I was having coffee with my friend Kelly one morning and she suggested that Jerold and I take a weekend trip once a year. She even offered to care for Tia while we were away. I walked away thinking, that's a great thought, but when are we ever going to get away? One week later I get a call from my friend Cynthia, whose husband Mark is temporarily working for US Airways. She wanted to let us know that Mark wanted us to fly somewhere before they moved to Atlanta in May.
The hunt was on! Where do we go? What do we do? We don't travel much and had no clue. We elicited help from friends and then had an "ah-ha" moment. We remembered we had friends in Chicago! When we told Chad & Brooke of our plans, they were elated to have us visit them. So the plan was set. April 4 - 6 we were going to Chicago and would be away from Tia for the first time.
The Adventure Begins - Friday
On Friday, April 6th we wake up at 4:20 am (yes, you read that right, AM!). We wake Tia at 5am and head over to Kelly's home to drop Tia off. When we pulled in the driveway at 5:30 am, we noticed that all the lights were off. It was weird, but it was also pretty early. At first, we didn't think anything of it. When I walked up to the front door, I got a sick feeling in my gut. So I called Kelly and sure enough - we were at the WR
ONG house! Thankfully, we hadn't gotten any of Tia's stuff out.
The Adventure Begins - Friday
On Friday, April 6th we wake up at 4:20 am (yes, you read that right, AM!). We wake Tia at 5am and head over to Kelly's home to drop Tia off. When we pulled in the driveway at 5:30 am, we noticed that all the lights were off. It was weird, but it was also pretty early. At first, we didn't think anything of it. When I walked up to the front door, I got a sick feeling in my gut. So I called Kelly and sure enough - we were at the WR
ONG house! Thankfully, we hadn't gotten any of Tia's stuff out.After finding the correct house, we unloaded, kissed Tia good-bye, and were off to the airport. It was a dreary and very cloudy day which made the flight a bit bumpy. (I hope Jerold's hand is okay.)
When Brooke picked us up from the airport, she drove us down Lakeshore Drive and we got to see the skyscape, Lake Michigan and the Navy Pier. We relaxed at their apartment for a while, then we got hungry. I didn't know what we were about to experience when we walked into the little mom and pop restaurant. The Art of Pizza was Chad & Brooke's favorite place to get Chicago deep dish pizza. The crust and sauce was hand-made and all the ingredients are fresh. It was the best pizza I have ever tasted. YUMMY!
We picked up 2-day passes at the grocery store Jewel and were off to the "L" train. We headed to the Museum of Science and Industry which was a 40 minute ride. It was a good opportunity to catch up. On the way, we passed the Cubs Wrigley Field Stadium and the White Sox US Cellular stadium.
The first thing we headed to at the museum was the Transportation Gallery and The Great Train Story. We saw planes, trains and automobiles! There were also cute chicks hatching, an exhibit on how crude oil is used, a toy making machine, Colleen Moore's fairy castle, farm technology, historic circuses, and a U-505 submarine. This thing was so massive, they put the sub in first, THEN built the building around it. It was awesome!
We headed to an authentic Thai restaurant for dinner called Yes Thai. We got a big laugh because they were playing rap music. Very unexpected. After resting at the apartment for a while, we headed off in the night on Michigan Avenue on our way to the John Hancock Building. On the way, we saw several horse drawn carriages. The city is beautiful at night. After we cleared our ears after the elevator ride to the 96th floor, we grabbed a table in the Signature Room Lounge. It is an area above the premier restaurant where we sat and enjoyed dessert, coffee and a breath-taking view of the city at night. It was one of the highlights of our trip!
The Adventure Continues - Saturday
We slept in - Oh, what a feeling! After everyone slowly woke up, Brooke prepared a very delicious breakfast. Yummy! We lounged around for a while and then headed off for more adventure.
We quickly found out that the L train was under construction so we took the scenic route to Millennium Park. It was a beautiful sunny day and 65 degrees. We didn't even need a jacket! We saw the"Cloud Gate" also known as "The Bean," the Pritzker Pavilion, and the Lurie Garden. After lunch at Chipotle, we headed to the United Center where the Chicago Bulls basketball team plays. Our goal was to see the famous Air Jordan statue. After wiping the drool off Jerold's chin, we took a few pictures, saw his accomplishments, hand prints, footprints and signature.
In stead of walking down the Magnificent Mile, we preferred taking the comfortable route and rode on the bus. We saw the NBC studio and the John Hancock building (whose structural support is on the outside). We also took pictures of the Old Water Tower. After grabbing an authentic Chicago hot dog (no ketchup) at Wriglesville Dogs for dinner, we headed to tickle our funny bone at iO Chicago Improv comedy club. This is the place where Chris Farley and other famous comedians got their start. On our way back to the car (parking is first come, first served) we walked by Wrigley Field and got a shot with "Mr. Cub" Ernie Banks.
Thus concluding our amazing trip to Chi-town! Special shot outs to Mark, Cynthia, Chad, Brooke, Kelly and Sarah for making this a memory we will treasure always!
When Brooke picked us up from the airport, she drove us down Lakeshore Drive and we got to see the skyscape, Lake Michigan and the Navy Pier. We relaxed at their apartment for a while, then we got hungry. I didn't know what we were about to experience when we walked into the little mom and pop restaurant. The Art of Pizza was Chad & Brooke's favorite place to get Chicago deep dish pizza. The crust and sauce was hand-made and all the ingredients are fresh. It was the best pizza I have ever tasted. YUMMY!
We picked up 2-day passes at the grocery store Jewel and were off to the "L" train. We headed to the Museum of Science and Industry which was a 40 minute ride. It was a good opportunity to catch up. On the way, we passed the Cubs Wrigley Field Stadium and the White Sox US Cellular stadium.
The first thing we headed to at the museum was the Transportation Gallery and The Great Train Story. We saw planes, trains and automobiles! There were also cute chicks hatching, an exhibit on how crude oil is used, a toy making machine, Colleen Moore's fairy castle, farm technology, historic circuses, and a U-505 submarine. This thing was so massive, they put the sub in first, THEN built the building around it. It was awesome!
We headed to an authentic Thai restaurant for dinner called Yes Thai. We got a big laugh because they were playing rap music. Very unexpected. After resting at the apartment for a while, we headed off in the night on Michigan Avenue on our way to the John Hancock Building. On the way, we saw several horse drawn carriages. The city is beautiful at night. After we cleared our ears after the elevator ride to the 96th floor, we grabbed a table in the Signature Room Lounge. It is an area above the premier restaurant where we sat and enjoyed dessert, coffee and a breath-taking view of the city at night. It was one of the highlights of our trip!
The Adventure Continues - Saturday
We slept in - Oh, what a feeling! After everyone slowly woke up, Brooke prepared a very delicious breakfast. Yummy! We lounged around for a while and then headed off for more adventure.
We quickly found out that the L train was under construction so we took the scenic route to Millennium Park. It was a beautiful sunny day and 65 degrees. We didn't even need a jacket! We saw the"Cloud Gate" also known as "The Bean," the Pritzker Pavilion, and the Lurie Garden. After lunch at Chipotle, we headed to the United Center where the Chicago Bulls basketball team plays. Our goal was to see the famous Air Jordan statue. After wiping the drool off Jerold's chin, we took a few pictures, saw his accomplishments, hand prints, footprints and signature.
In stead of walking down the Magnificent Mile, we preferred taking the comfortable route and rode on the bus. We saw the NBC studio and the John Hancock building (whose structural support is on the outside). We also took pictures of the Old Water Tower. After grabbing an authentic Chicago hot dog (no ketchup) at Wriglesville Dogs for dinner, we headed to tickle our funny bone at iO Chicago Improv comedy club. This is the place where Chris Farley and other famous comedians got their start. On our way back to the car (parking is first come, first served) we walked by Wrigley Field and got a shot with "Mr. Cub" Ernie Banks.
Thus concluding our amazing trip to Chi-town! Special shot outs to Mark, Cynthia, Chad, Brooke, Kelly and Sarah for making this a memory we will treasure always!
