chicago!

...is just as everyone said it would be - fantastic city-vibe, clean and completely beautiful. They love celebrating as we saw from their Columbus Day parade and hearing about how they turn the Chicago River green every St. Patrick's Day. They're a festive people as well - even the manicured planter boxes around the city had fresh fall colored flowers with ribbons and corn husks!

The history is incredible, which the beautiful buildings around the city illustrate. James and I got to hear about them on our architecture boat tour that I highly recommend  if you ever find yourself there. 

A couple things we learned:

1. It's called the windy city because politicians blew "hot air" to win the World Fair back in 1890

2. It's called "second city" because the first city was 60% burned down in the 1871 fire

Highlights from the trip:

- Architecture boat tour

- Second City Comedy

- Chicago Style Pizza (we tried Giordano's...and disclaimer - I ate a thin crust GF pizza but James said the real deal was delicious!)

- "Chicago-Style" polish dogs at Portillo's - side note their sundae was real good

- Lincoln Park Zoo (free!) and biking Lake Michigan

Big thanks to James's friend Ben for showing us around, housing us for part of the trip and taking us to Sunday service at Vineyard Church Hyde Park!

University of Chicago (Airbnb was right down the street!)

such a fun way to see the city

Lake Michigan

the bean!

Chiciago river at sunset

Willis (formerly Sears) Tower

boat tour

check out the city in the distance!

 skyline view from John Hancock lounge

James doing a time-lapse sunset video