Good morning and Merry Christmas Eve! Today’s post is a great weekend getaway – Chicago, IL! This is my favorite big city in the states.

If you only have the weekend like we did, you definitely want to hit all the major spots! We started with Melting Pot for dinner when Cam flew in… I know, I know… you can get Melting Pot anywhere in the country. BUT we had never been since we don’t spring for expensive dinners, and I had $70 to spend that night on my work budget 🙂

The next morning we started with the Wendella Architecture Boat Tour. This is a must and was one of Cameron’s most favorite parts of the weekend – https://www.wendellaboats.com

After the boat tour, we went to Navy Pier to walk around and ride the Ferris wheel. We were lucky and had a beautifully clear day to enjoy the pier.

We had lunch at Rudy’s Bar & Grille. Then walked over to Millennium Park. We took fun pictures and explored the park and surrounding areas.

After the park, we found a grocery store because I desperately needed shoe inserts! It was so nice that we just kept walking all day and didn’t realize just how far we’d gone. We added whiskey to that order and were ready to head back to the Courtyard Marriott to relax before dinner.

That night, we went to Quartino, which was recommended to us by a local – http://www.quartinochicago.com/mobile-home-pages-387.php – It was delicious! We ordered several small plates and then the Gran Coppa Quartino for dessert!

The following day was really rainy and cold so we stuck to inside activities. First stop was the Shedd Aquarium! At the time, they had a special jellyfish exhibit and it was so beautiful! We walked through the entire aquarium, the jelly exhibit, and then stayed for a show.

Next stop, the Field Museum! It was a great museum to walk through and enjoy.

After the museum, we grabbed a deep dish pizza from Pizzeria Due. I would go back any day of the week! It was so so good. After lunch we made our way to Hancock Tower to take a ride up to the top. It wasn’t the clearest day, but still a great experience!

We made a pit stop at Garrett’s for some Garrett Mix to take home and then we were off! I was fortunate to be able to visit Chicago and the surrounding areas a few more times through work and I loved it every time! My favorite time of year is Spring when the tulips are in bloom. But no matter when you visit, you’ll have a great time!