Day 4

We started our day at Cosi - a little Pandera Bread kind of place a few blocks over. The coffee was so freakin' hot that it took until after we ate breakfast before we could actual drink it - but it was good!

We found the bus that would take us to the Navy Pier. We arrive a bit early before everything opens but we got to explore a little before the crowds arrived. We signed up for a boat tour (free with the Go Card) and then headed over to do some rides (free with the Go Card). We road the carousel and then the little kiddie up downy lighthouse ride.

The boat headed out at 10:30 to tour the shoreline of Chicago.

It was beautiful weather again. As we were learning all about the various architecture of the city, 3 "United States of America" helicopters flew by and around the pier before they finally landed. Everyone on the boat was a flutter that it was President Obama.

It very well could have been - because it was the very same helicopters a President of the United States would ride in. The weather was absolutely fabulous at this time of day and the views were gorgeous.

I'm so glad we didn't have to pay for this boat ride - but glad we did it!



We then did the Navy Pier ferris wheel

- even though I had a death grip on Evan the whole time.

It was great but I requested that nobody move too much while we were at the tippy top. The trickiest part was gettin' on and off that sucker.....it doesn't stop and there are itty bitty doors you have to squeeze your butt through. And the fear of being stuck halfway in a gondola as it goes back up is enough to motivate you to throw your kids out and move as quickly as possible.



Lunch, Garrett's Popcorn, and then the Children's Museum. This was also included in the Go Card purchase - just the Children's Museum part. What a great place - the boys LOVED it and really didn't want to leave. They had some great hands on things....it really was incredible!

this is the piano slide in the kid invention section - cool!

Things to build, climb, color, touch. We really could have spent more time here but we had the rest of Chicago we had to squeeze in today so off we went.


We then waited for a double decker tour bus (free with our Go Card) to take us up to the Water Tower Area. We got seats in the very front on the very top. Great view and really fun and touristy! We decided to stay on and get off at the Sears Tower (now called the Willis Tower - even though no one in Chicago calls it that). The tour of the Skydeck was also included in our Go Card....so up we went. Apparently, this trip of Chicago is going to be a test of my fear of heights and high places. At the top of the 103rd floor they have 3 sky boxes where you can walk out over the city.

see those boxes sticking out - those are people standing in there.

It is all glass or plexiglass or whatever - totally see through all the way around you. We did it...we walked out on that thing and lived to tell about it. My knees were a bit wobbly and I stayed just long enough to get the picture and then off again.

Here's the video proof we did it!

I mentioned that there were 3 boxes ...there actually was a 4th. But it had a crack in it. A crack that occured when they tested it with over 7000lbs of pressure. Nice. Now, that was a bit freaky! Glad I did it but I have no need or desire to relive that experience.

Stand off the edge of North America's tallest building - check.

When we got off the double decker bus I asked the guy how to get to the Red Line to go to the Sox game. "up this street until you get to State St...go down and hop on going South". Sounds easy enough. Everyone we had asked so far said the best way to get to the White Sox game was to travel on the Red Line....that was it - no other options. So the Red Line it was. We had walked out of the Sears/Willis Tower at 5:00 on the dot. That is quittin' time in the business district where we were...that equals crowded streets/sidewalks of business folk that were ready to go home. And here we are, stroller, backpack, 5 year old with head in the clouds, bag of Garrett's popcorn that doesn't fit well in the stroller. I'm zooming by everyone headed the way the guy said. We keep walking and walking. Then we started to second guess ourselves....pull over get out the giant map of the CTA system to determine if we were going the right way - and we were. Okay, made it. We see the stairs going down. "Dear Jesus, please help us as we navigate the L system with our 2 boys who are tired and cranky as we head to a White Sox game. Please help us fit strollers through tight places, spill as little popcorn as possible, and keep us from getting squished on the train. Amen." Now, I've done subways in foreign cities before - Boston, St. Louis, Cleveland, NY but this was all without kids. Dear Lord, what were we thinking? The train was crowded...standing room only but we only had like 3 stops to go before we could get off. Brennan is yelling, "when can we sit?!?!?" "Brennan, just stand and like it and keep your mouth quiet, these people have worked hard all day and they need to sit down on their way home and there is no where to move to so just keep it quiet." One nice lady did offer to give up her seat...maybe more so to stop hearing Brennan complain about his 5 year old self not sitting.

Whoo hoo!!!! We made it.

Everyone intact and ready for a ballgame! Damn...should have bought tickets online the night before - it would have been MUCH cheaper. Oh well! We're here 1 1/2 hours before the game.

So our timing wasn't so great - but we were here. The US Cellular field is beautiful and you could just feel the tradition in the air. Bryan and I ate the Chicago-style hot dog (mine with no onions, thank you very much).

We figured when in Rome..... it was good, real good. I didn't even mind the pepper thingamabobs on there. The boys were hungry and ate up their food too. The night was nice...it felt good to sit and relax at the game. It wasn't real crowded and it was fun to watch the fans. We left after the 5th inning since it was dark and we still had to navigate the Red Line back to the hotel.

We did fine...we are pros now. Completely knowledgeable of the Chicago CTA system.

The Red Line has a stop on Grand street - directly in front of the hotel! Yippee!! We had a brief thought to go get ice cream (as we had used that as a bribe for good behavior way back at the Navy Pier) but figured the boys had long forgotten about it.

I'd say it was another successful day in Chicago. I'm completely wiped out and ready for bed.