Hello Vacation

Actually hello home is more appropriate. We went on vacay this week, and it was lovely. Although I didn't have a bucket list, if I had I certainly could have marked off a ton of things. We headed to Chicago. What an amazing city. We did so many things this week it is amazing to me. I took a ton of pictures (176 actually), which I will upload later. Here are some highlights.
We went to the Museum of Science and Industry, where we played with funny mirrors, saw a movie at the omnimax, saw a model of Chicago that was incredible, plus so much more.

Museum of Science and Industry

  Shedd Aquarium, where I apparently didn't take any pictures, Field Museum

at the Field Museum

 Navy Pier

Ferris Wheel at Navy Pier

Magnificent Mile, American Girl Store, Art Institute of Chicago

Art Institute of Chicago

during the audio tour it said to close your eyes

then go examine the painting up close Ryan did just what it said.

Loved seeing this upclose

 and the Skydeck on the Willis Tower (still the Sears Tower to me) I stood 103 stories up on a clear glass box looking straight down AMAZING.

We visited Macy's, Bloomingdales (did you know there were stain glass windows and marble counters in the bathroom),

Bloomingdale's bathroom. This is one stall. It had 4 windows

and had hot dogs 4 times. The Chicago dog is AWESOME.  We ate at American Dog twice, portillos, and a street vendor. We didn't have any Chicago pizza, but with dairy issues, and garlic allergy pizza is tricky. We used public transportation for the first time for all of us and road the bus, the subway, the L.

Our hotel was right in the heart of all of these places and walking was so easy to get where we needed and wanted to go, however the city transport made it faster and gave the little's feet a break.  At Macy's, I touched a $16000 fur coat. It was super soft, but seriously $16000. The salesman commented they were having a great sale (40% off), Jon said, "not great enough". The salesman thought that was great.
Macy's had a giant American flag that hung from the 8th floor down.

Flag in Macy's

Rebecca got matching sweatshirts for her and her american girl doll, and also glasses for her doll that match her glasses.

Ryan got 3 different lego sets at the lego store.

How cool is a Lego Woody

I went to Lush, and got a lip scrub, shampoo bar, conditioner, and shower bomb. We went to about 4 different Walgreens trying to find Borba vitamins. Jon and I had been talking about how I probably don't get enough calcium, and I had recently heard of this brand of chewable non dairy calcium supplements. They were kind of like vanilla tootsie rolls, and one a day is all I need. 
We saw musicians on the streets, homeless people asked us for money, we had dunkin donuts a couple nights, and I wish we had a 7/11 here They have a good soda fountains.
Some other things I want to remember. We saw a baby chick hatch from its egg at the Museum of Science and Industry. Ryan learned something from this. It is very hard work. So today when he needed to go #2, he commented sometimes it is really hard to go, kinda like a baby chick getting out of its egg.  No, I didn't keep the laughter in, and I have laughed about it many times today.
We walked in the rain, saw people on bikes, segways, and exercising everywhere. Saw a lady in a leopard print top, floral skirt, black tights, white ankle socks and platform stilettos in the middle of the day, that was some ensemble. It was a fashion don't on so many levels.
Today a car drove through a puddle and splashed water up on the curb and almost soaked a lady coming up from the subway, you know how you only think that stuff happens in movies, well we almost saw it in real life.
The skyline is amazing during the day, and at night.

The view from our hotel room.

During the Day

at night

on a cloudy day, do you see what is missing. The tallest building! It was strange to look out and see clouds moving by

We went to the park and saw this big mirrored sculpture.

So I took our picture in it

I commented to Jon I hadn't seen a payphone in a really long time. Look what I found

payphone at Art Institute

Chicago is my favorite city.

Now don't you want to go to Chicago. It is some what cliche, but I totally bought a I heart Chicago t-shirt.

we bought a CTA day passes for the public transportation great deal. And bought the city pass which let us do the 5 big things we did for about 1/2 the regular cost. GREAT DEAL!