Trip to Chicago
Breakfast at Tilly’s Bagel
We flew into Chicago on Thursday night. Emily picked up Ryan, Cassie and Graham and they checked into our little apartment in the city and put Graham down for the night. An hour later Chris, Megan, Matt and I landed and took the train to our apartment. Megan hopped off a couple stops earlier to meet up with Emily and slept at her apartment. In the morning the girls drove over and Ryan taught us how to play Seven Wonders Dice as we waited for Graham to take his first nap. Emily’s roommate, Skylar, came to hang out with us and then walked with us to Tilly’s for breakfast bagels. We talked about all the ‘Chicago’ things that we’re looking out for… hot dogs, L train overhead, public art, brick buildings, the Chicago flag, taxi’s, street performer, signs for deep dish pizza, people with cubs shirts on… It’s going to be a great couple of days!
Walking through Chicago
We slowly wandered through the streets and took a picture by the Art Institute of Chicago. It was fun to get to know Skylar while we walked. She and Emily are going to have a great year.
Friday Afternoon Cubs Game
We have to do a Cubs game while we’re in Chicago. Chris bought us seats in the shade and it was lovely. So fun watching the game, taking pictures with Graham, eating expensive hot dogs, singing the Seventh Inning Stretch baseball song and cheering for an exciting 7th and 8th inning. We ended up losing but still had a great time at Wrigley Field. Go cubs!
The Chicago Sign
Pizza at Giordano’s
We trained and walked to Giordano’s and waited an hour to get our pizza - but Caesar Salad, videos of Graham drinking straws filled with water and munching on a lemon kept us entertained. Not the best pizza but very Chicago for Megan, Matt and Cassie’s first time here.
Millennium Park with Megan and Matt
Ryan, Cassie and Emily decided to head back to the apartment to put Graham to bed and Chris, Megan, Matt and I headed a couple blocks to Millennium Park to see the Bean. Maybe it’s always this crazy in the summer but the park was packed with people wandering around and seated on the grass listening to a concert in the park. The Bean is always fun - especially the reflection of city lights. Love being here with Megan and Matt.
We picked up some ice cream from 7-11 and took it home to the crew to eat while we played games.
DoRite Donuts for Breakfast
Saturday morning we played a game or two and then headed out for donuts from DoRite. Blueberry crumble for me. We ate one, saved some for later and started our day on the Magnificent Mile = a mile of Chicago’s fun and classy stores. The American Girl store was so much fun and so nostalgic.
The Harry Potter Store
The brand new Harry Potter Store had a line outside but didn’t take too long. Inside was a well decorated Harry Potter museum with such fun displays and things to buy from each House. (When Ryan and Katie dressed up as Harry and Hermione when they were young, there was almost nothing you could buy for costumes. Now there’s everything you can imagine! It’s been so fun to be Harry Pottery fans over the years! What a great book series!)
In the middle was a line to get sorted from the Sorting Hat. Cassie got in line with Graham and when he sat on the stool, the photographer pulled out a baby sorting hat that was so cute. Hufflepuff for Graham. Emily bought some HP socks. Such a fun store to wander through.
Enjoying the Magnificent Mile
360 Chicago
96 floors above ground we enjoyed the view of Chicago in every direction. It was a little overcast, so not the clearest blue sky day, but it was fun to be so close to Lake Michigan and enjoy the views of the beach and water.
Missing Katie and Taylor - who are home because Katie is too close to delivering her first baby — and Luke who’s on his mission in New Hampshire.
Ryan and Graham at the top of Chicago
360 Chicago has a new feature called THE TILT, where you stand near the window and hold on to some handle bars and the whole wall tilts downward. It wasn’t very scary, but it was a cool sensation and fun to experience together.
Lunch at Francesca’s
We found a great Italian place for lunch and the pasta and bread were delicious!
Matt and Graham
The Riverwalk
The Bean
Fun to take pictures by the Chicago River and then at the Bean with all the rest of the crowds. Perfect weather for walking around.
We picked up some fruit and more ice cream to eat back at the apartment and after Graham went to sleep we played some Hand and Foot — which Dad and I won — and then a game of Raiders of the North Sea — which Ryan won. So fun to play games with this gang.
Emily’s new apartment
Sunday morning we checked out of our aparment and then trained over to Emily’s apartment. It was so fun to get the tour — love this open living room and kitchen. Emily and her roommate each have their own room and then a shared bathroom. Now we can picture exactly where they live. They are going to have the best year!