More Chicago Fun

I was in Chicago for quite a long time, so lots to write about! I have become a big fan of AirBnb, so when I came back from Lake Geneva I had reserved 3 nights in a house close to Wrigley Field for myself. I figured it might be nice to have a place to myself for a few days and give family and friends a break. I had a bedroom and my own bathroom on the lower level of a three flat, and it worked out great. Technically I might have had to share the family room it was off of but I only met the owner when I got there and never saw her or anyone else the entire time I was there. It was very quiet and clean and I loved the neighborhood. My best advice on using AirBnb is to read ALL the reviews people write. I have found the vast majority of places to be exactly as described and have been happy with the accommodations almost all the time. 

My entrance was around the back and right into the lower level.  

When I met the owner I asked her for a recommendation for a coffee shop and she gave me a great one, and just a block from the building. It was called Bittersweet and it’s right on Belmont Ave just east of Racine. It is more of a bakery than a coffee shop which was just fine with me. It has been in business a long time and I ate there 3 mornings straight. There were lots of great choices so why not go with a sure thing.

Blueberry scone, croissant and a lemon blueberry muffin. I can’t pick a favorite. All good!

The building was exactly a mile from the lake, so first on my list was walking over and taking a nice long walk south. It was a beautiful day and before I knew it I had walked from Belmont Harbor all the way to Oak St Beach. I could have kept going but I needed to get back, shower and head to the museum I had selected for the afternoon.

It never gets old. 

I wanted to see the Museum of Contemporary Art which is located just east of Michigan Ave and on Chicago Ave. The best and most economical way to get there was to use the City Mapper APP and it worked perfectly. Took the subway right there!

First a quick lunch at Sweetgreen for an awesome salad. I had eaten at one in New York City and really liked it so was happy to see they had made their way to Chicago. They have some suggested options or you can just design your own. All super fresh ingredients. 

I can’t actually remember what was in it but it was delicious 😊

My favorite museum in Chicago is The Art Institute, but I decided to try The Museum of Contemporary Art for a change. I was glad I did even though it didn’t surpass my favorite. It was interesting and well done. A really pretty building and I spent most of my time in a special exhibit called I Was Raised On The Internet. I got to experience virtual reality for the first time and it really changes your perception on what constitutes art, and how the internet has added a new medium. On Tuesday nights from 5:30 to 8 PM they have a free concert on the terrace and I wish I could have gone to it. Next time perhaps and at least now I know about it. 

The virtual reality took place while you sat on the snake, and the snake was part of the experience.

When I lived in Chicago I attended a lot of baseball games at Wrigley Field, almost always with their number one fan - my friend Robin! I was so close I just had to walk over and see what it and the neighborhood look like now. I was blown away with the incredible improvements to the stadium and the entire area. What an awesome job of preserving the history and what makes Wrigley Field so special, but bringing it into the 21st century. My only mistake was not knowing there was a game that day and wearing a Royals shirt for my walk. Right color but wrong team! 

So many memories - we were Bleacher Bums and Murphy’s regulars. 

Speaking of Robin we got to spend a fun day together walking down another memory lane. We both lived in the same building in Old Town, so we spent a day walking around the area and seeing what was the same and what has changed. It’s always been a great area but now is even better. We were able to visit our old building and the doorman let us go up on the roof and see the recently renovated sun deck. WOW! I’m not sure there even was a sundeck when I lived there and the view is spectacular! 

Lake and city views! I wish I could afford to live there again. 

We had lunch at a great authentic Italian restaurant that has been there for years. Topo Gigio! Right on Wells just barely south of Chicago Ave.  

An amazing salad! 

Robin showed me some of the newer spots including a great bakery for a little dessert. 

Frosted sugar cookie - one of my favorites. 

We finished the day by meeting up with some of our sorority sisters that live in the Chicago area. Thanks for organizing that Robin and thanks to everyone who came for dinner. Theta for a lifetime is for real! So great to get together and catch up. 

Left to right - Marysue, Robin, Susan, Peggy, Claudia, me and Cindy. Looking great ladies❤️ 

I also got together one night with a couple of my original work friends when we were all just getting out of college - quite a few years ago for sure. But we forgot to take a picture! So great to see you Margaret and Nikki!

I still have a few more days in Chicago to write about - the things to do in Chicago are endless! Check back soon! 

#jumpwhileyoucan

Lake Geneva Weekend

When I was living in Chicago for all those years my friend Cindy would invite me up to Lake Geneva for weekends at her mom’s cottage on Sybil Lane. Fast forward a few years after Cindy and Duschan got married and they bought their own cottage on Sybil Lane, and then they would invite my family up for weekends. I have some of my best summer memories spending weekends there, so when Cindy invited me up for a weekend post retirement I agreed immediately. There are actually three sisters that all have cottages on the lane, Cindy, Peggy and Marilyn. So add in husbands, children, grand children and friends and that equals a fun time pretty much every single day there. 

Sybil Lane has the longest pier on the lake! Great for swimming and boating and there is even a little sandy beach for the kids.

On Saturday morning Duschan always used to go into town and get awesome donuts, and I was so happy to find out that this is still happening. 

I always go with the traditional cruller. Still as good as I remember.

Cindy had graciously also invited Keeley and Matt up for the fun, so it was great to introduce Matt to everyone and have him experience Sybil Lane. The weather wasn’t cooperating in terms of sunshine but it gave us a great opportunity to experience Chuck’s, a Lake Geneva legend.

Chuck’s has great beer and better than normal bar food. We had a big group so two tables.

Cindy is such a wonderful hostess. On Friday night she planned a “small” dinner with just 10 people, and served a great dinner to us. But shortly after dinner I looked around and there’s were no less than 25 people in the house drinking, talking and having fun. That’s how it is on Sybil Lane. Most people have had homes on the Lane for decades and it’s a party somewhere every night. 

It did clear up on Saturday later in the afternoon so we were able to take a boat ride around the lake. That was a treat for those of us that don’t get the opportunity that often, and Lake Geneva is a beautiful lake with many lovely homes on it that are fun to see. 

Adorable baby Milo is getting to be a real lake baby. Even though the water was a little rough he didn’t make a peep.

JT one of Peggy’s sons is an excellent diver, and proved to us all he’s still got it!

Another fun dinner cookout on Saturday night was hosted by Cindy and Duschan, and there were more people at that one. A very special dessert was served that I assisted with that morning. The favorite dessert from our sorority in college - Peppermint Crunch! It was a big hit and brought back a lot of fun memories. 

A chocolate crunchy crust topped with peppermint ice cream😊

Keeley and Matt headed back to Chicago on Sunday, but since I was staying till Monday I was included in a very fancy cocktail party at a mansion on Lake Geneva for the Water Safety Patrol. Not sure I was really supposed to be there so I did my best to behave and luckily didn’t get tossed out. I felt like I was in an F. Scott Fitzgerald movie! The house was incredible and you could walk around the entire first floor and the guest wing off the infinity pool. There were a couple of bars set up for cocktails and lots of hor d’oeuvres being passed.  

The guest quarters off the pool were amazing. There was a laundry room that had 3 big washers and 3 dryers in it and at least 50 beach towels in stacks by color along one wall.  

Such a pretty evening and everyone looked really nice. Peggy and Scott. Cindy and Duschan. Cindy and me.

Another amazing thing to me was off the huge kitchen there was a large room just for dishes. One wall had floor to ceiling shelves and cabinets with at least 20 different sets of dishes, and the wall across from it had the same for the glass ware. I love dishes so that was my favorite room. 

The dish room and a very cute bowl for bananas. 

I did meet the owners and they were lovely and very welcoming. It was a special treat for me to get to be there, and then it was capped off with dinner at the country club that Cindy and Duschan belong to. Thanks guys! 

Monday morning we were up bright and early for a little water skiing. To clarify, Cindy, Peggy, JT and Peggy’s daughter Amanda water skied. I had the best job. Holding baby Eleanor for the ride. 

Another cutie! She is definitely going to be a skier! 

I took my last walk on the lake after the water skiing - something Cindy and I do every day there that we can. Monday morning the weather couldn’t have been nicer, and you can actually walk around the entire lake - if you’re up for a 22 mile hike! Not today for me, but still so pleasant.

Such a fun and relaxing long weekend! I can’t wait to go back next year! Thanks to all that made me feel so welcome. And thanks to Cindy and Duschan for all the wonderful hospitality! 

Next up - more friends and fun in Chicago!

Chicago - 9 Miles Walking & Talking

I made it back to KC after being gone almost two and a half weeks, so I have lots of blogging to catch up on. I’ve been gone so much I actually feel like KC is another city I’m visiting, and I’m staying in an awesome Airbnb! The bed is super comfy and this lady keeps all my favorite foods stocked. I made it back late Sunday night but just in time to join my fun running friends for the end of summer Fun Day on Monday. For me it just felt like a continuation of vacation. We started with breakfast at Blackdog in Lenexa. My usual vacation choice of a cappacino and a slice of cinnamon roll coffee cake. I ate it too fast for a picture but it was great. Then off to Shawnee Mission Park to rent paddle boards. The weather was perfect and everyone did great! Then a quick change at Jen’s Home and we headed to Top Golf in Overland Park. It was my first time and I’m not a golfer but you don’t need to be. 

The food was great and they have all kinds of golf games you can play. Just try and hit the ball at one of the targets.  

They have everything you need and it kind of reminds me of a bowling alley but fun with a group. And our group was very fun! 

Tiago was our mascot and he was the only one that was taking it seriously. 

The Fun Day wasn’t over yet. Time to head to Happy Hour - something we are expert at. So off to La Bodega we went. La Bodega specializes in Spanish tapas and has a really great happy hour. We got there early and scored the outside couch which was perfect. 

My running friends and we didn’t even run. We just have a great time together.  

What a great way to ease back from vacation - pretend you are still on vacation. But reality hit on Tuesday - hello laundry and catching up on life. 

So now back to my trip - the action and gypsy life continued for me. One thing I regretted was bringing too much with me. Since I was driving I kept adding things to my suitcase and to the car - I ended up with a suitcase 3 times the size of what I took to Europe for a month! Never again! I have been asked a number of times to list what I took to Europe and I will do it for sure. It was such a pain to drag that suitcase in and out of the car, up and down stairs etc. 

This trip was the first time since I moved from Chicago 26 years ago that I had time to explore lots of the neighborhoods, and so much has changed in that time. Mostly for the better. So many great neighborhoods to live in now. One thing that has gotten worse though is traffic. I was able to borrow Keeley’s public transit pass and that’s the way to go. There is an APP called City Mapper and it’s free. It’s not just for Chicago. It started in London and New York City was the second city. Now there are lots of places available through the APP and Chicago is one of them. You enable the location finder and type in where you want to go and it tells you how to get there. For instance I was wanting to get to North Michigan Ave and it told me to walk to the end of the block and catch the Chicago Ave bus that comes every 6 minutes. And exactly when the next one would be there. It told me to take it for 15 stops and get off at number 16 and walk 30 feet and get on the Blue Line Subway and where to get off. It was unbelievable! And free! Worked perfectly. Thanks Matt!

I met up with Robin and Mike and Keeley and Matt for dinner in Wicker Park at a restaurant Robin suggested called The Pasta Bowl. It is local and now has 3 or 4 locations around the city. The food was great - Italian of course! A decent selection of beer and wine too. It was really fun to all be together. 

I had the pesto with shrimp. Ever since Italy I am obsessed with pesto. 

The next day I met up with Julie and Peggy, a couple of my great high school friends. We met at Julie’s awesome place on Lake Shore Drive and spent the day together eating, drinking and walking - 9 miles of walking and talking.  

Another awesome APP I want to share is Park Whiz. Parking is so expensive in the city and by using this APP you can make a reservation in a garage close to where you are going and save almost half the cost. Just download the APP and it’s easy to use. It gave me a spot in her actual building which was awesome. There are a couple other similar APPs but that’s the one I use.

We headed over to the River North area which has a great selection of restaurants and bars right on the water.

We picked the City Winery because they have a nice meat and cheese tray. Wine of course too!

We look like we coordinated our outfits! Great minds thinking alike!

There are lots of boats on the river. Architectural Boat Tours, Water Taxi’s, Kayaks and party boats! And on a beautiful day tons of people out enjoying it.

Something new - a cycle boat!

After a leisurely lunch we headed over to Millenium Park. Always fun to see the Gehry Bean.

Chicago has done an outstanding job of landscaping and flowers! 

Next up Grant Park and Buckingham Fountain - one of my favorite spots in Chicago.

More pretty flowers! 

Then we headed to Navy Pier for Happy Hour and finished with a great dinner at Coco Pazzo on Hubbard St. I can never eat too much Italian food!

We shared a fabulous chopped salad, pizza and pasta dish - all delicious! And of course wine!

Another great day with wonderful life long friends. Next up I’m off to Lake Geneva for a long weekend of fun! 

Frank Lloyd Wright

Today I started my day with an amazing breakfast sandwich from Spinning J. Keeley recommended having it on a homemade buttermilk biscuit - done! 

Then I took a trip down memory lane and headed out to Oak Park. My main goal was to tour the Frank Lloyd Wright Home and Studio, and I did that but also spent some time checking out the different areas and places I lived and frequented in the 7 years I lived there. It has really changed a lot in the 26 years since I moved, but it looks wonderful.  

The Frank Lloyd Wright Home and Studio is a special place. It was built in the late 1800’s and changed hands many times before being purchased in the 1970’s and restoration started to make it into a museum and celebrate the many accomplishments and innovations of Frank Lloyd Wright. 

The front of the house which faces Forest Ave. 

The tour takes an hour and is totally worth it. The guides are all volunteers but go through a very extensive training to become a tour guide. Each one puts their own tour together so you get a little different version every time you take the tour. Not saying they make stuff up, just that each one has a slightly different focus because there are so many details they can cover.   

The Prairie style architecture Frank is known by followed immediately after the Victorian style so you can just imagine how different it was. There are 37 Frank Lloyd Wright homes in the Oak Park/River Forest area so very rich in architectural history. They also offer a walking tour starting at the Home and Studio which I have taken in the past. 

I love the detailing in his windows. There were several additions built on the original home and you can see the evolution of his design in the newer areas.

The baby grand piano in the children’s playroom. He cut a whole in the wall and suspended it over the stairs with a rope so that it didn’t take up too much room.

He got tired of riding his horse into downtown Chicago for work so added a studio to his home where he had a group of architects working for him along with artisans.

Downtown Oak Park wasn’t a big deal when I lived there but it’s a happening place now. They have built so many high rise apartment buildings close to where the train stops and lots of new shops and restaurants. For lunch I tried a place that was recommended to me called Lea French Street Food. Fast French food!

My go-to French lunch.....the Croque Monsieur.

The weather here has been great! Today was perfect - sunny but not too warm. Hope that continues! Thanks for coming along - more fun ahead! 

More Chicago Fun

Going to start right off with a great restaurant recommendation! You really have to know this place is there or you wouldn’t find it. It’s called Homestead on the Roof, and it’s a garden on the roof above a place called Roots in West Town on Chicago Ave.  I didn’t see any signage on the street and you get to it by walking through Roots. They do have an inside space but sitting outside amongst the gardens is awesome. They actually grow some of their own vegetables in the roof top gardens, and all the food served is farm to table and bought locally. We were there to celebrate all being together, Sue’s birthday, Keeley and Matt’s third anniversary, and Marion having a new grand baby. 

It was a perfect night to sit outside. 

The food was wonderful. You must order the bread basket. Different spreads and butters and amazing breads! Also Halibut over creamed kale, a pork chop with meat pie, surf and turf with octopus, and roasted cauliflower to name just a few of the things we tried. 

All beautifully presented also. 

A great group of people! 

Happy Birthday Sue! 

Another recommendation if you’re in Chicago is the Architectural Boat Tour. I would say really a must! Sue invited me today and it was fantastic. Takes an hour and a half and you get a great overview of the buildings that line the Chicago River. When they were built, by whom, the style and some history of the city also.  Chicago has a rich history from an architectural prospective, and many of the buildings can be seen most clearly from the river. We had a great tour guide that was a wealth of information but also had a great sense of humor.  I loved that the guide referred to the Willis Tower as the Sears Tower repeatedly - and totally on purpose. Won’t we always really think of it as the Sears Tower?

You also get some great pictures of the skyline from the boat! 

Before the tour we had a nice lunch at The Gage on Michigan Ave across from Millenium Park. We both had the same thing - cup of chicken orzo soup and a half of a turkey club. And no dessert - that’s rare for me😊 

They had a huge beautiful bar area and the food was really good.

Such a fun afternoon - thanks Sue!

#jumpwhileyoucan #chooseadventurealways #justsayyes