I have been going to Chicago almost yearly now since I was 12 years old. So it's a lot of fun now taking my own son to do some of things I got to do when I was younger. My dad and Lynn packed our days full of fun! We enjoyed every minute of it too! Ok ... maybe not the minutes that Brayden screamed in the car because he wanted to be outside continuing in the fun and how dare he take a nap!
Thursday we got to enjoy a nice day at the Brookfield Zoo. I haven't been in years. I forgot how big it was and how beautiful it is. My cousin Kristen and her family have a membership so they got us all in for free and joined us for the day! We had so much fun. Brayden enjoyed going on the carousel with Nani and Mia. And of course they conveniently put it right at the entrance so when you are coming and going it's what all the kids see... and what kid do you know does not want to go for a ride! We had fun at the zoo and they had really nice exhibits.
After the zoo we went to Salerno's Pizza. This is my very favorite pizza place in all of Chicago. Okay ... so I haven't tried many there... but I am not really willing to. I LOVE IT! I know it definitely is better than any other pizza we have in Colorado... so this is a must when we visit Chicago!
Friday my dad and Lynn took us downtown. We went to the Shedd Aquarium first. I had never been there before even after all these years. So I was looking forward to checking it out. It sits right out on the edge of Michigan Lake. It's huge and there is a lot to see. The only unfortunate part was it was free day for the general area. There was a line wrapped clear around the building. My dad was the smart one though and had purchased our tickets online. So we were able to bypass the line and go right in! Good thinkin' dad! We got to see all sorts of fish, and turtles. They also had dolphins and a whale. We didn't think Brayden would sit thru a show so maybe next summer we can go to the dolphin show. We had a good time regardless. After that we took a water taxi over to Navy Pier. Here we bought tickets to go on the Architecture tour down the Chicago River. Brayden seemed to enjoy all the boat rides. The tour is pretty cool. They talk about all the old and new buildings in the city as you ride by. I guess most buildings aren't any older than 1930 because of the old "famous" Chicago fire that happened back in 1877(?). Pretty interesting.
Leaving the city was a rough one... Brayden cried almost all the way home. It wouldn't have been so bad BUT it's a long ride home from the city. It's not like Denver where you can be home in 20 minutes. Poor kid... no nap and overexhausted. He was screamin at me big time! After maybe 30 or 45 minutes of the scream he finally passed out.
We stopped at Portillos for dinner on the way home. Again... this is another favorite we hit every time we go to Chicago. They have the best italian beef sandwiches EVER! I don't even know where to get it in Denver. So anyone visiting Chicago... stop by!!!
Saturday was my cousin Ashly's big day. It was so pretty. She had picked like a watermelon color for the girls dresses. It was very nice and everyone and especially Ashly looked beautiful. My only regret was forgetting my camera this day! DAMN! So I snapped a few shots off of another camera and as soon as I have them I will post pictures from the wedding. She had a very nice ceremony in a really cute church. Had that cute old wooden church feel. The reception was held at a VFW turned banquet hall. It was very nice. The food was yummy, the dancing was fun and the bride was beaming! We all had a great time! Even Brayden was up till midnight jammin it out on the dance floor with us all!
Sunday we enjoyed a nice Father's day at home. My dad cooked some yummy BBQ. Italian sausage, ribs, hot dogs, and chicken. We had a very nice day and we were able to relax. It was nice. The weather was perfect too!
Monday was our last day. We met up with a good friend for lunch and then headed to the airport. Brayden did really well on both flights in and out. No crying. He did get a little antsy on the plane ride home. The only mishap... he pee'd thru his diaper right on to my lap! So that was fun! LOL... He did sleep for about the last hour on the flight home. Made it nice for me to be able to close my eyes for a few moments too!
We had a great time on our vacation and miss Nani and Papa already! Can't wait to see you again! Love you guys!
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