Life with the Browns: chicago

Spring Break 2014 has come and gone. The boys and I got a chance to spend some extra time with daddy. Just one of the perks of working for a University (or any school system). The last two days before he had to head back to work, we took an impromptu trip to Chicago. It looks like this will become a regular thing since it's a hop, skip and a jump away! Because it's still cold out, getting a last minute hotel room in the city was easy. I'm guessing when the summer months roll around this won't be the case. We stayed at the Sheraton Downtown Chicago. I try to stay somewhere in walking distance to Michigan Avenue ( shopping heaven *wink, wink*). As much as I like to score a new pair of shoes or jeans, everyone did a little shopping except for little old me. I think I will wait until summer so I can stroll Michigan Avenue solo...I need to focus! So many beautiful stores! :) I was glad that Thomas treated himself to a few things. Sometimes I worry that he's working too hard and not enjoying anything. The boys did their shopping at the Lego Store, which I'm regretting now. Too many small pieces. I'm glad that they are constantly building things but the tiny pieces are driving me nuts. I bet if we go to the Lego Store in the near future I will let them get a million pieces all over again. I'm a sucker for a child's imagination.

I think the best part of the trip was The Shedd Aquarium. It's probably one of the best Aquariums that we've been to. The aquatic show was great, as well as the 4D movie. Everything about it was nice. Before we left we made a stop at Homeslice for some pizza. Although it wasn't the famous Chicago deep dish pizza it was delicious. The slices were huge. Of course, Tyson was in heaven. First a visit to the aquarium to see his animal friends, then pizza!! He couldn't have asked for a better day.:)

Overall, we had a great time. It's out of our character to just jump in the car and take a trip but I'm glad we stepped out of our comfort zone and went for it!

I'm hoping to take a trip back in the summer - just in time for Taste of Chicago.:)

Me and my boys

Orlando and Tyson in the hotel lobby

On our drive from West Virginia to Wisconsin the boys and I made a short stop in Chicago. I've been trying to get to Chicago for some time now, so I was really excited to finally get a chance to visit. Although it was a quick visit, I really tried to make the best of it. I was a little apprehensive about exploring the city because once I got off the expressway, driving to the hotel was a bit stressful. I'm from a big city (Atlanta) but Chicago was different...really different. More people walking, more traffic, and more cars. It was a real city!! I felt like cars and people were coming at me from every direction! A nice gentleman even relaxed his hands on his horn to let me know that I was driving too slow !! I thought that was so kind of him (not). It really freaked me out. Luckily, the hotel was close and the valet was nice enough to take my car off my hands for the night(for $60/night...I thought that was ridiculous but I was so frazzled I didn't even care). We stayed at the Wyndham Grand Chicago Riverfront. It was really nice and I would stay there again. When we finally settled in, I decided that the boys and I would lock ourselves in our hotel room to stay away from the "crazy horn people." After calming down and realizing that I only had one day in Chicago I decided to go out and explore with the boys. We grabbed a cab and headed to The Children's Museum of Chicago, and I'm so glad we did. Chicago truly is a beautiful city! The Museum was located at the Navy Pier which was a nice experience. I can only imagine how beautiful the Navy Pier is during the spring/summer months.The boys love going to Museums and they thoroughly enjoyed the one in Chicago. Of course the visit wasn't complete until they scored something from the gift shop (they negotiate well). After leaving the museum we took a stroll down Michigan Avenue and let me tell you, that's a shopper's dream! After drooling over retail we made our way back to our hotel and enjoyed room service while watching cartoons. The boys had to wear the same shirts two day in a row, but that's a story for another day.
The next morning we headed out but not before grabbing breakfast at the hotel's restaurant downstairs per Orlando's request. I was thinking about picking up breakfast on the road but Orlando wanted to go all out before leaving the "Windy City!"

Since Madison is only 2 1/2 hours from Chicago I'm hoping we can visit again during the summer. I'm sure my little travel buddies wouldn't mind and maybe daddy can make a cameo appearance. He has a lot on his plate these days...a good problem to have. I'm extremely grateful that he works so hard to provide all these opportunities for the boys and I. I'm so Thankful.