Proud to be a Chicagoan!

Considering that we made absolutely no plans for this 4th, the holiday turned out to be wonderful! Justin had planned to work almost all weekend on an approaching deadline. He did put in some time at the office on Saturday, but thanks to his determination and the deadline getting pushed out, we were able to enjoy our 4th of July!

So, no plans on the 4th...not to worry! There is always plenty to do in Chicago, even if it's not a national holiday. Saturday afternoon we headed back to the Taste of Chicago with our remaining food tickets. We enjoyed some live music, baklava, Polish sausage, and a frozen banana dipped in chocolate, covered with nuts! Yum! I think the size of the crowd doubled since the weekend before. That, combined with the smoke from cooking, all different food smells, and temps in the 90's, we definitely had our fill of the Taste!

Tourists flock here in droves on the 4th. I had noticed an increase in camera and map toting sightseers since summer hit, but holy hordes of tourists!! We live right in the middle of the tourist attractions, and after the Taste, we honestly didn't even want to venture out into the masses. So, we decided to head North where most of the non-Chicagoans don't go.

If you're a baseball fan, you may have heard of the Crosstown Classic. It's the series between the North and the South sides of Chicago - the Cubs and the White Sox. Over the 4th weekend they were playing at Wrigley. Although we didn't have tickets to the game on Sunday, we heard of a block party outside the stadium and thought we'd check it out.

The game was still going on when we got to Wrigleyville, and the so-called block party was not exactly happening. So, we hopped on a bus and headed to Lincoln Park to grab a bite and do a little shopping. I absolutely love Lincoln Park. There are so many cute restaurants and shops. We spent a gorgeous afternoon just strolling around following our whims. We stopped for a beer at an Irish pub, and sat outside on a quiet, tree-lined side street. While enjoying our beverages we noticed someone take their dog into the bar. Sure enough there were 4 dogs inside! We had found a quaint little dog-friendly Irish bar that's been around since the 40's! How awesome is that! We had a late lunch outside at another restaurant we happened upon. The afternoon turned out wonderfully and we hadn't planned a thing....I just love days like that!

Clear blue skies continued on the 4th, which prompted us to head to the beach! Yes, there are "beaches" in Chicago complete with sand, but no shells and other seaside critters. I have been very jealous of non-stop Facebook posts boasting Carolina beach vacations all summer. Especially over the 4th, when the Lichty's get together at Justin's parents' house in Myrtle Beach. We couldn't make it last summer because we were in the middle of moving, and this summer it just didn't work out. So, we made a family beach day of our own...at the dog beach of course! This is again, out of tourist radar, but still packed with lots of beach loving Chicagoans and their furry friends! We circled for half and hour looking for parking and then ended up walking about half a mile to get to the actual dog beach....but the trek was well worth it!

Other than the random dogs running across our towels, trying to get in our cooler, and one rude K-9 actually taking a whizz on our cooler....it was an awesome afternoon! We stopped on our walk back to eat lunch under a tree along the lake (don't worry the cooler was closed during the whizz incident!). People had set up tents and were grilling everywhere. 

We are very fortunate to have a fabulous view of Navy Pier from the top of our building. The city cancelled the huge fireworks show in Grant Park this year, but Navy Pier put on a smaller scale show. They actually shoot off fireworks every Wednesday and Saturday night during the summer, so we already get 2 fireworks shows per week...guess I can't complain about the city's decision! Justin and I used one of the community grills on the roof to cook up some burgers, sweet potato fries, and corn on the cob! We staked out a prime spot for dinner and hung out there until the fireworks. Watching all the people packed into and around Navy Pier, we felt especially thankful for our bird's eye view! Boats started filling up the harbor early and afterwards all honked their horns in approval of the show!

What an awesome holiday weekend it turned out to be! It's amazing to actually live in a city that people from all over our nation visit to celebrate the 4th of July. Chicago is an all-American city and we are excited to be a part of it!

Happy 4th!!

The Taste

The Taste of Chicago started this past week and runs for 2 weeks in Grant Park. It's not just food....it's tons of music, cooking demos from famous chefs, and even a 5K to burn off all those extra calories. With our windows open and from our balcony, we can hear the music from the main stage in our apartment, which adds another layer to the array of city sounds we hear on a regular basis. Music from the festivals in Grant Park is a little more pleasing than the jackhammers and fire trucks.

I have really been looking forward to "the taste", because we are always trying new restaurants. Almost every time we go out to dinner, it's a new place. I hate to eat at the same restaurant twice because Chicago is chock full of great eats. We always have trouble deciding where to go, so I figured the taste was the perfect way to try a bunch of different restaurants at once. 

When Justin and I joined the thousands of people in Grant Park on Sunday to get a taste of Chicago, I hate to say, I was a bit disappointed. I don't consider myself to be a food snob, it's just that none of the fabulous restaurants I hear rave reviews about were there. I'd even say that the Taste of Charlotte beats of the Taste of Chicago. You read that right....in a battle of the tastes, Charlotte wins! That doesn't mean that I don't love the restaurants in Chicago overall....I absolutely do. Chi-town just doesn't have a good selection of top notch food at the festival. Two weeks is a long time for restaurants to participate, and I suppose all the well-known places don't need to lure people in. Many of the neighborhoods in Chicago have their own taste fest, so I'm guessing that's where I'll find the drool worthy grub I'm looking for. 


Nevertheless, it was a gorgeous Sunday, which we haven't had in a while, and a perfect day to be out and about. I am a people watcher, and the taste definitely provided plenty of that, as well as plenty of freebies. I was tempted to jump in the Ocean Spray cranberries to cool off my tootsies!

I also got to pose with a ginormous Case tractor (the company Justin works for)....while sitting on a bale of hay, eating watermelon. Justin was so proud! :)

I do want to check out some of the cooking demos this week as well as some of the free music. We still have tickets left over, so we'll be heading back next weekend to give the Taste of Chicago another shot.

City Living...it's not all it's cracked up to be

Today there have been jackhammers going non-stop outside our building....seriously all day hammering. I woke up a little after 7:00, it's 5:30 as I'm writing this, and they're still hammering. Some days city living really grates on my nerves. 

Anyone who reads my blog and/or Facebook page regularly, knows that driving in Chicago also drives me crazy. I literally try to drive as little as possible, but some days it can't be avoided. I swear, since the weather finally got warm the traffic has doubled. Especially on really sunny, hot days. That's when it seems like everyone in the city comes out of hibernation and hits the beaches....making Lake Shore Drive a parking lot. I usually love driving LSD because of the striking combination of city and lake views, and it's an easy shot North and South from where we live. However, lately I've been weighing the option of navigating through the city, taking on honking cabs, pedestrians, bikers, and one way streets instead.

I've started a part-time nanny job in Lincoln Park, which is why I can't avoid driving. The family is great and the 9 year old girl is fun to take care of, super smart, and talented. My job includes picking up Alexandra from school, taking her to after-school activities, grocery shopping, and running general errands. I'm getting to know my way around Lincoln Park. I'm also getting some much needed practice at parallel parking. It's a good thing the Liberty is kinda squatty...as SUV's go! I swear some days the hardest thing about my job is finding a parking spot where I won't get towed. Although I'm getting into the routine now and becoming more familiar with the parking situation, it has been a little stressful.

When I'm not working I don't feel like driving anywhere, which I can usually accomplish thanks to the CTA...love public transportation. I'm also trying to relax and take advantage of my down time before grad school hits. Brizz and I have gotten back into our long walks along the lake and through Grant Park. We didn't venture out as much during the Winter, for obvious reasons, but now I really look forward to our walks together. Poor Brizz, with her thick fur can't make it too far before she seeks the shade of one of the beautiful trees along the trail. We both happily plop down in the grass to watch the boats and passersby.

Today was one of those days when a lake front stroll was much needed. Even though there is still the rush of cars from Lake Shore Drive, I can somehow escape the craziness of the city with the lake in front of me. Now....if those jackhammers would just take a break......

Festival Time!

It seems my blogs are few and far between, yet lengthy lately. So, I'm going to make an effort to post more and keep them short and sweet! Festival season has begun in Chicago, and I am loving it! One of my soon-to-be professors at SAIC gave me the excellent advice to enjoy my Chicago summer and the wonderful festivals....I certainly intend to do just that! I added all the festivals I could to my Google calendar to keep them straight. 

We got started last weekend at the Old Town Art Festival. Almost an entire neighborhood was taken over by hundreds of art booths, food, and live music. It was packed in amidst the vintage town homes of Old Town....so cute! I'd love to live in a neighborhood like that or Lincoln Park one day....we'll see. Anyway, we had a nice relaxing stroll browsing all different kinds of art. (Unfortunately my phone battery was low so I didn't get to take any pics.)

The following day we headed to the Blues Festival in Grant Park. That Sunday was absolutely gorgeous, and people were just chilling in the park BYOB style. There was lots of food and 3 stages of music. 

We people watched, and just hung out with everyone else...such a great afternoon. I love this kind of relaxed atmosphere right in the middle of the city. It's an awesome energy.....awesome city!

Memorial Day & Beginning of SUMMER!!

We had our first warm weather visitors a few weeks ago. My in-laws and my dad visited back to back weeks the end of May. After 2 weeks packed with playing tour guide and eating, eating, eating, I feel like I'm just now recovering! We loved having our parents here though. It's so nice to have our family and friends visit and share our new home and city with us! We definitely don't get to see our family as often as we used to, so we cherish the time we get to share.


The first night Justin's parents were in town, we got together for dinner at Bandera (one of our "neighborhood favs) with some of the Lichty's long-time friends who have a home in Chicago.

Some of the other yummy restaurants we dined at were:

Francesca's on Chestnut

Twin Anchors

XOCO

Lou Malnatti's (of course)

Mon Ami Gabi

Hubbard Inn (fav spot for drinks)

the lichty's enjoying some chicago pizza...can't beat it!

They froze the left-overs and took it back to SC for Justin's brother, who was having deep dish withdrawals! 

Speaking of frozen....the air from the glacial lake water acts like a huge fog machine when the weather starts to warm up. It's like opening the freezer...the city fills with cool fog, even on warm days. It's a strange, but beautiful site to see the fog drifting between the buildings. As we walked around the city with Justin's parents, the temperature would suddenly drop dramatically as we were surrounded by the cool, foggy mist.

The weather reverted back to March just in time for my dad to arrive. We bundled up and headed to Wrigley to start his visit.

cubs game - brrrrrr.....it was sooo cold!

state st. for the memorial day parade

enjoying the view and infamous chi-town breeze

on our building's rooftop patio

That Sunday Lake Shore Drive was shut down as cyclists took over for a ride promoting alternative modes of transportation. This was an awesome event for riders of all abilities. Next year Justin and I definitely plan to participate!

foggy lakefront

enough with this nasty weather!

these boats are ready for some memorial day sailing!

flooded street in lincoln park 

showing just how much rain fell over the weekend!

My dad's visit started out pretty cold and rainy....not much fun for a holiday weekend. But Memorial Day Monday was absolutely gorgeous! We took advantage of the nice weather and went for a morning bike ride along the lake front before Dad's flight. 

beautiful city on a beautiful day!

After a week of 50's and rain, the sun finally appeared and so did all the people! The city beaches were more packed than Myrtle Beach on the 4th of July....no kidding! People were laying out all over parks around the city, biking, running, rollerblading, you name it! I have never seen Chicago so active. I've said before...Chicagoans do not take warm weather for granted. Once temps reach upper 50's with sun, the shorts come out! This is what everyone kept telling me about....wait for it, wait for it....summer is awesome! Chicago is awesome in the summer! Makes me wonder if summer feels so incredible because the winter is so harsh....probably true. But, the city itself has so much life that is different than anything I've ever experienced. Add that to 3 million sun starved people and you've got a huge party!

10:00 a.m. volley ball courts ramping up 

for memorial day celebrations

After Dad left we had week of upper 90's!! I was loving it and stayed outside as much as I could! I took Brizz to the dog beach one morning and she wore herself out! That is the fuzzy, sandy look of one happy puppy dog!

catching some rays on the rooftop

the park is alive again!

now, this is the harbor I love!

Unfortunately, it quickly got chilly again. I'm still waiting for a true summer to come and stay for at least a month. Guess I can't complain too much after this past winter, but I'm still a Southern girl who loves her heat and humidity!