Chicago was the first place I ever visited in the US back in 2005…even before I met Jonathan. I was there for a conference as part of my PhD and I while I mostly enjoyed it I can’t say I did much exploring while there (in fact my strongest memory is an ordering mix-up resulting in a meat-filled burrito when I was still a vegetarian).
So as part of our drive East to West (via Montana and Toronto) we wanted to see if it was as nice as I remember.
Being honest, Chicago already had a lot to live up to before we arrived having spent 2 great days in wider Illinois state which all 4 of us loved. Another contender for the “we’d live here list” – in the summer season at least.
So what did we like:
1. It’s Beautiful and Safe: It’s a really pretty city (most of My Best Friends Wedding was filmed there if you’re trying to picture the prettiness). It all looks very clean and we were out late (by the kids standards) both nights and we felt really safe walking around. Our apartment block happened to have a roof terrace so watching the city at night just added to this picture perfect notion we were creating.
2. The Great Lake: It’s on Lake Michigan and I mean on it. Like a 5-minute walk and you’re sat at the shore looking at the boats. The lake is not only pretty but huge (about 2/3 the size of Ireland). The edge of the lake is surrounded by parks including the Buckingham Fountain and while the parks aren’t as grand as Central Park they are modern, clean and have lots of play equipment for the kids.
3. Deep pan pizza: Jon and Daniel are big foodies and they have been talking about deep pan pizza for a while (most of their chats include food on some level). So when in the home of deep pan we went searching. It didn’t disappoint. Daniel explained it was because of the “crispiness and crustiness and deep loveliness” that made it work so well.
4. Baseball: With both the White Sox and The Cubs there is lots of baseball to keep everyone entertained in Chicago. We choose the White Sox as they had a Sunday game and Sunday is family day so lots of added extras for the kids…which seemed like a wise decision given all of our combined baseball knowledge didn’t extend beyond knowing the rules to play Rounders.
Ticket prices were great (about $70 total for 4 of us) and that included all the activities in the kid fun zone and a cute souvenir camping mug each. The boys were able to use the batting cages, the swing cages and practice their pitching. The game itself saw Chicago well beat by Milwaukee but it had enough runs and great catches to keep us all entertained. And for the foodies in the group they had some quality hot dogs and pulled pork nachos which were good.
5. The Lincoln Zoo: This was a wildcard choice for us and was definitely one of the highlights. As a family we have avoided zoos for the past 5 years as Daniel had a bad experience (think a kid who doesn’t cry, crying hysterically as the animals “all look so sad and dirty and can we please leave”). So we weren’t sure how this would go but as it was free and next to a park it was worth trying again to see if he could learn about the conservation side of Zoos and how most offer a safe space for otherwise endangered animals.
Thankfully Lincoln Zoo delivered. The torrential rain added a touch of something different, making it feel like we were in a tropical safari right in the city. Bit also, and perhaps selfishly, it meant all the animals were hanging out indoors so we got to see them all up close. For Rory who is animal mad this was a real treat. He skipped his way around all day and begged not to leave at the end.
My highlight was the lion enclosure, as the King Lion was right beside where we were stood and he was huge. Even as he sat looking at the cubs play you could sense his powerful presence.
The monkey house was a burst of energy and playfulness which Rory loved along with the turtles and Daniel was a big fan of the snakes (as only a Harry Potter Fan could be).
Jon was most impressed by the giraffes and meerkats and how cute they were.
Though we were drenched by the end of the visit and had a 280-mile drive to Detroit ahead of us, the experience was absolutely worth it. The lions, giraffes, and monkeys showcased unique behaviours in a way that only a rainy day could bring out and both boys (Daniel in particular) left with a new sense of appreciation for what good zoos are all about.
And the downsides:
The weather: Having spent 6 amazing weeks in California it’s reasonable that everywhere else would seem duller. Chicago was grey for the full weekend we were there and in a true testament to our move from West to East coast it was incredibly humid at times. Thankfully it never got cold but it did rain, torrentially, all of Monday which given its mid-August wasn’t ideal. And the rain certainly didn’t help with traffic (or driving standards). Which leads to our next drawback.
Traffic/Transport: Having Driven in LA we thought we had seen the worst traffic outside of New York, Chicago taught us otherwise. Getting into the city was slow and frustrating, getting out was worse. We’d definitely look to travel differently the next time, although the trains (the L) on the day we looked were all delayed and Ubers were a 30 minute wait and at least x2 their recommend fare so I think it has some work to do to be tourist friendly on that front.
