“I give you Chicago. It is not London and Harvard. It is not Paris and buttermilk. It is American in every chitling and sparerib. It is alive from snout to tail.” – Henry Louis Mencken |
Before this past weekend, Brad and I had each been to Chicago one other time in our lives, which happened to be during the same high school band trip. We knew each other back then, but didn’t hang out nearly as much as we (obviously) do now. And I definitely didn’t know then that the next time I visited Chicago, the two of us would be married. Funny how things turn out.
Anyway, Chicago was supposed to be my surprise Valentine’s Day gift. Unfortunately, Brad doesn’t always succeed in pulling off huge surprises, so when my parents told me they were coming to visit around the same time, Brad kind of blurted out his plans instead of slyly working the two visits around each other. Either way, it all worked out . . . we scheduled everything and set off to the windy city early Saturday morning.
The view from our hotel room window–I’m so glad we requested a higher floor! |
Hello, lights. |
Real pizza in a real Chicago pizzeria! |
Nom. Look at those pies. |
We got the “Special,” a stuffed pizza filled with green peppers, onions, sausage, and mushrooms. Oh, yum. The small supposedly served one to two people, but with our side of fries, we barely finished half a pie. |
He’s a colorful guy. |
The Old Water Tower |
Chicago pedestrians, both tourists and residents, blend together more seamlessly than NYC pedestrians, I’ve found. Plus, there aren’t nearly as many people covering the sidewalks. |
Ah, Navy Pier . . . we meet again. How I missed you. |
The Spirit of Chicago |
Right: Me, channeling my inner Harry Caray. I’m the one in the green coat.
Beautiful Tiffany windows at the Navy Pier’s Smith Museum |
Six o’clock on Sunday evening came way too quickly, but we said our goodbyes to the city and made the trek back home. It was bittersweet, but I’m not too sad about the weekend being over . . . I know I’ll be back.
Goodnight, Chicago. See you soon. |