Just blew in from the Windy City!

Happy weekend ya'll!

Sooper and I are home, sweet home from the Windy City.  On our boat tour of Chicago on the Chicago River and Lake Michigan, the guide provided a very entertaining explanation myth for the reason Chicago is called the Windy City.  He explained that name is not because of the winds off Lake Michigan (which I can attest to after this past week), but because the politicians and lobbyists are "full of hot air."  That sounds like  MOST cities in the United States.  But, I digress.  When Chicago and New York were both competing against one another to host the World's Fair, the New York City newspapers referred to the Chicago politicians as "windy" in their presentations to host the fair.  Eventually, Chicago was chosen to host the fair, and the mayor boasted about this prestigious honor.  Therefore, others claimed he was "blowing hot air" and "full of wind."  The combination of these occurrences surrounding the world's fair gave Chicago the "Windy City" nickname.

Our arrival...no luggage, but that is a whole other story...

The purpose of our trip, besides to enjoy the city, architecture, and local cuisine, was to watch Jonnae, our friends' daughter, and her team, Arsenal FC, compete in the Elite Clubs National League (ECNL) finals.  It was single game elimination, which meant, any day, a loss would eliminate them from the entire competition.  Each day, the Arsenal girls earned a win, and on the last day, they beat San Diego Surf (their competitor from California) to become the under 14 champions!  Mission accomplished!  It was so great to be there and we were able to celebrate with her after the win that day by taking her on a tour of Chicago, complete with shopping, sightseeing, and amazing meals at Big and Little's and Xoco!

Winner, Winner, Chicken Dinner
The team with the very heavy BLING! 

Though I am late for Insta-Friday, here is a picture walk through Chicago!

Chicago skyline @ dusk courtesy of Sooper JB

Sooper and I on Lake Michigan
(Sooper representing NOLA & the Saints)

Oak Street Beach @ Lake Michigan
beautiful beach, hot weather, very cold water

Best hot dogs in Chicago
We shared three hot dogs (Chicago style, foie gras, and chicken chorizo), and they were all very yummy!
Oh and I forgot to mention delicious cheese fries. :)

foie gras duck sausage dog
one of Hot Doug's specialty dogs

Millennium Park is home to the pavilion, art, architecture, a restaurant, food stands, benches, etc.  It includes the Frank Gehry designed Jay Pritzker Pavilion, which is an amazing outdoor area with a stage and speakers all throughout the park used for events and activities, including free concerts and movies.  On the evening we were there, they were having a "Movie in the Park" night, and attendees brought blankets and picnic style dinner to enjoy during the movie.  Also in Millennium Park is Cloud Gate, an interactive sculpture by artist Anish Kapoor.  You can see reflections of yourself and the city in the "bean shaped" sculpture.  It is definitely a must see...fun for hours!

Millennium Park
Cloud Gate, under Cloud Gate, & Jay Pritzker Pavilion

  

funny but true sign @ a hot dog stand in Millennium Park

Very picturesque view from the boat tour
Thanks Mr. Blake for the recommendation...we loved it!

Tiny's Oyster Pearl of Wisdom (OPW) is to definitely do something "touristy" when you are in a new location.  It is worth it, especially if you want to learn more about the place your visiting!  We decided to take a guided boat tour to relax and learn about the amazing architecture, enjoy the breeze from Lake Michigan, and experience something new and different.  You may not visit that location again or at least for a while, so be THAT tourist and have no regrets! :)

Glad to be back to the blogosphere!

The Tiny Librarian

I am linking up with Jeannett @ Life Rearranged!