Beauty on the Backroads

Stories of grace for life's unexpected turns

Travel

Chicago for two

One thing we’ve lacked since having kids is pictures of just the two of us. Our trip to Chicago helped fix that.

Here’s a few from the Garfield Park Conservatory.

OK, so that middle one is just me, but my husband likes it. It’s probably been since our honeymoon that he’s had a picture of just me.

This one is from the show room, full of poinsettias. The staff person who took this was so proud of herself for the framing of the photo. She eagerly offered to take our picture. We thank  you, whoever you are!

This next one is my favorite, I think.

We took the following picture at the Christkindlmarket because we’d seen The Nutcracker ballet the night before. We didn’t have a chance to take any good pictures when we saw the ballet because we almost missed it. Our dinner at Italian Village ran late, so we had to run (me in heels!) to the ballet. We made it as the usher was making the final seating call. We dropped into our seats almost as the lights were dimming. So glad we made it on time, even if I had trouble walking for the next couple of days. I’m glad we had the chance to get a picture with The Nutcracker, too.

The next ones are our shots in the “Bean.” It took us several tries to get these.

Great memories!

Chicago in winter

For a month or so, my husband has been planning a secret two-night getaway for just us while we’re home for the holidays. Only a week ago did he let slip (because of tiredness) our destination city — Chicago. He planned our entertainment, our lodging, our eating without any input from me. That was difficult at first, but the string of surprises was fun as we walked through the city. This post will be the first of four about our trip, including pictures and commentary about food, a photo page of us in Chicago, and my impressions of the Garfield Park Conservatory. Not since our honeymoon 3 1/2 years ago have we taken an overnight trip without children. Long overdue. Much needed.

We stayed at the Hyatt Regency because my husband found us a couldn’t-pass-it-up deal on Hotwire. My first overwhelming moment of the trip. We’re not exactly Hyatt material, in my mind, so I immediately felt out of place. I got over it and enjoyed the downtown views, the river traffic, the amenities. It was the perfect location for walking everywhere we needed to go.

Night and day views from our hotel room window:

Here’s some of what we saw on our three-day trip to Chicago:

The Christkindlmarket, a German Christmas celebration in Daley Plaza (above). It was this busy. And the nearby Chicago Christmas tree. We saw it at  night our first night in the city but didn’t have time to stop and take a picture.

Speaking of trees, check out this 10,000-light beauty at Macy’s.

We also strolled the street to read the “Yes, Virginia” window stories. I’d never done this before and was amazed that the construction was all made from paper and takes 35 weeks to complete!

Next stop after Macy’s was the Bean.

Our second evening, we saw “A Christmas Carol” at The Goodman Theatre.

My husband bought us box seat tickets, which was another surprise. Even though our view of some of the stage was obstructed, we felt super important sitting all by ourselves. We had an up-close view of most of the production, which was moving and captivating.

Hold on to your hats, ladies, when I tell you this next part: We spent two evenings in Chicago and the Bulls and the Blackhawks were playing each of those nights. Yet  my husband chose to take me to The Joffrey Ballet’s The Nutcracker one night and to “A Christmas Carol” on stage the next night. Some of his decision involved money and seating, but let me tell you, I felt loved and blessed. The ballet was breathtaking and stunning, something I’m not sure I would have chosen and expected to enjoy, but I loved it. And it’s been years since I’ve seen a professional stage production.

My husband knows me well, and he did a fantastic job planning our getaway.

If I wasn’t already, now I’m totally in the Christmas spirit. At every stop, since I didn’t know where we were going, my husband would stop and say, “Merry Christmas.” It’s definitely a Christmas to remember.