Our 2024 Chicago Trip - Day 2

I’m moving on to day two of our trip to Chicago, and friends, I apologize in advance because I think this post is going to end up being even longer than my post for day one.  I love to recap every little detail for the kids to look back on one day, and I love to provide lots of detail for y’all, too, in case you want to plan your own trip, so my travel recaps are always a labor of love.

If you missed the recap from day one, you can see it here… it was a GREAT one because we got to visit the Home Alone house and spend some time on the Sears Tower (Willis Tower) observation deck!

Thursday, October 10

Thursday morning, we wanted to get up at 7 AM CST which would be 8 AM our time because we wanted to sleep in since everyone was so exhausted, but we accidentally set our alarm for 8 AM CST, which was actually 9 AM back home.  We never sleep until 9 at home, but we sure did on Thursday, so I guess our bodies must have needed that extra hour!  Haha.

Needless to say, we got a later start than we’d wanted, but in the end, it didn’t really matter.  We all got showered and ready for the day, and then we headed downstairs for breakfast in the hotel lobby.  They had pretty much everything you could ever want – eggs, bacon, sausage, pancakes, an omelet station, cereal, tons of fruit, bagels, toast, and much more.  We were all able to load up our plates with protein and fruit and pancakes(!!) and it was really delicious. 

We went down during prime breakfast time so there were no tables available, but a nice couple from Tennessee ended up letting us share their table.  We ended up chatting with them for quite some time, and then we went back to our room to grab our bags (and sweaters because it was COLD… 57 degrees which is cold to those of us who live in the south and were coming from temperatures in the 80’s.  Haha.) and go exploring.

First up, we walked over to Holy Name Cathedral for a visit.  The kids and I are Catholic, and there’s nothing I love more than a beautiful, old cathedral, so we always find the best ones in all of the cities we visit. 

In New York City, St. Patrick’s Cathedral always has hundreds of people in it at any given time, so we were shocked when we arrived at Holy Name Cathedral to find that there was nobody in there except for a couple of people who were in the pews praying.  I thought for sure there would be people in there walking around, lighting candles, and taking pictures, but nope.  It almost felt like we weren’t supposed to be in there, but of course, it was fine as Catholic churches welcome one and all.  It was just not what we were expecting, crowd-wise.

The Cathedral was stunning, though… beautiful stained glass windows, intricate woodwork, and a massive organ in the back.  It did not disappoint!

After we were done there, we walked to Michigan Avenue to see what it was all about.  If you’ve never been to Chicago, Michigan Avenue is the Chicago equivalent of 5th Avenue in New York City.  To sum it up, it’s the long street that has all of the good shopping!

Right as we were walking up, Brian pointed out a Starbucks on the corner, and I decided it would be nice to get a Pumpkin Spice Latte to warm my bones since it was so cold.  Upon walking in, we realized that this Starbucks was not like any other Starbucks we’d ever seen.  For starters, it was MASSIVE, they had employees informing us of the different areas, and they had a fireplace and an… escalator?! 

We stopped by the fireplace for a few minutes to warm up, and then we headed up the escalator to grab a PSL as the first floor was the “grab and go” floor which we didn’t even really know what that meant.  Haha.

 

The line to order on the second floor was insane, so after a couple of minutes, I decided to go look around because there appeared to be another escalator going to a third floor?!  Sure enough, Olivia and I headed to the third floor, and there was yet another massive floor of Starbucks there, too.  The line there was short, probably because people didn’t even know it existed, so I was able to grab my PSL quickly.  While we were waiting, Brian started doing a little bit of research, and he discovered that the Starbucks we were visiting is the largest Starbucks in the whole world!  We had no idea that the largest Starbucks in the world was in Chicago, and it’s so funny that we just happened to stumble upon it and go in!

Since that is one of the special locations, they serve their Starbucks Reserve coffee there, and I’m here to tell ya, that Starbucks Reserve coffee is delicious.  Pretty sure that was the best PSL I’ve ever had.  It is PRICEY, though.  Y’all don’t even want to know how much a tall (small, if you don’t know Starbucks lingo) pumpkin spice latte costs there, but I’ll tell you anyway because it’s baffling – it was $8.94.  I’ve paid less for a fancy cocktail at home.  LOL.  The coffee was so good, and it just elevated my whole morning, so it was worth every single penny!  When on vacation…

There is a FOURTH FLOOR in the Starbucks, too, which is just crazy, but we didn’t explore that far.  Apparently they have alcoholic beverages on that floor, though.  Instead, we made our way back to the first floor, the grab-and-go floor.  The kids really wanted cake pops because everybody knows that’s what you get your kids when they are with you for a Starbucks run, but y’all, can you believe that this MASSIVE Starbucks didn’t have a single cake pop?!  Since it’s a special store, they have specialty menu items, and they don’t have all of the traditional items that the other Starbucks have. 

Since they didn’t have cake pops, the kids lucked out because they got something even better – a chocolate ganache brownie.  It was huge and rich, so they shared it, and they said it was absolutely delicious. 

Thankfully, they had a few standup tables available, so we were able to stop there and let them eat their treat before we were on our way.  While they were enjoying their brownie, I took some time to snap pictures of all of the fun stuff in the store.  My favorite thing was the massive Chicago wall made entirely of coffee labels from countries all over the world.  It was so neat! 

After the kids were done with their treat, we stepped back out onto Michigan Avenue in pursuit of The Lego Store.  That’s another store that we always have to visit when we explore a new city.  ;o) 

On the way there, we passed so many cute little fall displays, so please excuse all of the basic coffee/pumpkins pictures.  Y’all know I was eating it up… chilly weather, sunshine, a nice stroll through a big city with a pumpkin spice latte in my hand, and a lot of pumpkins and fall scenes… HEAVEN! 

As we were strolling, we passed a very unique building, and it turns out that it was an old water tower that was built in 1869, and although most other buildings were burned in the Great Chicago Fire, this one survived. 

We ended up finding The Lego Store next, but it took some research as it wasn’t a free-standing building… it was in Water Tower Place (a large mall) on Michigan Avenue.  It was practically empty in there (again, just wild to me because we’re so used to having to wait in line to get in any Lego Store!) and the kids had the whole thing to themselves. 

On the way in, Olivia wanted to take a picture with all of the Lego Friends, and of course, she had to get a picture with “Olivia,” the one standing up behind the glass.  We also saw a Lego brick that was made out of a meteorite, so that was cool.

After doing some browsing, Olivia wanted to go next-door to the American Girl store, so I walked over there with her while Brian and Jacob continued to browse for a Lego set for Jacob to take home.

Olivia and I had never been in an American Girl store before, and y’all, I just couldn’t believe my eyes.  The place was HUUUUGE and they had anything and everything you could possibly think of to purchase for your doll.  I know many of you know all about this, but Olivia was never into American Girl dolls, and all I have to say is, thank goodness, because my gosh, are those things pricey!  Sheesh. 

When I was little, there were only six American Girl dolls (Felicity, Kirsten, Samantha, Addy, Josefina, and Molly).  I used to get the catalog in the mail every year, and I would pore over every little detail.  I always wanted Samantha – I thought she was so beautiful and I loved all of her clothes! – so I had to hunt for her in the store so I could finally see her in person.  So exciting!

Olivia found an entire rack of NFL jerseys for American Girl dolls, and she decided to buy a Kansas City Chiefs jersey… not for a doll, but for Sheepie, her beloved stuffy that she’s had since the day she was born!  Haha.  I LOVE it.  She also picked out a little stuffed corgi as well. 

By then, the boys had met us over at AG, and when we were done there, we walked back to the Lego Store so we could take pictures with the Chicago skyline that we’d completely missed when we were walking in.  The Lego sign is made completely from minifigs!  So cool!

After we left the Lego Store, I wanted to make a stop in the Free People store so I could look at a bunch of things that I cannot afford (LOL) and Olivia browsed with me while the boys sat on a bench outside the store.  Haha.

Before we left the mall, there was one more store that Olivia wanted to stop in called Unicorn World, and it was the cutest store ever!  Tons of bright colors, unique clothes for girls, rainbows and glitter and disco balls everywhere.  It was a girly girl’s dream, and we had way too much fun taking pictures in there!

By the time we left the mall, it was time for lunch, and we knew we wanted something quick because we wanted to make it to a museum (we were undecided which one at the time) and have enough time there before it closed. 

What’s quick and easy and delicious and tastes like home?  Chick-Fil-A, of course!  We pretty much find a CFA in every city we visit, too, because we are from the land of Chick-Fil-A, and we like to see how the ones in other cities compare!

But first, one more very basic picture of my outfit, my coffee, and some fall leaves.  Hahahaha.

Chick-Fil-A wasn’t very busy despite the fact that it was lunchtime… another phenomenon we’re not used to!  We have, like, six Chick-Fil-As in our city, and they’re pretty much swamped all day every day… except for Sundays, of course.  ;o) 

The Chick-Fil-A we went to was all decked out for Halloween, which was fun, and we were able to order and sit down immediately.  While we ate, we researched a couple of the different museums in town, and we ultimately let the kids make the decision which one to visit.  They chose the Griffin Museum of Science + Industry, so after we were done eating, we grabbed an Uber since the walk was way too long.

We had exactly two hours until the museum closed at 4 PM (why do so many places close so early in Chicago??) so we got right down to it.  While we were there, we were able to do every single thing that we wanted to do (aside from the ToyMaker 3000 as it was closed – boooo) and we never felt rushed, so it worked out perfectly.  We saw so many things, so at this point, I’m cutting off the commentary and I’m just going to let the pictures do the talking… (and on another note, I guess we need to work on our plastic footprint... I thought we were doing well since we recycle everything we possibly can, we only use reuseable shopping bags, we rarely use plastic water bottles or other disposable items, etc., but we're still slightly above average with our plastic footprint... I think, most likely, because of how much I drive, the fact that we live in a single-family home, and because we order online.  Who knows, though?  That was eye-opening, though!)

We shut the museum down at 4, and then waited on the steps for an Uber to pick us up and take us to Navy Pier.  Our Uber driver on the way there was a trip, y’all.  I have never had a driver like that one before!  He never stopped talking the entire time, and he was a piece of work.  Lol. 

When we arrived at Navy Pier, we walked all the way down the righthand side to the end of the pier first, soaking in the sights along the way.  There are various restaurants and shops all the way down, and there is a big Sky Wheel as well. 

We stopped at the end of the pier to snap some pictures, and a really kind lady offered to snap some family pictures of us.  Little did I know she took a selfie while we were getting lined up for our picture, and I was tripping out later when I discovered it!  I bet she does that for everyone when she offers to take pictures, and I LOVE IT.  She was so cute!

After that, we decided to walk back on the opposite side of the pier, but we had no idea that it was basically just a road and the MOST NARROW pedestrian area EVER that was right next to Lake Michigan with only a tiny rope chain to keep someone from going overboard, so we ended up walking back in the middle of the street until we got to the Sky Wheel.  Haha. 

We went up to the Sky Wheel next, and Brian and the kids considered doing it, but ultimately decided not to.  I wasn’t about to get on that thing with my vertigo – the swaying of the little cart while high in the air, and the thought of being stuck up there + the claustrophobia would put me over the edge.

After that, we walked back down the good side of the pier, and we snapped a few pictures along the way.

Next up, was Flyover Chicago.  Brian had read about it before we ever left, so it was on our list of things to do.  Flyover Chicago is very similar to Soarin’ at Disney’s Epcot, so if you’ve ever ridden that ride, then you know what I’m talking about.  They seat you in giant hangers, lift you up into a massive screen, and then you “fly” over the city of Chicago.

I was able to handle Soarin’ with my vertigo, so I told the lady at the front desk about my vertigo, and I asked her if Flyover Chicago was similar when it came to intensity.  She said that, yes, Flyover Chicago was created by the same company who created Soarin’ and that it was just like it with the exception of one drop that’s a little more hard core than anything Soarin’ has.  So, I figured it was safe enough for me to do it and we bought tickets.

Wellll, y’allll, was that lady SO WRONG.  She has obviously never ridden Soarin’ because Flyover Chicago was a hundred times more intense than Soarin’.  I ended up having to close my eyes for the majority of it because there were so many drops and flips, and it moved SO FAST.  I think it would have been too much for me even if I hadn’t had vertigo.  Haha.  That said, Brian and the kids LOVED IT, so at least everyone else enjoyed it. 

After we were done there, we Ubered back to the hotel, and we got there just in time to enjoy Happy Hour at our hotel.  Embassy Suites offers free cocktails and appetizers from 5-7 PM, so Brian and I happily cashed in on that!  We both opted for Long Island Iced Teas.  We sat at a table for a few minutes to plan our next move, and ultimately, we decided to go to The Smith for dinner.

Shockingly, we had no reservation, and we were able to walk right in, sit right down, AND we got a prime table at 7:30 in the evening.  They had the walls completely open to the outside, and we were sitting inside the restaurant but right beside the open-air part and it was just perfect.  I couldn’t believe our luck.  We had the best view!

Brian and I started out with another round of cocktails – The Mule for me (vodka, ginger beer made in-house, and lime), and Brian opted for the Cucumber Loco (tequila blanco, cucumber, elderflower, and lime) and both were delicious. 

For dinner, we both got The Smith Bar Steak with baby spinach, fries, and green peppercorn, but I substituted the fries for smashed garlic potatoes, and it was the best decision ever because those things were BANGIN. 

The kids both got mac and cheese, and then the four of us split two of the hot fudge sundaes.  Their hot fudge sundae is vanilla ice cream on top of a cinnamon sugar doughnut with caramelized bananas and candied pecans, and OMG, it was delicious.  The kids got theirs without the bananas and pecans, but it was the bananas that made it… they both hate bananas.  And they are both crazy.  Haha.

Olivia had brought her new corgi along that she’d lovingly named Corgi-kins, and the kids had way too much fun posing Corgi-kins for all kinds of photo ops during our dinner.  I thought about excluding some of the pictures from the post just because there are SO MANY, but y’all, I couldn’t decide which ones to exclude because they’re all so funny.  Gosh, I love these kiddos of ours.  They’re just so much fun.

After dinner, we walked back to the hotel, searching for The Northern Lights in the process, but unfortunately, there was too much light pollution in the city.  Everyone back home in Georgia got to see them again, though, and I was a tad jealous seeing everyone’s pictures on Facebook.  ;o) 

We made it back to the room just in time for everyone to crash, and it was another late night as it was already nearing 11 PM CST which is midnight our time! 

It was another fantastic day, though!  Stay tuned for days three and four!!!!