Day 252 First day out in Chicago, USA
Hi there readers. So I can get this post out to you I am going to give you a dot point version of our first day in Chicago and show you heaps of cool photos.
- Woke up and checked Steve’s watch. I thought it said 7.40 am so I got ready to go for a walk. Got dressed in my gym gear and checked his watch again. Bugger – it was actually 3 am!! Climbed back into bed and went back to sleep.
- Woken up by the boys at about 5 am. Their bodies thought it was time to get up and party. I got up again and this time went for a jog in the light drizzle.
- Ate our free brekky of bagels, toast, cereal and fruit.
- Walked to local nature reserve and checked out the locals.
- Rain got heavier so we got a bus into the city using our 3 Day Travel Passes.
- Got off in the city and walked around. Saw the water tower that survived the great Chicago Fire that destroyed 1/3 of the city; the newly relocated large Lego store; Hershey’s chocolate shop and more.
- We met a lovely family from Kentucky that had two boys whilst in the Lego store. They recommended we have lunch at Ed Debevic’s which is famous not so much for their average burgers but for their staff that are happy to insult you and tease your children during your entire visit. It was kind of fun and the onion rings were the best thing about the visit. We were all exhausted by this time given we were jet lagged from the 6 hour time difference. The food helped keep us going for a little longer.
- After lunch we walked to see the Hard Rock Cafe and the Rock and Roll McDonalds; then got the train back to Fullerton so we could have a rest at the hostel.
- After a much needed rest we walked down to the main street in the area to look around. We bought a GPS at Best Buy so when we got our hire car in Calgary we would be all set to find our way around – cost $120 to buy one which is obviously cheaper than hiring one for $80 a week!
- I went to a secondhand clothing store for a look and sent the boys to Borders books where we were going to meet … but it was pouring with rain when I set off to meet them and found that Borders had closed. Little guessing where they now where as Borders had been replaced by a huge temporary Halloween store! I was pretty soaked from the knees down and was glad to be wearing my Crocs.
- We were all starving so on the recommendation of the hostel we set off on foot to find Lou Malnati’s Chicago Pizza. You can not come to Chicago and not eat their speciality dish. I can still fondly remember the pizza I ate in Chicago in 1993! Here it is with extra thick base and mozzarella cheese all over the bottom and sauce on top!
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Dinner done and it was just as well we had a short walk back to the hostel to let our pizza settle.
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Everyone to bed for an early night since our bodies were still stuck in London time.
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Note: If we had longer in Chicago then I would have perhaps invested in the Chicago Pass which gives a significant discount on the major Chicago attractions e.g. Shedd Aquarium. As we have seen our share of ‘free’ museums and aquariums etc we decided not to buy the pass, but I would highly recommend them!
Hello from Chicago. I found your blog while researching travelling to France with kids. You did hit quite a few of the many highlights in the city. I apologize for the unusually horrible weather! The kids would definitely have loved the Shedd Aquarium. Good luck on your future travels.
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Thanks for reading Christie. Have a great time in France with your kids and the weather didn’t scare us off in Chicago.