Over Fourth of July, E and I spent the week in Chicago Illinois with his family. They rented a stunning house just outside the city and gathered us from around the country for a reunion. Neither of us had been to the city before. In fact, we’d never even been to the midwest before. So it was certainly an adventure and one we want to repeat–a single trip was just not enough. Today we’re recapping with a little photo diary + video of things we saw, shopped, and ate.
The Bean and surrounding parks were stunning. Part of me has only ever imagined Chicago in the dead of winter, so to see green space and blossoms every which way was incredible. And, fortunately enough, E found a hot dog stand smack dab in the middle of our morning. If you’ve never heard of a Chicago dog, basically take the entire condiment bar and dump it on a bun.
In addition to overstuffed hot dogs and deep dish pizza, E’s cousin told us about the wonder that is custard. She then proceeded to show us her favorite spot where, I kid you not, they blend entire pieces of pie into an ice-cream-like mix. From there we popped over to Lake Michigan for a quick photo opp. The day was windy but beautiful. And, I know it looks like an ocean, but that body of water couldn’t fool an East Coaster. 
The house and surrounding areas were picturesque. It was definitely suburbia but that gave us a chance to do more outdoorsy things like bocce ball, tennis, and grilling for Fourth of July.
We went to the Chicago Botanic Garden for an afternoon and I’m caught between feeling ashamed that I don’t have more photos and being glad I stayed in the moment. But at least the below capture is a glimpse of its gorgeousness.
Until next time, Chicago.
A Weekend Trip to Chicago, Illinois from Leslie Musser on Vimeo.
Video editing by Altius Productions.
