So I like to document our trips...here goes with our trip to Chicago!
We got in late July 3rd and didn't hit the road until the 4th(fiasco with the rental car).
A little clarification about the people we saw...any Friedman is actually Mark's bro-in-law's family, so no relation, but Mark has known them all for a long time and we know the families here in AZ very well.
We were able to stay with the Friedman parents (Norb and Judy) and had the whole basement to ourselves. They were very gracious hosts. We were also able to borrow Kenny Friedman's convertible Mustang...the boys had a blast!! My hair, not so much :)
Monday-We drove around and saw Mark's old house and other childhood places. Did a little shopping at Gurnee Mills outlet. Stopped at Viking Park and let the boys run free! Oh the beauty of the grass and majestic trees. Made a stop at Kenny's house, he has a basement made for boys! Old pinball, video games, pool table, etc. We ate dinner at a hamburger and shake place and then went to a local ballpark for some awesome fireworks.
Tues-Headed to downtown Chicago and saw a few points of interest, giant silver bean, Willis Tower, etc. Ate lunch at Gino's East pizzeria known for their deep dish pizza. They let you write all over the walls, furniture, etc. Trey got on Mark's shoulders and wrote on one of the wood beams. Let Trey pick out a few early Bday gifts and then headed back north. We stopped at Viking Park again for a softball game featuring Kenny and Jeff (another Friedman).
Wed-A day set aside for Mark's family. We ate lunch with his Aunt Alice and Uncle Chuck. It was just a little restaurant, but I got the largest blintzes known to mankind! We stopped by their place for a little visit. Rode a paddle boat around a little lake and walked around a mall to kill time before dinner. Dinner was at Mark's cousin Kari's house. We were able to see her, her husband Gregg and their 2 kids Ava and Cameron, Mark's Aunt Elaine, Uncle Charley, Uncle Gary and Aunt Marie. We had a great visit with them. Sure wish they lived closer as they are some of the only ties left to Mark's father.
Thurs-6 Flags Great America...crazy rides and crazy lines! Enough said...
Fri-We drove down to Triton University where Mark went for a few years and Mark's dad taught. Ate lunch at Gene and Jude's (hot dogs) and then took the train downtown for a White Sox game. Game was ok, hey what can I say about baseball?? Only fun when they hit a home run. They did have the best fireworks show I have ever seen after the game.
Sat-Took a tour of Jelly Belly and got candy. Went to a movie and had dinner at Quonset pizza with Norb, Judy and Kenny.
Sun-Relaxed, walked around the "beach" aka lake, drove around some more and had Giordano's pizza (best deep dish in my opinion).
Mon-Huge storm hit the surrounding areas and knocked down trees and power lines. It was very hard to get around as tons of traffic lights were out and streets were closed. The amount of tree debris was unbelievable. The boys were finally able to fish in the little pond behind the house...Trey caught 22 and Coby caught 1.
Tues-Trey's Bday! The big 10! We had to drive around to find a Dunkin Donuts that was open for his breakfast of choice. We only found one attached to a gas station, so we had a picnic in the grass of the gas station. We took a walk out on a pier at the "beach". He really wanted Joe's Crab shack but it had no power so he had to settle for Red Lobster. He was able to do some more fishing at a different pond. Norb and Judy grilled dinner for us and we made a cake for him.
Wed-Made our way back home. Stopped at a cheese place in Wisconsin for some cheese curds before the airport.
All in all the trip was great! We had planned on going back downtown on Tues., but according to the news the traffic delay was 3 hours because of the power outage. Guess we will just have to plan for another trip back soon!
