Farewell Windy City

This is my last Chicago post and its giving me a lump in my throat. As much as I have to admit I hated how cold I was, every day, all of the time, I really loved that city. I loved that it had the "big city" look and feel, with none of the dirt and grime. I also loved how sports-mad everyone is. If it isn't the Bulls, its the Blackhawks, or the Bears, or the Cubs. Banners and flags and supporters gear were displayed almost everywhere we went. And even at a fine dining establishment like RPM Italian, the basketball play-offs were being screened - locals wouldn't have it any other way. Dressed to the nines for a fancy dinner, but you know, there are priorities, and the Bulls vs Cavaliers playoff game was a big one.

Our last two days were spent embracing the touristy side of Chicago. We did an architectural tour by boat along the river. Which I highly recommend. You wouldn't say so given the lack of photographic evidence, but it was one of my favourite tourist attractions. There is one photo to document this tour as it was even more cold on the river boat than it was anywhere on land. So I spent the tour inside the cabin, peering out of a small window. I am a giant wuss and a loser, I know.

After this we strolled around Navy Pier, which in the full swing of summer must be loads of fun as it boasts live music and weekly fireworks on it's activities roster, starting mid-June. So we just missed it all. Nevertheless, it made for some pretty photos of the city and the lake, and a lovely walk.

We then took a final turn through the city and our beloved Magnificent Mile and made our way down to Willis Tower (or Sears Tower for the die-hards) so that we could stand in a glass box jutting out of the building at 103 stories up. The infamous SkyDeck. It is a must. Suck it up and just do it - so they say.
Sweating bullets, we posed for a few pictures for as long we could stand it and then we stood back and enjoyed watching other people laugh, cry and crawl their way in and out of that box.

After our daredevil antics, we went back to the hotel and got ready for dinner and a show. Painful as it is to admit, I am a big Guiliana and Bill Rancic fan, so I insisted on trying their Italian restaurant while we were in Chicago. Obviously, we walked to dinner. If you ever visit Chicago, promise me that you'll walk and walk and walk - because if you do, you are rewarded with streets like these:

And the verdict on RPM Italian? Fantastic. The food and the cocktails were outstanding. The service from the waitress and sommelier were brilliant and the ambience was a wonderful mix of fine dining, chic, young and trendy, but with the bar area airing the Bulls game, it managed to snuff out any stuffiness, which I loved. My only complaint was the team of hostesses at the front. They seemed very miserable and gave everyone a once over and a lip curl of disapproval as they walked in, which I thought was in bad taste. Minor details I guess...

For a final night out in Chicago, we took the opportunity to check out the Chicago Broadway scene, which, you may not know, is huge. They have plenty of theatres, with almost all of the major productions showing - but at half the price of seeing the same show in New York. Seeing as Book of Mormon tickets on Broadway in NYC are almost impossible to get at the last minute, we took our chance to see it in Chicago, and it was one of the best decisions we made on our trip. It was hysterical. I would never have thought I would laugh so hard at a musical - but we both left with aching jaws and a sore belly from laughing so much. It was dark and offensive humour - just the way I like it.

So I've come to the end of the Chi-town leg of our trip.
As much as I complained about the weather, Chicago, you were lovely.