The Zyriek Zoo: Chicago!!

We planned our fall break trip to Chicago several months ago and the girls were so excited to fly there and enjoy the city. I am a big planner and tried to think through our travel plans, transportation, hotel, sights, etc. before we ever got there so we would not have to stress. Everything went fairly smoothly with no missed flights or instances of getting lost, which is a plus in a new town! We flew up on Wednesday morning and were there by lunchtime. We navigated the "El" which stands for elevated train. The girls knew about the train and were anxious to be on it....not to anxious after about 45 minutes of traveling, but still can't beat that $2 train fare to the hotel!! We did not rent a car because a) we did not want to navigate downtown Chicago and b) it was going to be $42 a day to park it at our hotel!!

After getting checked in we decided to walk around for a bit and see some sights. The girls were dying to take a cab somewhere but we promised them we could do that later. We walked to Millenium Park to see "The Bean" which is a silver/mirrored exhibit that resembles a giant metallic bean. It is cool and a must for a photo op in Chicago. We let the girls play a while in the park and then kept walking. We stopped for pictures at the Chicago Art Museum (as seen in my favorite movie, Ferris Bueller's Day Off) and then heaaded to Willis Tower (formerly known as Sears Tower). The girls were excited to walk out on the "Sky Ledge" which are 4 glass boxes that protrude from the top floor of Willis Tower which is the tallest skyscraper in Chicago. They loved it!! Not much to do when you are up there but look around and if you are scared of heights, it is not the place for you!!

We got an ice cream cone for a treat before heading to the river to try and catch a boat tour. We had heard this was the best way to see the various parts of the city and understand all the history to the buildings all around town and on the water. We took a 90 minute tour that started at 6pm so we go to enjoy sunset. It was stunning and such a great way to see everything and learn. The girls absolutely loved it.

Afterwards, we headed back to the hotel to grab our jackets and then walk to dinner at a great restaruatn nearby for famous Chicago pizza! We took the girls for Deep Dish Pizza that night. It can take up to 45 minutes to cook so glad the girls were patient and pacified with bread!!

Great first day. We were all tired and the girls were pretty easy at bedtime, which is how I like it when we are all in the room together!