Been to Chicago a dozen times this year, but this weekend had 2 special additions.
Saturday, August 24th, 2013
Brooke is now 12 and Caliey 14. B was showing me her new bunk bed. I’m TOTALLY getting one.
(Brooke shaved her head in March raising over $2,000 for a children’s cancer charity.)
Hit the road for the almost 3 hour ride from Kohler to The Windy City; the girl’s noses in books and I listening to an MP3 audio book. Yep, 3 bookworms.
Pizzeria Uno on Ohio & Wabash is the original; it is not part of the chain. You could call it Uno Pizzeria Uno.
In 1943 Ike Sewell invented deep dish pizza and soon it became synonymous with Chicago.
Cal declared it, “The best pizza ever” while impressively polishing off 2 pieces.
Introduced them to the Bloomingdale's home store figuring they'd like it. They did. Though I declared we were skipping the 2nd floor of crystal.
On the furniture level this guy was showing me a $28,000 mattress. I refrained from listing things it should do for twenty eight grand.
We always go into HomeGoods to ride the escalator. Not to go into the store. To ride the escalator.
We marched up and down Mag Mile stopping at the stores that have become the girl’s faves. Hershey’s, American Girl, Lego (notice the girl looking up the skirt) and Apple.
It was a beautiful day with beautiful ladies.
Built in 1914, Navy Pier’s many uses have evolved into a cornucopia of restaurants, amusement rides, stage shows and weekly fireworks.
It is also a docking point for cruises including the Seadog Speedboat I had booked in advance as a surprise.
We jetted south to the Museum Campus and doubled back and then north along the Gold Coast. I fed Cal answers to the tour guide’s architectural questions.
Spectacular view of a spectacular skyline.
This picture doesn’t sufficiently portray how intensely the wind was pummeling us at our high speed of travel.
We threw our hands in the air and screamed in excitement.
I was first at Ed Debevic’s when I was Cal’s age, soon after it opened in 1985. The girls giggled at the gruff waitress shtick....
....and the show.
When the surly 'acting' waitress left the check all crumpled up Cal and I crumpled up bills to pay. And then hightailed it outta there.
After some ice cream from Mitchell’s we headed back to the Michigan Avenue hotel to read. Yep, 3 bookworms.
Sunday, August 25th, 2013
Overnight bags slung over our shoulders walking east on Ohio Street at 8:30 AM I commended the girls, “You two got going surprisingly fast.” “Well,” Brooke explained, “mentally I’m still in bed.”
At the Streeterville location of Yolk, Caliey went with the Oreo pancakes, Brooke the chocolate chip French toast and the uncle egg beaters and fruit. Getting old and eating healthy is boring.
When most people think of Chicago they picture Michigan Avenue and The Loop. But that is a thumbprint of the over 200 neighborhoods making up this vibrant city. Most of my time down there is in these wonderful enclaves all with unique character, yet all with uniform energy. Today’s goal was to allow the girls to experience some of this.
South of downtown Chicago, Chinatown is the real deal. This is where the Chinese immigrants, live, work, shop and eat.
Hitting the bakeries we traversed the tables of chatting Chinese men in their undecipherable tongue and I pointed out the best things to try and they got…nothing. I got a green bean paste cake, egg custard tart and a walnut date roll.
North of downtown the skyscrapers end and it becomes a dense amalgamation of residential and retail. Lincoln Park, Lakeview and Wrigleyville.
