Hello everybody!
This weekend I got to visit Chicago for the first time with my housemates, Sydney, Sydney (it gets pretty confusing in the house sometimes), and Allie. We left after our classes on Friday around 3:30. Our hotel was the Renaissance with a room facing State St.
Saturday, we started our day by getting breakfast at the Wildberry Cafe. It is right next to Millennium Park, so during the wait for our table we went and visited the Cloud Gate (otherwise known as the Bean). We ate our delicious breakfast outside because the weather was absolutely perfect (by the way, I had a veggie skillet and berry pancakes, I highly recommend)! After breakfast, Sydney, Sydney, and I walked down the Magnificent Mile. We went to the top of the John Hancock Observatory to get a 360 panorama of the city. The views were amazing! I couldn't believe how blue the water was in Lake Michigan (it reminded me of the Mediterranean)! Afterwards we went to Garrett's popcorn on our way back to the hotel to drop off our shopping bags. We relaxed for a little bit in our hotel room, then decided we couldn't waste the beautiful day inside so we walked along the Chicago River to the Navy Pier. (Fun fact: It's actually where the Chicago 1933 World's Fair was held. I wish I could travel back in time to have been there.) We walked down Illinois St. to get in line at a fabulous restaurant, Frontera Grill, to reserve a table for later that evening. I would call the food, contemporary Latino. Rick Bayless owns it and a few others on the street. It was some of the best food I've ever had. I'd suggest it to anyone and everyone. To finish our night, Allie, both Sydneys and I went to Eately. If there is a Heaven, mine would look exactly like Eataly. It is the largest Italian marketplace in the world with a variety of restaurants, counters, retail items, bakeries, and a cooking school. (I even got to practice my Italian a little bit while I was reading the products, so something must be sinking in!)
Sunday morning, we woke up and went to a local place by the hotel for breakfast and then got on the road to come back to Oxford. All of us had a lot of homework to do. But, it was a great first trip to Chicago and I'm sure I will be going back many more times. I don't know if it beats out New York City, but I must say, I'm quite the fan now.
Lots of love,
Kirsten
This weekend I got to visit Chicago for the first time with my housemates, Sydney, Sydney (it gets pretty confusing in the house sometimes), and Allie. We left after our classes on Friday around 3:30. Our hotel was the Renaissance with a room facing State St.
Saturday, we started our day by getting breakfast at the Wildberry Cafe. It is right next to Millennium Park, so during the wait for our table we went and visited the Cloud Gate (otherwise known as the Bean). We ate our delicious breakfast outside because the weather was absolutely perfect (by the way, I had a veggie skillet and berry pancakes, I highly recommend)! After breakfast, Sydney, Sydney, and I walked down the Magnificent Mile. We went to the top of the John Hancock Observatory to get a 360 panorama of the city. The views were amazing! I couldn't believe how blue the water was in Lake Michigan (it reminded me of the Mediterranean)! Afterwards we went to Garrett's popcorn on our way back to the hotel to drop off our shopping bags. We relaxed for a little bit in our hotel room, then decided we couldn't waste the beautiful day inside so we walked along the Chicago River to the Navy Pier. (Fun fact: It's actually where the Chicago 1933 World's Fair was held. I wish I could travel back in time to have been there.) We walked down Illinois St. to get in line at a fabulous restaurant, Frontera Grill, to reserve a table for later that evening. I would call the food, contemporary Latino. Rick Bayless owns it and a few others on the street. It was some of the best food I've ever had. I'd suggest it to anyone and everyone. To finish our night, Allie, both Sydneys and I went to Eately. If there is a Heaven, mine would look exactly like Eataly. It is the largest Italian marketplace in the world with a variety of restaurants, counters, retail items, bakeries, and a cooking school. (I even got to practice my Italian a little bit while I was reading the products, so something must be sinking in!)
Sunday morning, we woke up and went to a local place by the hotel for breakfast and then got on the road to come back to Oxford. All of us had a lot of homework to do. But, it was a great first trip to Chicago and I'm sure I will be going back many more times. I don't know if it beats out New York City, but I must say, I'm quite the fan now.
Lots of love,
Kirsten