The Adventures of Chicago

Well for starters I didn't lock the keys in the car and we left in time for the airport! Already off to a great start! We made our way out at 3 and got there early enough to eat and relax. We boarded belted in and before we knew it we were already landing in Chicago. The airport was very big and it took a little to find our way around. We went to the transportation station where 20$ gave us unlimited access to the train and bus around the city which made the trip very affordable. From there we took the train to downtown and started our adventure. 

Our first stop was the aquarium so we wouldn't have to wait in line all day. On our way there we went through a College Park and we were all stunned by the view of Lake Michigan, there was just something about the way it complimented the high rise apartments and office buildings. It was breathtaking. By the time we had arrived the line was about 150 people long at 8am. Luckily we were waiting in the shade. Before we knew it we were on our way in to get our bags checked and wait yet again in another line which took about half an hour.

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 Once we passed through the line, we paid $5 for a general admission for the downstairs aquarium. It show cased many different parts of aquatic life. From the Amazon River to Southeast Asia, and India it had all different rivers and oceans. One of the exhibits allowed people to pet fish that lived in the great lakes called Sturgeon.  Lucie met the giant Alligator snapping turtle that lives in the southern United states and right after that was the diver in the tank feeding all the fish in the turtle which was really neat. You could pay another $20 to go to the outdoor aquarium and see the Sharks and Wales and seals.

Once we left there we were very tired since we didn't get much sleep from the night before, we head  over to the planetarium where we sat down by the water and saw the stunning view of the city it was really breathtaking. From there we went on the lake side front on the walking path and we walked around which then took us to the famous Buckingham fountain. 

There we went to a little snack shack next store and got hot dogs and chicken for lunch you are very tired at that point so we decided to make our way back to our hotel. From our train stop we walked to our hotel The Amber Inn, which was about 5 minutes walk and it wasn't in a bad area, we had a little trouble trying to get our room with peple in front of us but once we got in it was very nice.  

The price on labor day weekend was  $120 a night for a suite, we decided to rest for a little while and take a nap.  Later that night we made our way over to the 360 degree Chicago sky deck where we saw probably the best view of all of the lit up skyline, the walk was about a mile but it crossed over the river and the city center lighting was astounding. We paid 18$ for a 2 time pass for the skydeck which we recommend buying online it saves time and money.

The wait was about 15 minutes as we packed into the elevator, the acceleration was very noticeable and some people were scared it would break, as the elevator doors opened the city lights overwhelmed you. There was a bar and souvineer stand at the top where you could buy food and gifts buy my favorite was Tilt. You paid extra to stand in a room at the top that was all glass and it would tilt horizontally so you would be looking face down at the city. Before we left there was a 10pm firework show on the navy pier that we saw before packing in the same elevator.

 We started our next day by getting breakfast in the city at a coffee chain which luckily had pumpkin spice in stock. (It's never too early for fall themed food) from there we headed to check out some parks and the jazz festival which was very cool.

 We continued to walk around and explore on our way to the navy pier. As soon as we arrived there was a black hawks outdoor ice skating rink and Bubba Gump shrimp, there was so much to do from the giant ferris wheel, to city riverboat tours, helicopter tours, famous deep dish pizza, and other and other city tours. 
On our list of things to check off was chicago deep dish pizza so we had to find a traditional restaurant so we could decide which pizza was better. After waiting an hour, it was without a doubt that thin crust New York style pizza will forver be the champion. After a filling meal we headed out to see the Black sabbath concert at the Hollywood casino amphitheater 30 minutes away. That was the topper to my day - seeing one of their last shows and getting to take Lucie with me!! 

Sure enough Monday was a rest day, we slept in until check out and killed time by doing what we do best....wander around the city

Once we arrived we said our goodbyes to Lucie's brother who continued on his east coast USA adventure while we unfortunately had to return to work. The flight home gave us plenty of time to take in everything that had happened all the laughs, the beautiful views, the great food, but the best was the great company. Going to Chicago was a great decision, if it weren't for Lucie I wouldn't have gone and I'm so glad we did. The transportation was easy and cheap, the city was very clean, the views were amazing. Overall I'd recommend it to anyone for a 2 or 3 day trip, even if you are someone like me who hates cities Chicago will certainly leave you rethinking it.