Because Tom frequently travels to Chicago, we decided that our family vacation would be to Chicago this year. That way we could mooch in on his free hotel, per diem, and one paid for plane ticket. The kids had never been on a plane before nor had they ever been to a big city, so they were super excited to go on this trip. I was a bit nervous because I was going to have to entertain them for four days while Tom worked (and that seemed like a lot of work for me).
Thankfully, my long-time friend Nikki, lived in Chicago and had four boys the same ages as my kids. She also had the whole four days planned out for us, which was fabulous! She made my vacation actually feel like a vacation and not just a “relocation”. The first day we went out to Morton Arboretum. This place was great! It had numerous playgrounds, trees to climb, water to play in, a giant hedge maze, and then we went to find giant trolls that someone so creatively made out of wood. It was so much fun! I was completely exhausted by the end of the day.
Me and Nikki in front of a troll….
The next day, the kids and I took the water taxi down to China Town. I wasn’t sure how the kids would like it, but they loved it. We ate dumplings and then had some rolled up ice cream. They enjoyed it so much that we took Tom back down there on Friday.
On Wednesday, we went to the zoo with Nikki and three of her boys. After the zoo, we headed back to Nikki’s and hung out there for another THREE hours! I thought that the kids would get tired of each other, but they never did. It was such a blessing!
Thursday was beach day. I had never put my feet in Lake Michigan, so this was a first for me. The kids swam in water and played in the sand. It was like a beach at the ocean, but better…no sharks, jelly fish, or giant waves.
Friday was Tom’s birthday! We took the water taxi back down to China Town for more ice cream.
One great thing about being away from home was that the kids hardly ever fought or argued. They loved being together and were super silly most of the time….especially in Uber rides.
For dinner we went to the Rainforest Cafe. We had a great dinner and got some silly hats to bring home.
Saturday was our last day. We went to the top of the Hancock building to have a drink and enjoy the view. I am not a fan of heights and this actually made me a bit woozy. It is amazing how high up one building can be. If you ever go to the Hancock building, go into the ladies bathroom, it has the BEST view!
I am so thankful that we were able to have such a fun week together. We spent lots of quality time together doing new and exciting things. Tom wasn’t with us during the day, but we did see him at night for some Corn Hole, Shark Week TV, snacks in the hotel lounge, dinners out, and fun on the weekends. I am also thankful for such a fun and carefree friend like Nikki. She made the vacation so much more fun for us all! Thanks Nikki!
All in all, a fabulous Dressler adventure!