Chicago in February?

Over the President's Day weekend, the four of us headed up to Chicago for a visit with our friends (and old neighbors) the Hines'. Will & Peyton have been best buddies since they were born and have birthdays just 1 week apart. As babies and toddlers they played together constantly and even fought like brother and sister. Considering that the kids hadn't seen each other in nearly a year, Jennifer and I weren't sure what to expect. Well, they surprised us all and played wonderfully together. Lots of tea parties, picnics, dress-up, coloring and much more.

The trip was packed with fun stuff. The Hines' were super-hospitable (what else to you expect from a family where BOTH of them have a college degree in hospitality?) It worked out well that we each got to pick one "must do/see" item for the weekend. Will's pick was a trip to Legoland. It's like a Lego museum/playground. We saw a mini-Chicago made entirely of Lego, lots of Lego creations, a 3-D movie, a pretend Lego factory tour and lots more. We played in the Lego playground and Robert (with a little help from the kids) built a 3-wheeled Lego vehicle to drive down the test ramps.

Next was Scott's choice. It turns out the Hines' are big fans of the show Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives on the Food Network just like we are. So, the boys picked out a couple restaurants that were featured on the show and we went to check them out. First was one called the Chicken Basket which is known for their fried chicken. It was a cool spot and very "homey". My Blackened Chicken sandwich was awesome. Since the episdoe featuring this restaurant had just aired Feb 3, Scott asked the waitress how business had been since then. She said 3 weeks ago, they weren't sure they were going to be able to stay in business, and now business has increased 10-fold. It's was a great story to hear in such a scary time. We had so much fun at the Chicken Basket that we decided to check out another restaurant the following day. So, we hit a place called Hackney's in downtown Chicago. They're known for their hamburgers, and I think Guy Fieri (the show's host) was right on with this place too. If you've never seen the show, you should really check it out. Plus, when you're in a new city it's a fun way to explore and try restaurants that are off the beaten path. I'm the first to admit I would have probably turned my nose up at both restaurants from the outside but I'm so glad we checked them out. I'd definitely go back to both!!

My pick for the weekend was the Chicago Children's Museum at Navy Pier. The place was HUGE! The kids had so much fun and were worn out by the end. They dug for Dino Bones, played in WaterWorks, climbed thru rope tunnels, and lots more. There was lots there for Alex to do too.

While we made sure to keep the kids busy, the adults had fun too. We enjoyed wine when the kids were asleep, played Apple to Apples and watched a new episode of our favorite show (Triple D as it's called for short). One thing Scott and I don't miss from our 20+ year in Canada is the cold. It was right around freezing all weekend, and now I know why they call in the windy city!!While there wasn't any snow for sledding, the boys managed to have a little snowball fight in a snowbank outside a restaurant. That's OK, we'll have to save sledding for our next visit.