Wendy and I celebrated our five-year wedding anniversary by spending the weekend in Chicago.  We'd both been there before, but neither of us had really toured around much, and our anniversary seemed like a good time to do so.  We flew in on Friday and left on Sunday, and aside from a little rain on Sunday ($0.99 ponchos to the rescue!) we had an excellent weekend.  Here's a brief rundown of what we did: 

Friday - Flew in.  Got a train to the hotel.  Ate dinner at Karyn's Cooked (a vegan restaurant -- more on this later).  Walked around Navy Pier. 

Saturday - Walked around a bit.  Went to the top of the John Hancock Observatory.  Took an architectural boat tour.  Saw butterflies at the Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum.  Got scared to death by the Chicago Air and Water Show.  Walked around the Lincoln Park Zoo.  Ate dinner at the Rock Bottom Brewery.  Walked around Buckingham Fountain in Grant Park. 

Sunday - Went to the Field Museum.  Walked around the Shedd Aquarium.  Checked out the Bean.  Strolled through the Art Institute of Chicago.  Went to the top of the Sears Tower.  Hopped a train to the airport.  Flew home. 

Pictures:

[gallery /img/2009/08/chi01.jpg:::/img/2009/08/chi01-150x150.jpg:::Navy Pier ferris wheel at night.:::/img/2009/08/chi02.jpg:::/img/2009/08/chi02-150x150.jpg:::American Gothic in front of the Chicago Tribune building.:::/img/2009/08/chi03.jpg:::/img/2009/08/chi03-150x150.jpg:::Wendy gazes out at the skyline from the John Hancock Observatory.:::/img/2009/08/chi04.jpg:::/img/2009/08/chi04-150x150.jpg:::Looking south from atop the John Hancock Observatory.:::/img/2009/08/chi05.jpg:::/img/2009/08/chi05-150x150.jpg:::Rooftop garden from the John Hancock Observatory.:::/img/2009/08/chi06.jpg:::/img/2009/08/chi06-150x150.jpg:::North Avenue Beach from the John Hancock Observatory.:::/img/2009/08/chi07.jpg:::/img/2009/08/chi07-150x150.jpg:::A friendly midwesterner.:::/img/2009/08/chi08.jpg:::/img/2009/08/chi08-150x150.jpg:::Not very bike-friendly.:::/img/2009/08/chi09.jpg:::/img/2009/08/chi09-150x150.jpg:::The "corn cob towers" a.k.a. Marina City.:::/img/2009/08/chi10.jpg:::/img/2009/08/chi10-150x150.jpg:::The bluest bird ever at the Nature Museum.:::/img/2009/08/chi11.jpg:::/img/2009/08/chi11-150x150.jpg:::A butterfly at the Nature Museum.:::/img/2009/08/chi12.jpg:::/img/2009/08/chi12-150x150.jpg:::A butterfly at the Nature Museum.:::/img/2009/08/chi13.jpg:::/img/2009/08/chi13-150x150.jpg:::Someone made a new friend at the Nature Museum.:::/img/2009/08/chi14.jpg:::/img/2009/08/chi14-150x150.jpg:::The Air Force Thunderbirds were in town for the Chicago Air and Water Show.:::/img/2009/08/chi15.jpg:::/img/2009/08/chi15-150x150.jpg:::Da bear.  At the Lincoln Park Zoo.:::/img/2009/08/chi16.jpg:::/img/2009/08/chi16-150x150.jpg:::Mrs. Lion at the Lincoln Park Zoo.:::/img/2009/08/chi17.jpg:::/img/2009/08/chi17-150x150.jpg:::A wild rabbit in the gorilla cage at the Lincoln Park Zoo.:::/img/2009/08/chi18.jpg:::/img/2009/08/chi18-150x150.jpg:::The Wrigley Building could be *this* much taller.:::/img/2009/08/chi19.jpg:::/img/2009/08/chi19-150x150.jpg:::Buckingham Fountain at night.:::/img/2009/08/chi20.jpg:::/img/2009/08/chi20-150x150.jpg:::From the Field Museum.:::/img/2009/08/chi21.jpg:::/img/2009/08/chi21-150x150.jpg:::The Field Museum.:::/img/2009/08/chi22.jpg:::/img/2009/08/chi22-150x150.jpg:::The Bean.:::/img/2009/08/chi23.jpg:::/img/2009/08/chi23-150x150.jpg:::That's us on the Bean!:::]
#travel