Chicago Anniversary

Dan and I love going to Chicago. It's not so far away, and even after all the trips we've made, there's still a lot of fun touristy stuff we can do. We loved this trip so much we would hope that anyone going to the city would at least check out some of the things we did. You won't be disappointed!

This trip we took the bus, which, despite small setbacks, was a wise choice (and cheap!). I love love loved not having to drive or park in the city. I am a major proponent of mass transit, and I hope that someday Detroit will have something worth riding (but I'm not holding my breath).

We saw the CIA and the Museum of Contemporary Art (free on Tuesday) this time around. I preferred the art institute- the works there are a little more tried-and-true, by my tastes. I really liked the Jeff Wall exhibit, but unfortunately there were no photos allowed. His is the kind of art I would pay to have a real live piece of it in my home. Insightful and disturbing.

We ate at some really tasty restaurants that even our Chicagoan friends hadn't tried. For our anniversary, we got (veggie) fondue at Geja's Cafe- they have half off bottles of wine on Monday. Dan loved the ambiance. Some folks might find the candlelight and cave-like walls cheesy, but we had a blast. Service was lovely (and that means something, coming from a fine-dining server!). We also ate at Cafe Iberico, which had some mighty fine tapas (I didn't dig the paella- but we got the veggie version) and pitchers of sangria. I recommend taking friends here, and be prepared to wait- we stood outside for 30 minutes on a Tuesday. The real gem of our dining experience was Irazu. It was a hole-in-the-wall place in a neighborhood a tourist would probably never go, but I encourage everyone to hop on the blue line and get there! The potato tacos sounded absurd, but I ordered them (and laughed when they came with rice AND plantains- starchy!). They were delicious, delicately spiced morsels, and they were accompanied by a knockout mole and a cabbage and cilantro slaw. Order a plate of potato tacos to share (they're a lot on your own), and on the way out the door, grab an oatmeal shake to go. It's like a liquid cookie and it was the perfect thing to sip as we walked around. And hey- it's got fiber to boot.

And, as in all knitting blogs, here's the obligatory action shot, courtesy of my husband, from the lounge on the 96th floor of the Hancock Building at sunset:

All the yarn I buy in Chicago I get from Loopy Yarns. This time they were way understocked, but I still managed to drop a little cash. They send out birthday coupons for folks on their mailing lists, and they let my use mine two months late. Thanks!


Happy anniversary, babycakes.

And we're back

for a couple of days before the haul to Mt. Pleasant. I am not looking as forward to that trip, but it's good to visit with the in-laws.

Chicago was fun. It was a lot of riding on the red line, and a lot of sitting on the tracks, waiting for a train to pass. Thank you, construction. Dan was entirely surprised at dinner, despite the fact that we were a whopping 45 minutes late for our reservation (I didn't want to arrive ahead of the other guests, and some were running quite late). The hostess almost blew the cover by exclaiming that we must be with the big party, but thankfully the restaurant was loud enough that Dan didn't quite hear her. The food was good, and they even brought out a stack of chocolate cheesecake slices inscribed with a birthday message. It was a nice touch.

St. Patrick's Day was a good time. We started the day with brunch at the Chicago Diner, and enjoyed some of their amazing mangoritas.

Then it was a lot of walking and riding around. We went to a couple yarn shops. First was Arcadia Knitting, which was organized with yarns grouped by color. It was pretty to see, but in reality I was not pleased with having to ask if they had certain yarns in other colors. I like to shop independently. True to my word, I bought Mike some Clover single points and two skeins of Lamb's Pride bulky, and he's going to make himself a scarf. Tracy wanted some Lorna's Laces, and so I sprung for a skein of sport weight in pinks and aquas. She has promised to sit down and learn how to make a hat. The $30 I spent on the two of them will pay a hefty return when they learn to make their own garments and stop begging my precious time! :)

From there we went downtown to Loopy Yarns, where I expanded my own stash with a little Cashsoft 4-ply, which I intended to use for Odessa. Sadly, I actually needed the DK weight, and so I think I'll use this ball for the Endpaper Mitts instead.

I also picked up a ball of Fleece Artist sock yarn in ebony. In the store it reminded me of a particular Colinette colorway, but in natural light I see that the grays are a little cooler. I still love it, but it might get a lavender overdye some day. I love the look of purple and brown together.

We tried to see 300 at the IMAX but it was a bust, so we went back to the hotel and eventually to dinner. We took the eternal red line ride up to Mike's friend's house with the intention of going out, but Dan's old bones (and liver) couldn't handle a whole day of drinking and walking around, so we made an early night of it instead.

Sunday we went to Shedd, and had a lovely time. We spent almost 4 hours in the aquarium. I loved watching the penguins and the beluga whale family- baby and all. There were children everywhere, and I watched them as much as I did the animals. A little boy approached me and entreated me, in a language that I could not recognize (yes, me, a linguist. so what?) to help him locate the gecko that was hiding in one of the enclosures. Thankfully his father bailed me out before the child asked me questions that required more than pointing for an answer. How cute.

Dan did the driving home after I navigated us out of the city, and we slept hard last night. There is something to be said for sleeping in one's own bed.