Weekend In The Windy City

A few days ago, we returned from a long weekend in Chicago.  We went to Chicago to attend the wedding of our friends, but decided to extend the weekend by a few days and make it into a mini vacation.  This is the first trip we have taken together since our first anniversary trip to Green Bay.  It was nerve-racking leaving the dogs, but we found a family friend to hang out with them at our house while we were gone. 

We made a stop off in Rock Island to check out the outdoor exhibits there.  Andrew got to tell me all about some of the equipment he operated when he was in the military.  I also love military history, so it was a good pit stop.  The rest of the drive to Chicago was filled with rain; lots and lots of rain.  The weather alternated between total downpour and light rain.  We couldn't go to Chicago without making a stop at Portillo's, so we stopped there for dinner.

Saturday, we ventured out into the city.  When we travel, we try to eat local and travel local.  We started our morning with breakfast at a pancake house and then jumped on the train into town.  We caught the water taxi and walked to Navy Pier.  We caught another water taxi to the museum campus, and enjoyed the sunshine! 

By the time we got to the museums, it was later in the afternoon and they were closing in less than an hour, so we couldn't really justify the expense of paying the entrance fee.  I had been to a couple of the museums on a prior trip to Chicago, and Andrew also visited a few of them when he was in Chicago for work a few years ago. 

Since we didn't tour the museums, we decided to spend our money on awesome food!  It wouldn't be Chicago without a deep dish pizza, so we stopped off for a bite to eat at Lou Malnati's.  We had the best classic pizza.  We rode the train back out to our hotel and relaxed for the rest of the night.  Sunday morning, we ate brunch at another local pancake house.  We enjoyed a beautiful outdoor wedding on Sunday and spent the evening meeting some awesome people!  I even convinced Andrew that it was time for an updated picture of us dressed up!  It was a good first try, but I hope to get a better one in a couple of weeks when we have another wedding to attend!

Monday morning, we stopped off at a local donut shop before heading out of town.  We stopped off for lunch with one of Andrew's friends and made our way back home.  We were happy to be back at home with our pups and in our own bed!  Now, let the laundry marathon begin.