Chicago (without kids)

 Chris and I have been wanting a kid-free trip for a long time now, but nursing babies and moving to a new area made it a little difficult.   We finally decided to ask our neighbors to watch the kids because they are too nice to say no.  We only went for one night and a full day, but it was magical.  We drove up after Chris got off work on Friday.  Even the 2.5 hour drive to Chicago was a treat.  We talked and ate cookies without trying to hide them from the back seat.  (Side note:  Our car looks HUGE when you take the car seats out of the back seat.  So spacious and luxurious!)  In Chicago, we parked our car for the duration of our visit and set off to explore the city on foot.  Our first stop was Portillos for dinner.  I used to go here all the time when I travelled to Chicago for work, but Chris hadn’t been before.   The Chocolate Cake Shake came highly recommended, and Chris loved it, but I can’t handle that soggy bread feel in any form.  We ate dinner at 8, then walked, laughed, held-hands, and smiled like newlyweds all up the Magnificent Mile.  It was raining, but the temperature was pleasant.  We headed to the Hancock tower, one of the best views of the city.  I hadn’t done this one before, but Chris had. It’s $20 per person to go to the observation deck, but one floor below that is the Lounge, where you can buy an over-priced drink and enjoy the same view.  Actually, we had heard the best view is from the women's restroom there, so when we got to the lounge level, I went to the restroom and the whole wall is glass with this gorgeous view.  I took some pictures from there and we went back down since Chris had done this attraction before (and we were both still well-hydrated from Portillos).  We wandered over to our hotel and checked in, but then ended up going out again for a Ghirardelli’s dessert; a very rich and decadent Salted Carmel and Fudge Sundae.  Neither of us were actually hungry yet, but it was so delicious and so fun to be out in the city at night on a date.  We got to sleep pretty late.

My alarm went off before 6 the next morning.  Chris suggested we get up early and have the Bean all to ourselves in the morning.  It was the best decision.  It was still drizzley and pretty cold, but it was neat to see the city so quiet.

We got Cloud Gate mostly to ourselves and walked a little around Millennium Park before seeking out breakfast.  We looked up some donut shops nearby and found Do-Rite Donuts.  Chris ordered the Double Chocolate Old-fashioned Glazed and declared it the best donut he had ever eaten.  (He doesn’t say those kinds of things lightly.  He’s particular about his donuts.  I got the Carrot Cake donut with Cream Cheese frosting.  It was very much like eating a VERY good Carrot cake for breakfast.  In other words, it was perfect.  We ate our donuts and sipped our hot chocolate and watched the quiet city outside the window.  When my hands had mostly warmed up again, we walked back to our hotel, enjoying some side streets and walkways along the way. 

When we emerged again from a quick nap it was about 10.  The city was busy and crowded.  It was only then that I appreciated how great that decision was to get out early.  We walked down to the Chicago river and bought our tickets for the Architecture River tour.  The forecast was 57 degrees with it clearing up a little in the afternoon.  We booked it at 4:30 to give the haze some time to burn off.

I just had to join in with these rowdy kids.

 From there we decided to go down to Navy Pier since I hadn’t been there either.  It was a much longer walk than we anticipated and a bit of a let down.  Fog still covered the city, so there wasn’t much to see in the way of a skyline view, and the wind was much worse down on the Pier.  We walked out to the end and then all the way back up to the Magnificent Mile, then beyond that to have lunch at Lou Malnati’s.  Lou’s, Gino’s, and Giordano's seem to be the three most recommended restaurants for Chicago deep-dish. I don’t care for deep-dish pizza at all, but Lou’s was the one Chris hadn’t tried yet, so we went there.  I was just happy to get in somewhere warm and sit down.  We were seated next to the front window and I just loved the charm of the Pizzeria.  Of the big three, I think Chris will be sticking with Giordano's in the futures.  I’ll just be sticking with some spaghetti or something. 

We spent some time in a neat new and used bookstore and then did some window-shopping on the Magnificent Mile, grabbed another donut from Do-Rite’s and then headed to the Architecture cruise.  By then it was in the mid 40s, at least 10 degrees colder than anything we prepared for.  Despite the constant shivering, the Architecture cruise was fascinating.  I loved learning all about this historical city and taking pictures at the same time.  We really do LOVE Chicago.  It’s such a beautiful city with SO much to do.  I’m excited to explore more of it piece by piece.