Chicago - Legends of the Summer

Some trips are memorable; others can be forgettable.  Then you have the trips that are simply legendary.  This trip to Chicago was every bit of that.  It was not our first trip to Chicago, so we did not feel compelled to visit all the touristy spots in a limited amount of time.  This time around, we took more of a leisurely pace around the city and really, truly enjoyed Chicago.  

We began with trip with taking the red-eye MegaBus from Louisville.  The double decker bus left at 4am and made a boarding stop in Indianapolis and a rest stop in Nowheresville, Indiana. I fell fast asleep as the bus pulled away from 5th and Liberty of downtown Louisville and awoke six hours later as the bus eased up the Chicago Skyway and pulled into Union Station.

My girlfriend made arrangements for us to stay with her close relatives in the north-central part of Chicago, and we were in walking distance of Wrigley Field.  I felt like a little kid again walking around Clark, Addison, and Sheffield Avenues-- all the streets I remember Harry Carry talking about when any of the Cubbies would hit home runs onto those streets.  

The first place her cousin took us to was the Salt & Pepper Diner where I had a very tasty corn beef hash and a milkshake. Live a little, right?

Later that day, we took the L to Millennium Park, our favorite spot in the city-- the people, the skyline, and most importantly the Cloud Gate. It's a challenge each time to find different ways to capture "The Bean", and it's one I delightfully accept.

All the walking and adrenaline worked up an appetite for us again, so we met up with a long time family friend who took us to an amazing Thai restaurant in the South Loop District called Opart Thai House.  To date, this was some of the best Thai food that I have ever had.  Their "medium spicy" had more of a kick to it than all other "medium spicy" that I've had but the food was amazing so I didn't mind having to wipe my runny nose in between bites. Between the three of us, we had great conversation, lots of catching up, and sampling of each others dishes.  We started with Yum Nua-- a Thai beef salad with onions, cilantro, and lime dressing. For our main entrees, we ordered Peanut Sauce Lovers with shrimp, Pad Thai with shrimp, and Red Curry with chicken.  

When we said our goodbyes, I convinced my girlfriend to go to Millennium Park again to take night pictures of the Cloud Gate.  We happened along a free symphony concert in Grant Park.  It was great to see multitudes of people on the giant lawn enjoying the stylings of an orchestra and the company of their loved ones on a pleasant summer night under the stars. 

The next day, we celebrated my girlfriend's great-aunt's birthday.  For the special occasion, we feasted at Little Quiapo Restaurant-- a Filipino buffet complete with a whole, roasted pig (lechon) and a Jeepney in the middle of the restaurant. They served so much food, and I ate all the pancit and lumpia to my hearts desire, and even made room for some halo-halo for dessert. Her great-aunt had the right idea; when I'm an octogenarian, this would be the way I would spend every birthday.

Afterwards, her cousin drove us to the Shedd aquarium where we got to view the jellyfish exhibit. It's a small exhibit but a main attraction. Everyone walking through was entranced; my girlfriend said jellyfish were like the ocean's lava lamps. One really could spend hours watching them swim. Another cool part of Shedd was the coral reef exhibit on the lower level. The exhibit featured the Philippine people and how the fishermen there coexist with the coral reef, and my girlfriend was excited that part of her culture was on display for all aquarium patrons to see. 

After Shedd, we had plans to walk the lake shore to Navy Pier, but it looked like a storm was approaching.  We detoured to Buckingham Fountain and then to Garrett's popcorn before even a drop of rain fell. Pretty good alternative for Navy Pier, if you ask me. I love popcorn.

We then met up with my girlfriend's cousin again because she knew of a place in Little Italy where we could get some good, authentic Chicago Italian Beef sandwich. Al's Beef came highly recommended but was closed on Sundays, so we jumped to dessert quickly by going across the street to Mario's Italian Lemonade stand where we got Mango, Watermelon, and Cantaloupe Italian Lemonade.  It was a great neighborhood stand, and it was a prime location for people watching. You could really tell that this is where locals go for a summer treat. After those sweet refreshments, we went to a restaurant called 90 miles Cuban Cafe, which was featured on Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives. The ambiance was great, and the food was even better. Both places were such a hit that we left forgetting the fact that we wanted to try an Italian Beef sandwich.

On our third day in Chicago, we went to Chinatown to eat dim sum. After we ate all the dumplings we could, we treated ourselves to fresh fruit smoothies and bubble tea at Joy Yee. 

Later that evening was the highlight of our trip- the Jay-Z's and Justin Timberlake's Legends of the Summer Tour at Soldier Field.  My girlfriend had been a fan of both artists for years and years, and so have I, and the concert was epic to say the least. There were over 50,000 people enjoying the show. Once they were on stage, it was over two hours of nothing but singing and dancing. It was an awesome experience witnessing the collaboration of two established musicians giving solid performances. It was the best way to spend our last night in the city.

Before we caught a plane back home, we had brunch at Uncle Mike's Place. They serve a savory breakfast with Filipino chorizo called longanisa and cured meat called tocino. I ordered a combo breakfast that also included a marinated skirt steak with pico de gallo and Filipino-style garlic fried rice. The chef in the back also gave us complimentary food to sample, which I couldn't turn down. This place had charm, as well as a fascinating display of Spam and its variety of flavors. So many locals eat here, and I'd definitely go back. 

It was a great conclusion to a wonderful trip that was absolutely legendary. Many thanks to Carina! Chicago was a great way to punctuate the end of summer. We can't wait to visit again. 

Chicago City Scape

Cloud Gate

Chicago City Scape from Ping Tom Memorial Park

Mural at 90 Miles Cuban Cafe 

Chicago Skyline 

Shedd Aquarium

Jellyfish Exhibit at Shedd Aquarium

Jellyfish Exhibit at Shedd Aquarium

Concert at Grant Park

Mario's Italian Lemonade

Mango Italian Lemonade from Mario's Italian Lemonade