Road Trip 2015 - Chicago Stop

As usual, I plan to blog more often than I actually do. I was going to update the blog each night of our road trip, but that did not happen. I guess by then end of each day I just wanted to veg instead of rehashing all the "fun" we had that day.

So, to begin our adventures we spent Sunday in Chicago. Our plan was Navy Pier, Millenium Park, & Willis ("Sears") Tower. We made it to Navy Pier before the lines were very long for the rides (ferris wheel, swings, carousel). Gavin balked at going on the Ferris Wheel and since I didn't want him to throw a fit during the ride, I said I'd stay behind with him. So, we went on the swings while Fred, Jacob and Wyatt went on the Ferris Wheel (I was not crazy about going on it anyway). But, after we rode the swings and the others got done on the Ferris Wheel Gavin decided he wanted to ride it, luckily a couple of the tickets got to be reused for some reason. So Gavin and I took the ride, I was still not crazy about it. After the rides, we wandered down to the end of the pier to check out the view of Lake Michigan and have a quick snack. On the way back up the pier Gavin was complaining about being hot, not feeling well, legs being tired. We were going to walk the Lakeshore Trail over the Millennium Park, but with already tired kids, we found a trolley that took us part of the way there.

Family photo at the Navy Pier

Boys with Chicago downtown in background.

Gavin, Wyatt & Jacob on the free trolley

Fred and I on the trolley

 
We walked a couple blocks on Michigan Avenue before finding a Giordano's to get a late lunch at - deep dish meat & more meat pizza. It takes about an hour to make those deep dish delights and about an hour to get a table (at 2 in the afternoon!), so we hung out on the plaza outside the restaurant until our table was ready. Gavin still wasn't feeling better and seemed to have a bit of a fever and was complaining of a headache. We ate some pizza and then I took Gavin back to the car for a rest and some medicine, while Fred took Jacob and Wyatt to Millennium Park to see the "bean" and other features. Gavin got a nap and was feeling a bit better by the time we picked up Fred and the boys to go to the Willis Tower. We went up to the 103rd floor observation deck and checked out the views and stepped out onto the "skydeck", the 4 feet of glass that overhangs the side of the building so you can see down to the street below. I wasn't brave enough to stay very long on that skydeck, but the boys spent a little time out there.

Giordano's deep dish pizza, Fred and Jacob too busy eating to look

 

The boys at the Willis Tower

 

A failed family selfie - no Wyatt

The boys with the street 103 floors below

Fred and the boys on the skydeck