones joked about how many of the boys had left their serious wet weather gear in Wales expecting the blazing sun to be more of a problem.
Yesterday was team announcement day but that was an event which had to be fitted into a schedule of key match build-up meetings and training sessions.
Coach Robin McBryde and captain Ryan Jones had luck on their side as the showers stopped and they were able to announce the team to the media at a formal gathering of reporters which took place on the rooftop terrace of the team hotel.
The setting was unusual but many of the faces were familiar as a contingent of the press from Wales arrived to find out who McBryde and his coaching team had selected for Saturday's encounter.
McBryde spoke of tough selection decisions based on the desire of all the squad to impress on this tour and bid for the honour of wearing that famous jersey.
He indicated that this tour has definitely proved there are plenty of young contenders with the talent and determination to play for their country.
Those players and their more senior teammates are undoubtedly benefitting from the experience and opportunity this tour is offering them.
The build up is gearing up to Saturday and this happy squad continues to prove they are hungry for success and desperately ambitious to prove what they are made of.
