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.
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| Chicago City Scape |
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| Cloud Gate |
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| Chicago City Scape from Ping Tom Memorial Park |
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| Mural at 90 Miles Cuban Cafe |
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| Chicago Skyline |
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| Shedd Aquarium |
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| Jellyfish Exhibit at Shedd Aquarium |
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| Jellyfish Exhibit at Shedd Aquarium |
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| Concert at Grant Park |
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| Mario's Italian Lemonade |
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| Mango Italian Lemonade from Mario's Italian Lemonade |
