Chicago in July

In early July we decided to take an overnight trip to Chicago and I am finally getting around to sharing a few pictures!! I know I mentioned before that my husband had been on vacation and I cut back a lot with blogging during that time, then I was sick with a summer cold and once again didn't feel like blogging much. But he's back at work now and I am over my cold so I finally managed to get the post done!

I had an Amtrak ticket voucher from a cancelled trip to Chicago in January and when I read that American Ballet Theatre (America's National Ballet Company) was coming to downtown Chicago for one of their "ABT on Tour" stops, I thought this was the perfect time to visit. 

Unfortunately my original hotel choice is way too expensive in the Summer, (the Kimpton Monaco - I love this boutique hotel on the Chicago River with its large window seats!) so instead I decided to to book a room in the Chicago Theatre District, at the Hampton Inn Majestic. While this hotel lacked the beautiful view, it does come with free breakfast and the location is just as good as the Kimpton Monaco with only a 7 minute walk to Millennium Park where the ABT was performing. Highly recommend if you don't necessarily care about the view but are looking for a good night's sleep. (It was definitely one of the most quiet hotels I ever stayed in!)

The train arrived mid-morning so we had plenty of time for sightseeing before we were able to check into the hotel and until our legs felt like they'd fall of :-). I don't know what it is about these big cities, but everything appears to be so close and by the time you reach your destination you have walked many miles! 

This post may include some affiliate links, meaning I may earn a small commission if you purchase something through the links. As always, this is at no cost to you. Thank you so much for supporting this blog!

After stopping at the Pittsfield Cafe for lunch, our first stop was at the Millennium Park where the dancers would be performing at Pritzker Pavilion. 

(Below is a photo of my lunch at the Pittsfield Café, I chose the California Dreams, which was a grilled Chicken  sandwich with sliced Avocado, Swiss cheese and caramelized onions. Yum!! I discovered this café through TripAdvisor and it was our first time eating here but definitely not our last! My husband wasn't so sure about the building it was in (it's an old art deco building that's looks a bit abandoned when you first enter) but he too loved his food. And honestly I personally loved the building.

I'm sure most of you will recognize part of this Chicago landmark, the Bean a.k.a Cloud Gate ... you can see the flash of my camera with the four of us. This is the side of the bean. 

 

And another view. 

DuSable bridge is below, crossing over the Chicago River onto the Magnificant Mile. We hadn't really planned on going onto Michigan Avenue this time but we had plenty of time before check-in at the hotel, so we decided to go. 

Outfit details for those of you interested:

• Utility Jacket by GAP (Old - Options: GAP // LL Bean // Amazon)
• AG Prima Jeans from Nordstrom Rack (also available HERE and HERE)
• Taos Star Canvas Sneakers in Beige Wash (Available at Zappos,  Amazon and Taosfootwear) (These do run small so size up half)
• LOFT thin knit sweater (old - option)
• Baggallini Travel Crossbody Bag (Options)

I would have loved to wear a more summery outfit, but this was an unseasonably chilly July week (around 65 degrees Fahrenheit) and so we had to dress in layers. I'm not sure I ever needed a jacket in July before! I love the casual style of a utility jacket and I probably reach for it more than any other jackets in my closet.

Below is another view at the Chicago River, this time with Lake Michigan in the background. There are so many boat tour options in Chicago and I can't believe the only one we've ever taken was in 1999, which was a Lake Michigan Boat tour. I really want to take the Architectural Tour on the Chicago River, and will be sure to plan this next time when we visit the city. 

After checking out a few stores at Water Tower Place on Michigan Avenue, we crossed over Lakeshore drive and onto Lakeshore Trail where we came upon one of Chicago's beaches.

This is Ohio Street Beach, I'm sure usually packed in the Summer but on this day it was cold and windy so not too many people here. But if you look closely on the right side, there were still some brave souls who got into the water.

Something else we hadn't planned was going to Navy Pier. Honestly we end up here almost ever time we visit downtown Chicago for an overnight stay, and every time we regret going because I find this area to be just a tourist trap. 

There is a Ferris wheel here with beautiful views at the city skyline but we went on it a few years ago and skipped it this time.  This is also where you can purchase a Lake Michigan Boat Tour (although I think this summer you have to purchase tickets ahead online) and buy an ice cream cone for about $8 a waffle cone LOL. We spent almost $40 for 4 waffle cones. Don't do that!! Most expensive ice cream ever!!

There is a Children's Museum at Navy Pier which we visited many many years ago, and back then there used to a Theatre there as well, but I don't know if it's still there. And of course plenty of souvenir shops.

Pretty view of the city in the photo below.

You can see Chicago's River Walk below. I love the mix of old and new buildings!

After we checked into our hotel, we made our way back to Millennium Park to get seats for the American Ballet Theatre presentation. Seating was first come first serve with a few they offered online for free reservation, but I wasn't able to get any of those, so we made sure to arrive in plenty of time. 

This was held on an outdoor stage, at Millennium Park's Pritzker Pavillion. They performed some modern dances as well as traditional ballet, my favorites were an excerpt of The Swan Lake ballet and a beautiful piece performed to music sung by Tony Bennet. 

The bean at sunset as we made our way back to the hotel. 

After a good night's sleep we decided to walk to the Shedd Aquarium (instead of a taxi) because I wanted to take in more of the sights. It's really only a 30 minutes walk from the hotel to the Aquarium through Grant Park. 

Below is the city view as seen from Shedd Aquarium.

While we loved the Shedd Aquarium in the past, it kind of left us a bit underwhelmed this time and probably won't visit it again. We probably have just seen it and other aquariums too many times.... 

We did spend several hours there to get our money's worth (I think it was around $180 for the four of us), then made our way back, again along Lake Michigan and through Grant Park. 

Buckingham Fountain is below. It was still chilly, but at least the sun came out on this second day.

Some impressive statues at the corner of Ida B. Wells and Michigan Avenue right across from the Congress Plaza Hotel, which (as a side note) was declared as the most haunted place in Illinois. No, I never did stay here so I can't confirm this :-) 

Sears Willis Tower in front of Chicago's Union Station. 

These seagulls liked to hang out with us here along the river in front of the Union Station as well, as we were waiting on our train to arrive.

Thanks so much for visiting!

I'm linking up here:

Friday: Fancy Friday hosted by Nancy of Nancy’s Fashion Style // Lizzie in Lace //  Friday Favorites at Penny's Passion // A Little Bit of Everything // Friday Favorites // A Fireman’s Wife // Shelbee on the Edge //  Fabulous Friday Link Up with Lucy  // A Morning Cup of Joe

Saturday: Dare to Share

Sunday: Style Splash linkup // Sunday Showcase (first Sunday) //  You're the Star Blog Hop Link Up @ Stonecottage Adventures

Monday: Away From Blue // Glass of Glam // Inspire Me Monday // Hello Monday // Random-osity Good, Random, Fun // You're The Star Blog Hop Link Party @Stonecottage Adventures // Anything Goes with Your Hosts @ My Random Musings // Beauty by Miss L // Sharon's Souvenirs //  Link Up Potpourri //

Tuesday: The Fashion Canvas // Shelbee On the Edge Spread the Kindness // I Do deClaire // Elegantly Dressed and Stylish // Myriad Musings // Jenerally Informed Happy Now Blog Link // Style Splash linkup // Tuesday with a Twist @Stonecottage Adventures // I Will Wear What I Like Linkup  // Randomosity - Good Random - Fun // Travel Tuesday

Wednesday: What's Up Wednesday? (last wed. of month) // The Queen in Between Style Six // Straight A Style // Jersey Girl, Texan Heart // Fashion Frenzy at Seeking Sunshine and Rosy Outlook // Is This Mutton? Wow on Wednesday // Effortlessly Sophisticated // Wonderful Wednesday //  Welcome Wednesdays //  Classy Flamingos // ,My Corner Of The World,

Thursday: Fashion Files at Doused in Pink and Curly Crafty Mom // Your Own Twist Linkup with Shelbee and Monica (3rd Thursday/month) // Elegance and Mommyhood // High Latitude Style // Mummabstylish // Thirty Minus One // Mutton Style // Thursday Favorite Things //  Little Things Thursday // Traffic Jam Weekend @Being a Wordsmith // Slices of Life (Encouraging Hearts and Home) 

"I Spy" Photography Challenge No. 11

Hello and welcome!

I'm joining in with Lysha's "I Spy Photography" challenge again this week and sharing my photos for each prompt below. By the way anyone is invited to join in. Lysha posts the details about the upcoming prompts a week ahead so you can take photos throughout the week. It's what I *try* to do but these were all taken this Friday and Saturday when our weather finally warmed up again! The rest of last week was just cold, wet and windy! 

This week's prompts:

• Puzzle(d)
• Journal
• Abstract
• Path
• Your Choice

I Spy: Puzzled

Wonder what he's puzzled about...

I Spy: Journal

I don't currently keep a journal but remembered this pretty one from many years ago with its silky cover I brought over with me (along with a few others I had written) when I moved to the States, so I decided to get it out and photographed. Maybe I'll make some time to read it too :)

I Spy: Abstract

Thomas studying my abstract art 😎. I learned of this fun technique last year from Joanne's blog and we had so much fun doing it! The kids and I each made one of these, this is the one I made. We're just keeping them in the garage so I took it outside for a photo. 

A closeup below - I love how a heart was formed unintentionally. And I can also make out a strange looking face. Funny that I didn't notice it before photographing it. Can you see it?

[By the way, these are so fun to do on a warm and sunny day outside, all you need to do is select a few colors of  paint (we used acrylic craft paint), squirt some onto onto a canvas in no particular way, then for the fun part, use water balloons (I had purchased these from Target after Joanne's recommendation, also available on Amazon) to throw at the canvas. You can see detailed photos on Joanne's blog.]

I Spy: Path

We had a beautiful first day of spring, a perfect day to hike this path along a local lake.

I Spy: My Choice:

Our weather was warming up on Friday and I went to take more pictures of my snowdrops. This little guy was buzzing around, the first bee of the year! I love how this picture turned out! 

Photos were taken with my Canon DSLR camera.

Thanks so much for taking the time to stop by my blog today!

Recent posts you may have missed:

• Daffodils and Stenciling for a "Get Well" Card
• I Spy Photography No. 10
• "Awaken" in Violets and Blues Handmade Card

This post may include some affiliate links, meaning I may earn a small commission if you purchase something through the links. As always, this is at no cost to you. Thank you so much for supporting this blog!

Linking up here:

A Camera and a Cookbook // Dare to Share //   Inspire Me Monday // Hello Monday // Random-osity Good, Random, Fun // You're The Star Blog Hop Link Party @Stonecottage Adventures // Anything Goes with Your Hosts @ My Random Musings // Jenerally Informed The Happy Now // Shelbee on the Edge Spread the Kindness //  Effortlessly Sophisticated // Wonderful Wednesday // Welcome Wednesdays // Classy Flamingos // Thursday Favorite Things //  Little Things Thursday // Encouraging Heart and Home @ Slices of Life

I Spy - Photo Challenge No. 2

Happy Sunday! I'm joining in with the I Spy Photography challenge hosted by Lysha of  A Camera and A Cookbook again this week and had fun finding things to photograph to fit the photography prompts. Anyone is invited to join in and Lysha does post the prompts for the following challenge is posted on her blog each Saturday with her post, so you can take pictures ahead of time.

This week's prompts are:

• Parts
• Hungry 
• Details 
• Home 
• Sky 

Parts:

Parts of a tool kit

I don't know why, but when I thought of parts, all I kept thinking of  was stuff in the garage. So out I went and took some pictures. I love taking close up photos of things but even though I have a DSLR camera, I'd need a better lense for better closeups, but for my own personal use it's good enough. Better lenses can be so expensive!!

Hungry:

Hungry for ice cream

It's always a bad idea to go grocery shopping with an empty stomach. By the time I was back in the freezer department I was starving and one of my favorite ice creams came home with me and I ate half of this before starting to cook dinner!

 

Details:

I'm sharing two photos for details, couldn't decide with one to share!

A very detailed puzzle

I came across this puzzle box in the basement the other day. LOVE these cute details of the puzzle. It's a 750 piece puzzle and yet to be put together. Need to get working on it because it's SO CUTE and delicious looking too. The puzzle is by Ceaco, but it's old and no longer available. You may find it on eBay - it's called Funny Business. 

Detail No. 2

Beautiful bridge details

We took a day trip to Milwaukee yesterday for one of my daughter's Ballet Summer Intensive Auditions (socially distant and masked), and while she was doing that, we took a walk in downtown Milwaukee. I loved the details of this bridge crossing over the river to the lakefront and decided to snap a photo for the "details" prompt. 

Home

Home is where is where family is.

I also love that this photo includes a home in the form of a birds nest. 

Sky

Cloud formations in the sky

I took this photo from the passenger seat out of a driving car, therefore it's a bit blurry but I loved how the sun was trying to peek out from under the clouds with the tree silhouettes in the foreground. 

Photos were taken with my Canon DSLR camera.

Thanks so much for visiting!!

This post may include some affiliate links, meaning I may earn a small commission if you purchase something through the links. As always, this is at no cost to you. Thank you so much for supporting this blog!

I'm linking up here:

A Camera and a Cookbook // Dare to Share //  Randomosity - Good Random - Fun // Jenerally Informed The Happy Now // Shelbee on the Edge Spread the Kindness //  Effortlessly Sophisticated // Wonderful Wednesday // Welcome Wednesdays // Classy Flamingos // Thursday Favorite Things //  Little Things Thursday

I Spy - Photo Challenge No. 1

Happy Sunday!

I recently came across a new Photography challenge and since I do enjoy photography so much (although I'm not very good at it), I decided to join in :-) Check it out at A Camera and a Cookbook, maybe some of you would like to share too! This is the first challenge and I'm not sure that I can manage to share each weekend, but I will try. 

The photography prompts for this week are:

I Spy No. 1

• Hello 2021
• Goal
• Old
• Green
• Happy

Hello 2021

First (short) hike of 2021 at a local park

Goals:

To start each day with a tall glass of (lemon) water and to drink more water throughout the day! (It's so easy to neglect when I always have a cup of coffee nearby!!

Old

Dried Flowers saved from an old bouquet of flowers.

A very old doily made either by my mom or grandma that's been in my family for as long as I remember and I brought it with me when I moved to the States.

And I used a photo app to make the photo old.

Green:

Green pine needles covered in snow. A picture from our recent hike.

Happy:

Happy us since 1997 :-)

We didn't plan on wearing coordinating clothes on this day. He just happened to grab a white tshirt too and both of us are in blue jeans almost daily :)

This photo may not quality since I wasn't the one taking the photo, but it sure makes me happy :-)

All pictures were taken with a Canon  DSLR camera.

I'm linking up here:

A Camera and a Cookbook // / Randomosity - Good Random - Fun // Jenerally Informed The Happy Now // Shelbee on the Edge Spread the Kindness //  Effortlessly Sophisticated // Wonderful Wednesday // Welcome Wednesdays // Classy Flamingos // Thursday Favorite Things //  Little Things Thursday

This post may include some affiliate links, meaning I may earn a small commission if you purchase something through the links. As always, this is at no cost to you. Thank you so much for supporting this blog!