Fun trip to Chicago

Nancy

Well-Known Member
easy child and I were in Chicago last weekend for fun. We were suppose to fly but at the last minute drove the six plus hours because easy child came down with mono and the dr did not want her flying. We left last Friday, one hour before the snow started flying here, and the whole way driving I kept getting hourly updates from husband and my sister on how horrible the weather was back in Cleveland. We stopped at the U of Notre Dame in South Bend to show easy child where her Dad went to college, and I even got a picture of her standing in front of his dorm. We bought hima couple things from the bookstore for old times sake.

We got into our downtown hotel about 4:30 p.m. and wow if I thought Cleveland traffic was busy at rush hour, it's nothing like Chicago traffic into downtown. We changed, ate at a wonderful Italian restaurant in our hotel, and went to the theater to see Wicked. It was a wonderful musical, even though I had to fight to stay awake after our long drive.

The next two days we shopped at all the ritzy stores, although we were good and didn't buy anything, visited the Oprah store, Sears Tower, Millenium Park, Navy Pier, Water Tower and walked a lot.

Chicago has the best food, I love your pizza, we ate at Pizzarie Uno which was one block from our hotel and the wait was worth it. We had another wonderful pizza in the restaurant next to our htoel, it was a paper thin crust and melted in your mouth, simply scrumptous. Argo Tea is out of this world and I wish we had them back in Cleveland. Ethel's Chocolate Lounge was a delightful and there was a terrific eating place int he water tower that had any kind of comfort food you could want. We even brought back some desserts for later.

We had a great time and I loved Chicago.

Nancy
 

Star*

call 911........call 911
Nancy,

I can totally agree with you about Chicago traffic. Cleveland's rush hour pales in comparison. You are correct about the pizza, best anywhere. I am so glad you and your daughter got to go on the road trip. It sounds like you had a blast despite her being under the weather.

I had NO idea Oprah had a store. (learn something here on this board every day)

I think it would be a neat idea to not tell husband about the picture of his daughter in front of his frat house and have it framed with ND colors as a mat, then give it for a present!

Hugs - thanks for sharing!
Star
 
N

Nomad

Guest
I'm so glad you had fun in Chicago. Very interesting that Oprah has a store...didn't know that. I might have an opportunity to go this summer...will do my best to get there.
 
The Ope has got to own half of Chicago by now!

Yeah, our traffic is just about the worst. If you are not used to it, and are not aggressive, it's pretty scary. Matt & I drove a semi over the road, and L.A. was the only place with worse traffic (and worse drivers).

Our pizza more than makes up for it. Good choice, Unos. Love their pizza. Glad you enjoyed your visit to Chicago.
 

dreamer

New Member
I am agreeing about the traffic about 1000%, LOL. AFter I moved further from the city, and had not been in THAT traffic for awhile, I finally gave up ever trying to drive on the expressways near CHicago----altho I can do the surface streets OK. (part of why the trip to my kids docs takes so long)

When we traveled to east coast one year, I did fine in Indianapolis, did OK in NJ, and Philly, MD, and even Difficult Child, even on 495 etc. I do not drive in the Loop, or on the expressways.- and when we got nearer home from our trip out east? I swear we did NOT have to look at road signs or maps to know when we crossed over into IL and Chicago area, it was simply far too obvious by traffic and drivers on the road.
I have several friends and family members who drive 18 wheelers long distance and most of them do their best to never have to come into chicago area at all.

As for pizza? Unos is not my fav, but I know when I am away from the area, I have a hard time finding food/pizza etc that we do like. I LOVE our food, our pizza our restaurants, and feel deprived when we are far from here. (My personal fav pizza is Rosatis (thin crisp crust), my fav hot dog is Portillos - also their Italian Beef..... )

:) I like close to home OK, just not the traffic, LOL
Yup heading closer to city, thru it and south of it tomorrow for a few days. Lots of REALLY COOL things to see and do!!!!
 

Fran

Former desparate mom
Nancy sounds like a great time. I have had very little experience in Chicago and would definitely like to make the trip some day.
What great girl time with easy child. I'll always miss having a female easy child to do those things with. I'm just happy to have a easy child at all so I don't complain.

The food sounds really, really good.
Hope easy child feels better.
 

Nancy

Well-Known Member
I feel sorry for me :(. We just have the old chain pizza places, nothing different or original.

I'm glad I got a chance to sample some of the best Chicago has to offer. I can tell you the memory will last a looooong time.

Nancy
 

dreamer

New Member
BBK- I definetly DO feel sorry for people who have not had a hot dog or Italian Beef from Portillos- yeesh, when people say they are not crazy for a simple little hot dog? I KNOW they have never been there, LOL. And I am sad for what they are missing.
My friend lives in very rural MN and she THOUGHT she had "pizza" Yikes, I went there (I went often, my fav aunt lived there) and oh my GOSH! she never had "pizza"! She had nothing but Tombstone! Literally!
How much I love and adore and treasure the restaurants and food here. I am partial to the family owned places where Greeks or whoever own a place and serve all 3 meals around the clock, simple to extravagant breakfasts, lunches, dinners, american, greek and all kinds of a little of everything else, too--maybe a salad bar (or not) maybe drinks available (or not) where people go in, sometimes same customers every evening or every lunch or every breakfast, or even twice a day every day? (i worked in those places for 20+ years)
BUT I also love the hot dogs/Italian beef stands.....the burger joints, ice cream stands (we have a Baskin Robbins, a Juliannes custard, a DQ, a Culvers, a Mr Frosty, a Subzero, and our town is SMALL) We also have a Rosatis, a spin off (got sued by Rosatis, stole their recipes and branched out- 3 Stars pizza, a very old world Italian, Napolis, an exotic um gourmet upscale pizza- Pirros, A "jail house Pizza" 2 Dominos, a Pizza Hut, (I do not like DOminos or Pizza Hut) a Tommys (from Villa Park chain) and several others. In my TINY town.
And if I wanna take a little car ride, I can go to Orland Park, Gurnee Mills, Algonquin, Woodfield- and find literally miles and miles and miles of solid nonstop choices of every chain imaginable, almost (cannot find a Sonic, no Chick father in law A, no Checkers, no um.one from out west? forgot the name, oh yeah In N Out? But almost anything else.)

The town next to me has 7 McDs.
7. 2 BKs, 2 Wendys, 4 Taco Bells......etc etc.
whoa!
and sit down places to lose count on.

Portillos? YUM! Rosatis? YUM!
 
K

Kjs

Guest
We do not live too far from Chicago, but have never driven there. We take the train into the city.

That is what difficult child wanted to do on his birthday. However due to the snowstore that day, and easy child's ER visit, that trip was cancelled. We are planning on heading there during the spring break.

difficult child asked if he and a friend can take the train alone! LOL...

We are close enough that school often has field trips to museums and other activities in the City.

Sure sounds like you had a great time.
 
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