Chi-cag-ooooooooo! (In my Oprah voice)

My selfie at the Bean in Millennium Park.

 After having it on my “to visit” list for over ten years, I finally, finally made it to Chicago! My desire to visit the city was so bad that every time I spoke with any of my Chi town friends, they'd always ask, “have you made it here yet?” Sadly, when I did finally get there, none of them were in town to celebrate my debut. Ugh! C'est la vie!

Work brought me to the Chicago burbs and unfortunately didn't leave me much time to explore the Windy City but I was determined to make the best of my time there and I'm proud of all that I accomplished!

With only six hours to pack it in, I took a page from my Philly trip by hopping on the double decker and setting out to see the city. I managed to score a bag of Garrett's Popcorn Shops’ Garrett Mix (though it wasn’t my first time having it); snap a selfie by the Bean and grab a hotdog (with no ketchup!) in Millennium Park; check out Navy Pier and its very disappointing dining options; drive through the famed Magnificent Mile, Michigan Avenue and Oak Street shopping areas; and feel the girl power (and feel empowered to change the world) after learning about the first American woman to earn a Nobel Peace Prize, Chicagoan Jane Addams, and her contribution to social reform.

I was truly amazed by the architecture of the city's many beautiful buildings, its pristine streets. and the unbelievably gorgeous azure-turquoise-cerulean blue water of Lake Michigan; as well as the effect the Great Chicago Fire has on the city nearly 150 years later, which made me wonder how my beloved hometown will be in 2155, 150 years after Hurricane Katrina. I even learned firsthand why Chicago is called the Windy City.  Let’s just say upper 60s in Texas is not quite the same as in Chicago and fortunately I brought my jacket and boots!

Before heading to O'Hare, I made one final stop, at RPM Italian, a River North hotspot that was pretty packed before 6 pm on a Wednesday. There I had a very delicious modern Italian dinner of Wood-Roasted Octopus, Spicy King Crab with Squid Ink Spaghetti, and Zeppoli (which I simply call Italian beignets). The portion size of every course was perfect and after eating every morsel on every plate and downing both a glass of Chardonnay and cup of coffee I left pleasantly full, not uncomfortably stuffed, with a satisfied grin on my face!

I've already planned - though not scheduled - my next trip to the Windy City, which will include stops at the Art Institute, Girl and The Goat restaurant and tours of the neighborhoods. In the meantime, I’m embarking on reading Devil In The White City to get a fun take on my new favorite town.

There are lots more travel adventures for me. I still need to make it to the Pacific Northwest and Hawaii, in the US, and many many places abroad. More to come!

Xo,

The River on top; Navy Pier bottom left and a view of 

the North side from across Lake Michigan.

Just a lil Lagniappe from top left a few florals I found 

myself next to at Navy Pier, my view at RPM, and 

another find at Navy Pier, Lake Michigan life ... 

lighthouse and a boater taking advantage 

of a beautiful day.