The Sis and I finally took another vacation.

I don’t expect any of you to remember the last time we went anywhere, I mean I barely remember it, it’s been a long, long while. When we landed in Chicago last August, we hadn’t been on a real vacation in seven years.

If you remember my Hawaii post, good on you and your memory!

You may be wondering, “Why so long?”

Well, the big reason is our two lovely little pups. A few years ago, our boy developed a strange illness, a rare autoimmune disorder that I wrote about once we got a handle on it. And then our girl developed pancreatitis and taking care of them is…particular. It’s hard to ask for anyone to take it on.

But, last year was my 50th birthday and I wanted to do something special. I wanted to go “home” to England, but then we discovered The Sis’s favorite band was getting back together for a handful of North American dates, two of which were in Chicago with her other favorite band. Also a good friend of ours had recently moved there, so we’d get to see her too. It didn’t take much deliberation to decide that this was a unique opportunity.

And so off to Chicago we went to see System of a Down with Avenged Sevenfold, and our friend Rachel.

Chicago is a cool city! I was taken with the architecture and history. The Sis found us great places to eat. We walked. A lot. There’s art everywhere. It’s on the water. And there’s a lot to see and do.

Fun fact: I took like 190 photos.

Day One

We flew in and took the rail to Chinatown, where we were staying. It was centrally located and a close(ish) walk to the venue, Soldier Field. We walked around a bit, got some supplies for the room, and grabbed a bite based on a recommendation from QXY (Qing Xiang Yuan) Dumplings. So delicious, and they had vegan ones too! Long day = early night.

Highlight of the Day: We encountered some genuinely nice people wherever we went, and those dumplings were addictive.

Day Two

We grabbed a morning coffee from a cute indie shop, tried to get a look inside the Avenged pop-up (which was never going to happen as the line went around the block, but the guy running it was super nice), and then went for brunch at The Gage. It had been so long since we were sans responsibility that it felt strange to have a mid-day cocktail and not have to hurry home. Food was delicious and we had a wonderful server.

We walked all over the city. Across from our brunch spot was the famous Bean. We stopped in a variety of shops, met Rach for a quick hello before she went to the concert, and walked to Navy Pier. It was a warm day so it was nice to relax for a bit with the cool lake breeze. We ended our day with vegan sushi at Planta. Food was great, service not so much. *Tip from a former bartender, don’t take a guest’s glass when it still has beverage in it, and not ask if they’re done, and then not offer them another one.

Highlight of the Day: Our lovely brunch was a nice vacation-y thing to do, and wandering about the city with The Sis was just a good time, but we observed a hilarious thing and I have to share it. So, it’s not exactly PC, so bear with me. There was a family walking around Chinatown, and their son, probably about six years old, says, “I can speak Chinese” and proceeded to stereotypically mimic the language. The mom looked aghast, and The Sis and I cackled. Kids are funny. And in 10 years, I’m going to want to remember this.

Day Three

We met Rachel and some of her family for a riverboat tour early the next day; another mid-day cocktail and a history lesson. I would recommend a tour if you visit the city as it offers a different perspective of the landscape and insight as to how the city developed over the years. We grabbed a coffee to keep us going, then a signature hot dog from Portillo’s, and finally found a spot along the Riverwalk to have another cocktail while we ate.

Then it was off to the show.

Highlight of the Day & the Whole Trip: The Sis rates the concert as one of the best she’s ever been to! ((insert rocking out finger emoji))

Day Four

I planned it so our flight home wasn’t until later in the afternoon, so we’d have most of the day to hang out in the city, and still get home at a reasonable hour because of the time change. There’s something about visiting a museum or art gallery when you’re in a new city, and there were a number of choices, of course, but we settled on Field Museum, the natural history museum because they had a dinosaur exhibit with largest and most complete T-Rex ever discovered, Sue.

We could have used a few more hours there. It was a huge museum with so much to look at, and so many displays. In addition to the dinosaurs, there were plants and animals from across the globe, an Egyptian exhibit, ancient Aztec art, a gemstone gallery, and lots more, like 40 million artifacts and specimens. Wow.

And then our long weekend/getaway was over.

Highlight of the Day: Another funny story. May be a little TMI so, bear with me again. Unexpectedly, my monthly cycle made itself known while at the museum. The vending machine for an emergency product didn’t work, so…I used a little toilet paper to avoid further issue. Figured I could get something from the hotel or maybe the airport, so didn’t think twice. Going through the TSA security scanner, I popped for an unknown object and had to be patted down. The TSA agent, who I had seen being snarky with people trying to cut the line and generally acting foolish, was my pat down agent. I whispered to her my dilemma and she laughed and said there were free products in the bathroom. She was so nice, and after all the nonsense I had watched her deal with, my random, normal female stuff was probably a pleasant diversion. Or at least I hope. I hope she told her friends and they had a good laugh.

We watched Sinners (again) on the plane, which was a nice end to a good time.

And then just like that, we were back to reality.

Thank you, Chicago! And Happy Birthday to me. 😉 Watch out, England. I’m eventually coming for you!