Did we go to Chicago? It almost feels like we didn't. Did I make it up? I have all this vacation weight hanging around my waist and hips, so I'm nearly certain we did go somewhere, but it's been so long and there is no post to prove it. I'm so confused.
(WAIT! THERE ARE FLICKR PHOTOS! THAT MEANS IT HAPPENED!)
Ok, ok, Chicago was fantastic. I know you were holding your breath for that statement and now you can exhale. (Oh, you weren't? Awkward!)
Chicago was also, sadly, cold. We had one glorious, sun-filled day and THANK THE GOOD LORD that was the day we picked to go to the Cubs game but the rest of the time there was a lot of rain, a lot of biting wind, a lot of looking out the hotel window and tossing ideas back and forth only to curl up in bed and order room service instead.
Which, come on now, was not such a bad consolation prize.
Just how chilly and cold, you're wondering. I mean, you're from Texas. Well, the last day we were there, we walked from our hotel to the Shedd Aquarium (roughly a couple miles) and it was 39 degrees outside.
I looked like this upon arrival:
COLD!
But then I think back on all we did and we did a helluva lot for being there only three-ish days and for having a hotel bed we could have always opted for.
We ate pizza!
Gino's East. I can't stop thinking about this pizza, I loved it so. But, Mike asked upon its arrival: "Uh, why is the sauce like that?" (He doesn't read enough food blogs.)
We went to Wrigley Field.
And it was just as ridiculously awesome as you'd expect. It's what all baseball experiences should be, but too few are.
I day drank at the Cubs game as if you had any doubt.
And they won, so, you know, now I have to toss back an Old Style every single time they play. FOR THE STREAK, NOT ME.
We went on an awesome architecture tour.
We drank at the Signature Lounge, atop the Hancock Building.
The view!
We also saw The Bean. In the rain!
We were also, and this one is important, staying across the street from:
We bought orange juice! And hummus! And croissants! And cheap champagne! And the nice cashier asked where we were from after we oohed and ahhed about being in a Trader Joes and she said, "Texas? Oh, I heard we're coming to you soon!" And then we Googled like MAD and couldn't find a thing and were all, THAT LIAR but look! She wasn't lying! (She just knew before Texas did and we could have broken the news and didn't and AH, I COULD HAVE BEEN FANCY GROCERY STORE FAMOUS!)
(I'm sorry, but I'm done saying bad things about Texas. In N Out and Trader Joes in the same year? Yeah, I'm good here.)
We did have such a good time, though, truly, and the Chicagoians (that doesn't look close to right; is it?) were just warm and welcoming and lovely. The city is clean and beautiful, the history incredible, and the food amazing (we had dinner at Tango Sur one night, and Mike would like to start a blog of his own just to write about the steak he had.)
Most of the good Chicago feelings are from experience but it's also possible we were told by the local news as we lounged in bed with the heat on.
Next vacation: THE SUN!