Monday, July 28, 2008

Illinois Day 6...

We all got up and headed out out to breakfast at a place called "West Egg". It was upstairs and we literally waited in what looked like a hallway for a buisness for our seats. There was fun breakfasty art painted across the wall. I ordered a smoked salmon scramble. Amazing. Dad had me try what he swears is the best eggs benedict on the planet. I think he's right. We grab a cab and head to Navy Pier. As we drive there, the scene is beautiful. Its really a trip to see all the high rises, then the scrawling beautiful parks, and if your driving against the lake its like driving PCH but with no waves. People are everywhere. Jogging, walking, families out - I guess you have to if you live in a big city like this. You'd have to escape the insane hustle and bustle. And why not when you have all this gorgeousness right there.
We grab a snack at a place called Bo-Beep cafe. I have some wine and chips and salsa. This place apparently plays/jazz-blues at nite. There's a raised area with a piano and music stand and a mic. I photograph some of the artwork on the wall, I have such a love for blues or jazzy artwork. We trek along the pier. It reminds me of Santa Monica pier actually. Its the perfect day out too, no humidity just warm with a cool breeze. We wander in the Stained Glass Mueseum. This is absolutley stunning. I try to catch a few pictures but nothing will compare to the beauty. We wander the entire pier, shooting photographs and enjoying the scenary. There's tour boats all up and down offering rides, a few seaman walking around, etc. We stop for ice cream. Of course - it was the thing to do (I'm getting fatter and fatter), so good!
After Navy Pier we part ways with dad - the walking is getting to him - so he's off to a bar to watch the game and Jon, Lori and I head over to The Chicago Art Institute. Now I've been here before. The place is so big, you cant experience it in one day. I took a pic of the famous pic you'll all know when you see it. :) We saw what we could in a couple of hours. If I frequent Chicago more often I would love to spend hours upon hours in that place. I bought a few trinkets and we headed over to one of the outside gardens. I didnt see these last time due to weather. They were so pretty! So quiet! This is where you'd probably find me chillin with a cup of coffee readin my book. More pictures then back to the hotel to get ready for that evenings dinner.
That evenings dinner is Smith and Wollenskys. This is the fancy restaurant dad and lori had been dying for us to try. It costs you your mortgage to eat there, but the steak is supposed to be amazing. This is the nite we break out out skirts and look a little cuter. We cab it over and are seated outside. The restaurant is up against the river, surrounded by the high rises - needless to say - beautiful place to eat. We go thru 2 bottles of wine, all ordered our steaks. Mine was "Oscar Style". A filet with crabmeat/sauce. OH MY GAWD. This is seriously the BEST steak I have ever eaten in my life!!!!!! Everything was good! The creamed spinach we ordered, the potatoes, the sauce - even the godamn onion rings!!!! I couldnt beleive it. I think I can honestly say thats probably the best dinner I have ever had. We got pretty fucked up (due to drinkin a bit before as well...) Jon ordered dessert - a coconut cake of some sort that was of course also phenominal. We stumbled out, Jon & Dad let the shoe shine guy do his magic. $8 a shoe!!!
We decided to walk back to sober up and try to walk off some of our amazing dinner. We laughed, shot pictures, enjoyed the chicago nightlife. We ended up back at our hotel quite late, so we called it a nite. I went to bed drunk, fat and happy.

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