When we were together at Christmas, Erik and I thought how fun it would be to take a day and tour a city together. He’d not been to Chicago, so we agreed that would be a great place to visit. We did something similar in Kansas City before I moved, and we thought this would make a great experience every couple of years. I booked each of us flights to Midway airport and a hotel on Michigan Ave that was close to the L. We arrived mid-evening on a Friday and were surprised to have to walk three or four blocks out of the way to get to our hotel. As it turned out, Bernie Sanders was speaking at the hotel next to ours and all traffic was blocked for the occasion.

We checked in to our hotel and quickly went to sleep knowing the following day would be packed. Poor Erik learned a valuable lesson for the next adventure, bring noise canceling headphones as dad snores. I purchased Go Chicago cards for this adventure. Janet & I had done this a few years ago and found them to be of tremendous value for a day of high energy sightseeing. Many of the attractions on the card didn’t open until 10:00 so we began the day taking a train to Wrigley Field.  Wrigley is as small as Fenway, and even more tucked into the urban landscape. We couldn’t go inside, but some views into the stadium are possible as you walk around.

After making our way back to downtown, we boarded the hop on/hop off bus for a tour of the city. We got off at the Shedd Aquarium and  Museum of Natural History for some quick site seeing, including Sue the T-Rex before heading to Navy Pier to have lunch with a grad school friend of Erik’s. Janet & I had taken the Architectural River cruise when we were here before, and I knew Erik would love it.

So we paid for Evan an extra ticket and they were able to spend more time and see the sites.  I’ve recommended this tour to many who visit Chicago, and find that others who’ve been also say it’s a must see. If you’re reading this blog and are planning to visit Chicago, you really need to make it a point to take that tour!

After the tour and lunch, we boarded the hop on/hop off and concluded the tour where we learned that CVS is a good place to get all your hair products and beauty needs! After the tour we made our way to the Willis/Sears tower for a view from the observation deck. The deck includes three glass rooms that jut out from the building called “The Ledge” and give the visitor a 110 story view straight to the street. When Janet & I visited, my brain wouldn’t let me take a step onto this vertigo inducing platform. This time I had it figured out that I would look up as I went into the chamber, take my picture, then look down as I was exiting the box. It worked and I can honestly say I’ve done the Ledge!

With a full morning and afternoon of sightseeing under our belts, we decided a nap was in order before dinner. Erik had seen the original Uno’s while on the bus and we decided it would be a great place for some Chicago deep-dish pizza.  We did the nap and dinner and were surprised to find we had quite a few hours of time on our hands with nothing planned. I checked the Go-Chicago card and noted that the John Hancock Tower observation deck was open until 11:00. We headed down the Miracle Mile and past the Chicago Water Tower to the fourth tallest building in Chicago. Their observation deck includes a feature called Tilt which has visitors holding to bars as the window and floor tilt forward to give an eerie view straight down to the street. I’d had enough of views to the street for one day and took a pass. The views of the city at night were fantastic. We both felt it was worth the walk and staying up just a little more to see this amazing site.

Our flights both left Midway early the next morning, and I know Amanda was glad to have her husband back again. I loved sharing this experience with my son. We’re extremely close which made the time even better. I love teaching my kids how to live like a tourist!

“Life is either a daring adventure or nothing at all.” – Helen Keller