As soon as Andrea heard of Brooke's business trip to Chicago, she decided to tag along:) Not only to check out the city a little more, but to spend time with her friend, Liz, and her brother and sister-in-law!
Welcome to Chicago![our self portrait]
How cool is it that there is a giant mirror bean in downtown? It kept us amused for quite a while.
We stayed right across the street from the John Hancock Building (definitely one of the coolest of the tallest, if you ask us.)
So what better time than the evening to check out the glow of the city? We headed up to the John Hancock Observatory late Thursday night.
Welcome to the flat midwest...where the lights go on...and on...[observed from the John Hancock Observatory]
...and on...until you hit Lake Michigan. Then complete darkness hits.[observed from the John Hancock Observatory]
We were able to get out and check out the city a little. The Art Institute of Chicago was a great visit (thanks Doan!) where we spent most of our time in the Thorne Miniature Rooms exhibit.
Art Museums rock.
Andrea's brother, Steve, and his wife, Maura live in Chicago, so we were able to stay with them after Brooke's conference. In the meanwhile, we had to get from downtown Chicago to their home in Wicker Park via public transit...which included multiple blocks of walking through downtown streets with our rolling luggage.
The 'El' (train) is a popular way of transportation around the city.
Cruising by a hundred miles an hour.
One thing we do miss about the Midwest/East Coast are the beautiful old buildings.[pictured above is the Chicago Tribune Building]
Holy Crap! Do you see this stuff? They dye the Chicago River neon-nuclear-powerplant green![to our environmentally conscious friends: do not worry. whatever they use to dye the river does not hurt any being. thanks for asking]
Andrea and Steve sporting their green flare.
We grabbed Chicago style pizza at Giordano's, and couldn't resist the green beer to wash it down. The pizza was excellent and the beer smooth.[Andrea, Brooke, Steve, Maura]
Yay!...Andrea loves St. Patrick's Day! Especially since she gets to wear her Blarney Boppers!
Brooke...I know it's only noon, but it's time to stop drinking for the day.
Steve and Maura made sure we got in plenty of tourist activities...so we made the walk down to Navy Pier to check it out. It was sweet!
We took some time to view the Stained Glass Museum located in Navy Pier.This was a favorite.
We had seen enough buildings and walked enough miles, so we decided to sit down and relax a little. We met up with some of Steve and Maura's friends at an Irish Pub, where we spent the rest of our afternoon/evening/night drinking Guinness and green beer, talking, and laughing.
Steve loved watching his green bow tie light up.
Andrea and Maura...Irish sisters:)
St. Patty's Day fun!
The bar suddenly got cooler as soon as these guys showed up! They rocked that place, it was great.Overall, it was a great trip to Chicago! The buildings were huge, the bustle was fast, but the time with Steve and Maura was much needed. Thanks, you two, for putting us up and showing us around! Can't wait for your visit out to Seattle this summer!
Now...let's get back to the mountains....
6 comments:
Hey you two - I think I've finally figured this comment leaving figured out! Poops, I love your new glasses! You look like some executive type hip chick! (am I showing my age with those kind of comments?) Happy St. Patricks Day a little late!
I hate to tell you this, but the beer looks about the same shade of green as the river! You all look so Irish in your green gear! Fun!
i watched this special on tv on how they change the river green. the first time was when a plumber used a dye to look for a bad leak for the city. it turned the river green. So plumbers have dyed the river green on ST. patty's day ever since using the same powder. (which is red, and when it hits the water it changes color.) pretty cool.
Brooke,
unrelated to this post...what rain jacket do you use for backpacking? I went a few weeks ago and we were in a huge rain storm all day. Currently, i just have a bass pro jacket, not great, doesnt breathe at all. can you recommend a good one for under $100? something that will keep me dry and breathes. thanks man
ian
I know I'm not Brooke, but I do work at REI, so I do have a say here, I think.
May I suggest the REI Taku jacket? Yes, it is a pricey $199, but it is the most breathable of all the waterproof jackets we sell. It is worth the investment and will make for happy trails:)
Are you a member of REI? If so, you are entitled to 20% off one item before end of day, Sunday. Plus REI is 100% satisfaction guaranteed. If you hate the jacket, take it back for full refund. Can't beat that.
Not a member? Join today for $20 and get your 20% off to use! What a deal.
How's that for your sales pitch?
[Seriously though, get the Taku you won't regret it]
i'm really not one to ask about rain jackets. i owe a sierra designs jacket and i think it collects more water on the inside than out; it doesn't breathe very well.
but i agree with andrea, rei make some amazing gear! i've also heard some great things about the marmot precip jacket. also check out sierra trading post. sometimes you can find killer deals.
i think with rain jackets, the more money you pay the dryer it will be on the inside.
hope this helps!
Chicago looks amazing! I now have a friend who lives about two hours from there, so one of these days I'm going to go up to visit her and take a day trip to Chicago. I was in Boston just after St. Patty's day and the harbor was still tinged a bit green... :)
Post a Comment