It felt good to arrive in Chicago, since the last major city we were in was Seattle. Not that we didn't thoroughly enjoy the great outdoors, it was just a nice change of pace to be back in a major city.
And what a city Chicago is. I haven't spent much time here, and I have to admit I had a few negative preconceptions about the city. Those were quickly dispelled with Kim serving as my tour guide and showing me her favorite spots she used to frequent during her time in graduate school.
We drove into the city from our motel in Glenview, and found a parking lot where we could leave the car all day for a reasonable price. We walked about a mile and half to get to the beach on Lake Michigan to go to Castaways, a busy cafe overlooking a lake. We shared a delicious lunch, and then took a stroll along the beach and watched the active volleyball scene.
We took a few pictures of the skyline during our walk:
Our next destination was Navy Pier, which was about a 2 mile walk. The pier itself is a mile and half long, and was absolutely packed with people.
It was mostly a tourist destination, but they had a cool stained glass exhibit that was free:
We also liked this sign we found on the pier, which way are we headed next?
And more great views of the city:
Millennium park was nearby, just under a mile, and it was one my favorite experiences in Chicago. The Cloud Gate Sculpture reflected spectacular views of the skyline and the clouds above:
The Crown fountain was a big hit with kids as they got to cool off and play in the water that these faces spit out:
And of course the Land of Lincoln would not be complete without this:
From there we headed into the heart of city and walked the magnificent mile and ended up at Ed Debevics, where the entire staff was playfully rude. It was a unique experience and our waiter had some fun with us because we shared a meal.
After walking back to the car, we totaled over 10 miles walking for the entire day. We were exhausted and ready to go to bed, but not before stopping at Oberweiss and having some of the freshest ice cream I have ever tasted.
The next morning we met with some of Kim's friends and had breakfast at Nookies.
From there we headed to an event called Taste of Lakeview that featured live music from local bands and food from local restaurants. Kim mentioned that one of her favorite aspects of Chicago are the many local low cost or free events like this one.
Wrigley Field was a mile away, so we had to walk there to check it out:
It was time to go back into the City and take Kim's favorite drive on Lake Shore Dr that gave us awesome views of the skyline and the water:
I requested some deep dish pizza while we were in Chicago and Kim took me to the original Lou Malnati's. This was my favorite meal in the city, and that was really saying something. This is a city of great food at reasonable prices. Here I am in deep dish bliss:
The John Hancock Center was nearby so we went to visit.
We went up to the 96th floor for unparalleled views of the city and it's amazing architecture:
Overall the people were very friendly, the city was clean, and the food was amazing. I came away with a new respect for Chicago, and I owe it all to my wonderful and beautiful tour guide.
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