July 29, 2012
We awoke as early as can be expected, which is not early at all. We didn't leave the hotel room till about 10am. After grabbing quick bite to eat, nothing remarkable, otherwise I would have remembered it, we walked along the river, taking snapshots of the amazing Chicago skyline. There is something that just carries weight to it, maybe it's the mishmash of architectural styles, or the history, the city has a character that definitive and present. All along the river, there is landmarks abound, the relatively modern style of 333 Wacker Drive to the massive Merchandise Mart to the stately Wrigley and Tribune buildings. I have to admit I still have a slight giggle (albeit internally) when the 'L' announces "doors open on the right at Merchandise Mart". Who names a building that literally? Anyway, still a cool place to visit and look at furnishings that most of us can't possibly afford.
After some sightseeing, we make our way to the tourist traps of tourist traps- Navy Pier! Chicago encapsulated into an easily digestible piece along the waterfront. The food and drinks are naturally overpriced, and really I only went back because this was Andrea's first time in Chicago. We did not go on the Ferris Wheel, or take one of the many boat cruises that are available, but instead opted for a walk along the boardwalk, to check out the view of Lake Michigan- the best part about Navy Pier. If there is something hidden and fantastic that I don't know about the Pier, I am open to your suggestions. And if this blog was popular, I am sure the folks at Navy Pier would fly me down to take another look around the place to change my opinion. But alas, this is not true...
The patios do seem nice for a beer on summer's day and I was tempted to watch The Dark Knight Rises for a second time, in IMAX, but we had a lot of ground to cover. Since we were on a tight schedule, we headed back towards Merchandise Mart and went to McDonald's and regretted it as soon as we did it. First of all, who goes to McDonald's on their holidays? There was $2.99 value meal, and I was trying to save money for dinner later. The poor cashier had a lot of trouble deciphering my order of two value meals, even though I pointed to the sign behind him and said "One McChicken meal and One Cheeseburger Meal". We ended up with one more cheeseburger than we should have and way too many fries, and mismatched drinks, but by this point, I had no energy to argue.
After a short rest in our hotel room, we went up to Old Town to check out St Michael's Church which has a long and storied history- including surviving the Great Chicago Fire of 1871. I always find it is slightly creepy to be in an empty church, like some old Priest was going to come out of the shadows and give you a heart attack. The decorative nature of the church is quite extensive, featuring numerous altars of religious figures, and huge stainglass windows, all quite detailed. I found it all a bit much, but it is a part of Chicago history.
From there, we went up to Lincoln Park Zoo. This place is always a good time in Chicago for people of all ages, and it is free everyday of the year. The Zoo is located in beautiful Lincoln Park, and there is so much to see. Andrea even remarked that the Zoo was better than our own Zoo in Toronto in that you feel like you are actually in the wilderness at times, and there is an old time feel to it. The crowds were huge, but it was to expected for a Sunday afternoon in the summer. The only peculiar thing was that a lot of the animals seemed to be on dinner break. The ever popular seals we nowhere to be found.
While in the park, we made our way by accident, to the Lincoln Park Conservatory. It is hard to believe that parts of the building is around 120 years old. Each area of the conservatory has its own look and feel showcasing anything from Ferns to Orchids to Tropical Plants. A random dude tried to give me photography pointers, but none of which actually worked. He seemed very happy with himself for whatever reason, so I just played along and nodded for awhile until he was out of sight.
When we finally made it back to the hotel, we were starving, and Andrea was in the mood for some Mexican food. I scoured some material we got from the concierge and consulted urbanspoon just to be sure. We decided on Zocalo, a hip looking restaurant on W Ontario street with something resembling authentic food, of course with the modern 'twists'. Word to the wise, read the bar menu for specials, we found out that we could get our meal for half price if we bought an appetizer and dessert.
For our appetizer, had the essential trio de guacamole- which has three types of chips and of course three types of guacamole giving you a taste of the traditional variety, sweet, and spicy. This Andrea went with the fish tacos for dinner, while I went for the Enchiladas Rojas which has great tasting barbacoa beef brisket in red salsa (not the old el paso variety). I swapped an enchilada for a taco with Andrea, and they were definitely one of the better fish tacos I've tasted. Finally, for dessert we had the churros which came with a rich chocolate masa drink, which would have been too much if it were not in such a small portion.
After dinner, we did the traditional American pilgrimage to 7 Eleven for some beer before retiring to our hotel room for the night.
Next blog...."The End of the Wrigley Curse"
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