The neighbors next to my parents house hosted a German foreign exchange student named Miryam
several years ago. She was back in town for a wedding and was staying with her original host family for a couple weeks. She really wanted to see Chicago, so Lindsey and I were very excited for the opportunity to show her around.
several years ago. She was back in town for a wedding and was staying with her original host family for a couple weeks. She really wanted to see Chicago, so Lindsey and I were very excited for the opportunity to show her around.
A mutual friend of ours, Jake, picked up Miryam and drove her to the city. We had a tentative plan set out for a whole day of walking and exploring and of course, eating and drinking.
We started our day early, around 10am. We took the L downtown and walked over to Maggie Daley Park, which I have never actually seen. The park was beautiful and full of people and the weather was absolutely perfect!
After we walked through the park, we went over to the Bean. It amazes me how many people come out to see the sculpture.
Next, we walked along Michigan Avenue toward the John Hancock Tower where we wanted to visit for a couple of drinks.
On our way over, we started to get hungry and wanted to stop somewhere to eat. We ended up walking by the original Billy Goat Tavern and decided to try it. Made famous by a Saturday Night Live skit, it is definitely a tourist stop worth making.
As soon as we walked in, we were pressured to order right away. Luckily the menu was very small and I noticed they had grilled cheese so Lindsey and I ordered that, Miryam had a cheeseburger and Jake was told by the cashier he wanted the double.
Although it was just a grilled cheese with pickles, it was pretty tasty and definitely hit the spot.
Our next stop was Dylan's Candy Bar, which I have also never been to. As soon as we walked in, the aroma of sweet smelling sugar hit us hard. The store was filled with people, bright colors and candy from wall to wall.
We had fun walking around and seeing all of the crazy things around the store.
Although I wanted to eat one of everything, I had to resist. We did find Bean Boozled, which is a jelly bean tasting game that Lindsey and I have been dying to try. The box comes with several different flavors of jelly beans. There are two of the same color but different tastes - one is something delicious and the other something extremely disgusting. For example the white jelly bean was either coconut flavored or baby wipes flavored and you can't tell which one it is until you bite into it. Some of the other ones were peach or vomit and chocolate pudding or canned dog food. We played when we got back to Lindsey's place later on and it was both really hilarious and really gross.
Next, we continued the route to the Hancock Tower along Michigan Avenue. We arrived and joined the line of people waiting for the elevator to take us to the Signature Room Lounge on the 96th floor.
We were hoping to get a table by the window, along with everyone else, but we were seated close enough. I ordered the Skyscraper, which was a tropical rum drink, Miryam had the Blood Orange Margarita, and Jake and Lindsey both ordered Long Island Iced Teas. The drinks were quite pricey, but they were a necessary pairing to the stunning views of Chicago.
Since the weather was perfectly clear, we were able to see endless views of the city and beyond. The last time I was at the Hancock was years and years ago, so it was really nice to experience again.
You really don't realize how amazing Chicago is until you can see it all from one spot.
Our next stop was Sprinkles Cupcakes. The line was out the door and spilled onto the sidewalk, but we knew it would be worth the wait.
We finally stepped in and saw the cupcake varieties. After contemplating all of the delicious options, I settled on the Peanut Butter Banana. Miryam had the Birthday Cake Sprinkles, Lindsey had the Vanilla Milk Chocolate and Jake ordered the Maple Bacon.
They were so cute and equally as tasty.
They also sold mini cupcakes made for dogs, so I had to get one for Mason. Since he was home all day by himself, it was a nice little reward for him. He loved it!
Later on, we decided to get some dinner at Schoolyard in Lakeview before meeting up with other friends and going out for the night.
I had this colorful hummus and guacamole platter, which was made to share as an appetizer, but I ate the whole thing! It was so good and I felt like I needed something healthy after a day of eating poorly and drinking. Although we did do a lot of walking, so I guess that balances everything out.
After dinner, we met up with some other friends and went to a couple of bars in Lincoln Park for some dancing and more drinking!
It was such a fun day and it was really nice to explore Chicago from a tourist point of view since it's not something I do very often. I think Miryam had a great time and we would love to have her back any time! Maybe next time I see her, I will be in Germany...
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