In September, Jenn’s best friend Michelle and her husband Eric (previously mentioned in our blogs about the Utah leg of our 2009 cross-country trip) came to the scenic Midwest to visit. Eric had never been to the Midwest, and Michelle had not really spent time in Illinois before.
While they were here, we spent about a day and a half in Chicago. The first day was perfect weather; the second day was rainy and yucky. The highlights:
- Eric got to see my mom’s cousin’s 100-year-old house in Rogers Park, which he loved (Eric renovates old homes for a living – check out http://dovetail-remodeling.com)
- A stroll down the Chicago Riverwalk (recommended)
- Navy Pier, the first time for all of us (we don’t really recommend it, other than perhaps for the views, or if you’re 13.)
- Water Taxi from Navy Pier to the Museum Campus (recommended, though the water was rather choppy when we did it)
- Lou Malnati’s for deep dish (of course)
- A nighttime stroll through Millennium Park (check out Dave’s awesome photos)
- A very interesting walk around the block outside Wrigley Field during the Dave Matthews concert (super fun crowd vibe)
- Improvised Shakespeare at Improv Olympic (recommended – totally hilarious)
- Breakfast at Ann Sather (Some friends introduced us to it in 2000, and now we can’t think to have breakfast anywhere else in Chicago. Plus, Andersonville made Michelle & Eric feel like they were back in Kingsburg – y’know, the Swedish thing.)
- The Field Museum (I didn’t think it was worth it)
- The Frank Lloyd Wright Home and Studio (very worthwhile – an interesting perspective on FLW)
- Dinner at Five Guys Burgers (can’t go wrong with that)
We intended to go up in the Sears Tower, but it thunderstormed Saturday morning, and when we left the Field Museum in the middle of the day – though it was no longer raining – the top half of the building was engulfed in clouds. We figured it wouldn’t be a very good view from up there on a day like that.
nocureforgravity 