Chicago

First time in Chicago for Trent, Alex, Trevor, and Tatum!

First time Russell and I have been in Chicago together.

Trent and Alex went to Chicago to compete in the Hydrox mixed doubles.

Russell and Trevor competed in the men's doubles for their first Hyrox race.

So proud of them and their effort in this difficult race.

After the race we went to Giordano's to eat Chicago's deep dish pizza.

Fun time watching the Chicago White Sox and the Seattle Mariners play a double header at the Guaranteed Rate Stadium.

Carson's Ribs was a yummy find.  Their cornbread, ribs, salmon, and pork chops were  so good.  

 

Loved Carson's au gratin potatoes and cold slaw, too.

One of our favorite things we did was the Architecture cruise on the Chicago River.

  The cruise was about 75 minutes long and went by 40 plus buildings and through the three branches of the Chicago River,  I loved hearing about the history of the buildings and city, too.

Willis Tower is the third tallest building in the Western Hemisphere and is home to over 100 companies.

The Trump Tower reflects the height of nearby buildings with three setback features.  

Lake Point Tower is the only skyscraper  on the east side of Lake Shore Drive.  

We learned that despite the great Chicago fire in 1871,  Chicago hosted the World's Fair  in 1893.  During 

 the fair, Juicy Fruit gum and Cream of Wheat were introduced.  

The Field Museum was interesting.  We only had a little over an hour to explore it.  It wasn't nearly enough, but I'm glad we got to see what we did get to see.  We rushed through the dinosaurs, jewels, and ancient Egypt.  Next time we will spend much more time there.

The Big Bus Chicago was great because we could sit back and relax and learn about all the famous sights in Chicago.  

We ate lunch at Portillo's.  

Some of us tried the Chicago style dog, which is mustard, relish, onions, tomatoes, a pickle 

 spear, and sport peppers on a poppy seed bun.  Chicagoans call this dog "dragging the dog through the garden."  

I had a chili cheese dog and it was yummy.

We went by The Buckingham Fountain.  At night, they play music and it lights up.

The Big Bus went by the Wrigley Building in the Magnificent Mile across from Michigan Avenue from the Tribune Tower.  

We ate at Lou Malnati's in The Wrigley Building.  The deep dish Malnati Chicago Classic with flaky, buttery pizza crust and lean sausage was a favorite with all of us.  

The Big Bus went by the Bean (Cloud Gate).

We loved seeing all the unique buildings, clocks, and other structures.

I was surprised by all the flowers, trees, and greenery downtown.

We loved our long weekend in Chicago!