Chicago, Chicago, that Toddlin' Town

The long armed family photo

Under the Bean

What an adventure! First off, we really needed a family vacation. It has been quite a year so far, and it was nice that the three of us got to spend some quality family time together. Eric had never been to Chicago, but I had been there many times in my woolly youth, and let's say, did not see the "family" side of it. Turned out to be a great place for a vacation.

Amtrak: Our fare was very reasonable for RT fares. It was a total of $280 for all three of us! We wanted a practice run for Libby for when we go to China and this was going to be as close as we could get to a confined space and an 11 hour flight to Tokyo. However, the train has much more leg room than any plane and being able to get up and walk around was wonderful. Also, each seat had a plug in, so when we needed the DVD player, we did not have to worry about the battery. There were interesting people on the trip both ways, but overall, no scary people or anything to worry about. Libby did great, but by the return trip home, was pretty much done in.

Relaxing on the train

Embassy Suites: Highly recommend this hotel in Chicago. We had a very nice size room. We were centrally located to most of Chicago's attractions, plus had a grocery store across the street. We had a complementary full breakfast, including cooked to order food. Each evening, there was a managers reception with free cocktails and snacks. It was nice to be able to relax with a glass of wine and not be in a bar, and to feel very comfortable. Another plus was the pool, which we often had to ourselves. Libby loved it and it certainly improved her comfort level with swimming.

We had a great time at Navy Pier, and Libby enjoyed the Children Museum, but her favorite place was Millennium Park, especially the Bean and the fountain with the faces. However, she announced one day she did not want to go on an adventure. I sat down to talk with her and she asked me where Merfi, Merlie and her bed were. Turns out she missed all of them. We were still able to have fun for the rest of the trip, but it was obvious her heart was in St. Paul.

The Children Museum's pirate ship

The fountain at Millennium Park

Our least favorite part of the trip was Chicago's Chinatown. It did not compare at all to San Francisco's and we got more stares in our one hour there than we did in all the time we were in China. It was an uncomfortable experience, except at the Chinatown Fire Station, where they were very kind and friendly.

Driving the Chinatown fire truck

Although you cannot prepare for everything, we can now try and prepare for how Libby will react while we are in China and hopefully do a good job in making her feel secure and still have fun. I love my guy and my girl and can hardly wait until we have one more girl in our little family.