One Long Day

I have a Type A personality. I planned every single detail of my trips before. I made itineraries on spreadsheets. It looked like Google Calendar before I knew what Google Calendar looked like. I wanted to seize every travel opportunity because I felt like I only had one shot. I felt like it was the only time I'd get to visit. I felt like I needed to do all the touristy things.

On this trip, I only had a handful of things on my agenda. The rest was day by day. When Christina's family came to visit, they had an itinerary not unlike what I used to do. There was a lot to do and see today and I was along for the ride.

First, breakfast. Christina's niece picked Wildberry Pancakes and Cafe, which is just north of Millenium Park. They don't take reservations and whole parties must be present to be seated. We had a party of 11 on a Saturday morning. I helped Diana park because the garage I chose had an entrance on the lower level of the street, which was tricky to find.

They quoted us a 2-hour wait, but we only waited about an hour. The heat was back in Chicago, so it was a rough wait. We got seated and I asked for a recommendation from the host. He had a very detailed answer for a savory dish and I liked the honest answer. I ordered the churro french toast, which was the last thing he suggested. Breakfast was delicious. I only wish this place had mimosas.

On my way out, Luisa stopped me for a second. Then I saw it. Christina was talking to the host and getting his number. Oh dear me oh my. There are scarier things in life, but in that moment, I was so nervous. I wasn't ready. She got it, so I texted him. It's like ripping off a bandaid. You dread it, but after you do it, it's not so scary. I got some cool backstory. He was nice, probably way too young for me, but you'll be an interesting character in a story one day.

After breakfast, we headed for the boat tour. Summer of George was a smaller company, a smaller boat, but it had a better bar. It's all in the presentation. They give buckets to hold large orders. They sold cocktails in pouches. Of course they "sell out" of the smaller pouch, so you must get the big $20 pouch. I got Jameson and gingerale and sipped it throughout the rest of the boat ride. It was most refreshing in the hot sun. The tour guide was far superior than the guide on our Mercury cruise. He sounded passionate, knew what he was talking about, and landed his jokes.

@jmeprcn

Part 1/4 of the day - drink pouches 😍 ##summerofgeorge ##chicago ##boattour

♬ Summertime - DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince

I thought we would have down time at the chicondo before dinner, but since we were in Wicker Park, we stuck around. Just one drink, we said. Whiskey Business had a cool vibe, but lots of people. The rooftop patio was nice, but it was just too hot to be out there. So, we hung out on the ground floor indoors. After the first round, we were going to move outdoors but the server told us it was about to rain. Rain? I was just up there sweating in the hot sun. Where did the rain come from. Oh, the humidity. Right. That's a thing here.

@jmeprcn

Part 2/4 - Refreshments ##whiskeybusiness ##wickerpark ##chicagoland

♬ Rain On Me - Lady Gaga & Ariana Grande

It started to pour. We watched the rain through the windows. I was grateful to be indoors and sitting at the table. I found myself seated at the table next to our group, where a guy was sitting there by himself. His friends had run across the street just before the rain. As the rain died down, he went to get himself another drink at the bar and offered me one. I politely declined, but what a nice offer. While he was gone, his friends came back. I asked the friends to give my regards, and we left because our parking was about to expire.

Christina and I had 15 minutes to get ready for dinner. I took a quick shower and redid my makeup. I wore the nicest dress that I packed. We left after 30 minutes. We meant to uber so that we could bar hop in peace after dinner, but the driver canceled on us, so nevermind.

Dinner at BLVD Steakhouse was a lot of fun. Our waiter was fantastic, as was the food. I was especially impressed with the kids menu. I didn't know fancy places offered things like that. It always feels like kids are strongly discouraged at steak houses, but this one was welcoming.

@jmeprcn

Part 3/4 - Fancy dinner ##blvdsteakhouse ##chicagovlog ##marvelousmrsmaisel

♬ Someone in the Crowd - Soundwave Touch

The plan was to take the kids to Navy Pier after dinner, but Johnny called and told us it was super crowded. So everyone headed home. Christina and I had just gotten on the freeway when Johnny called us back. Parking was a nightmare, but the pier itself wasn't terrible. Since they were all already there, we turned around and met up with them.

Wanting to avoid the crowded parking, we parked by the park. I hailed a pedi-cab and he took us to Navy Pier. It was an incredible ride. Christina had been wanting to ride one. The breeze felt great. The carriage had LED lights. We got to control the music. It was a good time. It was an expensive time at $25 per person, but oh well.

@jmeprcn

Bonus ##pedicab music video because it was so much fun and we had ##multicam action ##digitalgetdown ##tourists ##nsync ##boybandwars

♬ Digital Get Down - *NSYNC

Fireworks from the pier were nice to see and it was a nice way to spend the day. All in all, it was a day filled with good company and good events.

@jmeprcn

Part 4/4 - Pedicab ##navypier ##fireworks ##coolforthesummer ##onvacation

♬ Cool for the Summer - Demi Lovato