There are so many things for all ages and genders to love in Chicago, but being that we were seeing it through the eyes of our 2 boys this time made me realize what a great trip it is for boys especially! Here are a few reasons why, in no particular order...
1. The Cloud Gate
Also known as "the Bean," the Cloud Gate sculpture is really fun for everyone. Adults walk underneath like kids, looking up in awe and not paying attention to where they are going, lie down along the edge to get a picture, and kids just blend right in. It's a place where everyone acts a little silly, enthralled with their own reflections, and imaginations run wild!
2. Maggie Daley Park
I thought the boys would enjoy a walk over the BP "Bridge to Nowhere," only we were pleasantly surprised to discover that it no longer leads to nowhere! At the other end now lies an incredible new park with one of the coolest playgrounds we've ever seen. Being a Saturday morning it was pretty chaotic there, but wow did our boys have FUN!!
3. Gino's East
Where else will your kids be allowed to draw on the walls and even the furniture?! Even with seriously over tired boys, we managed to wait the usual 45 minutes it takes to bake a genuine Chicago deep dish pizza without any meltdowns. The boys got crayons almost immediately upon entry, colored their placemats, had some cheesy bread, explored the upper level, rode the elevator, left their marks on the walls, and waited for their pizza without asking for my phone to play games!
4. Transportation Galore
Planes, Trains and Automobiles never fail to catch the boys' attention. We took a Taxi for our first ride but quickly switched to Uber as they are a fraction of the cost and so much nicer. The boys get excited over all forms of transportation, so even a cab ride was fun! They perked up and forgot about their tired feet whenever the El train passed by, and likened the tiny cars from our skyscraper views to their Hot Wheels tracks back home...
5. Fire Trucks
The first morning we awoke to find our boys hiding between the curtains and the window quietly whispering "WOAH!" and "Oooooh, did you SEE that?!" After we rolled out of bed they told us they were watching a truck on fire, being put out by fire fighters! Later we found out that they were actually filming a scene for Chicago Fire right outside our hotel. Pretty cool for little fire truck fans!!
6. Navy Pier
The first thing the boys wanted to do when we woke up the first day was ride the Ferris wheel! Yeah, I know it's a total tourist trap, but still worth a stroll through. We must have gotten some sort of early bird special by accident because our $7/person entry to the Ferris Wheel ended up being a pass worth 2 rides each. So, the boys got to go on a couple other rides as well! What little boy doesn't love being hurled through the air on swings?! It's definitely a fun and unique way to enjoy an amazing open air view of the city from up high.
7. Lego Towers
The boys loved going up in the Hancock Observatory (now 360 Chicago) and the Willis Tower Skydeck! They were really impressed with the giant Lego models of each building that were there, too....
8. Heights and Spying from Above
Besides just enjoying the amazing views from above, we had fun being spies and zooming in on stuff the boys wanted to investigate with my camera. On the left is a photo of the beach, viewed from the Hancock Tower, where we noticed that someone had written a marriage proposal in the sand! The image in the center is of some prisoners playing basketball on the rooftop exercise yard of the Metropolitan Correctional Center. The far right the boys got their thrills stepping out on the sky deck!
9. Construction and Danger
Wherever you walk there is bound to be some ordinary Chicago occurrence that will fascinate little boys. Here we had fun watching a window washer at work, as well as a jackhammer tearing up the street. Our boys never grow tired of heavy equipment, noise, dirt and danger! If you can catch the lift bridges opening up, it's sure to be a hit.
There are a lot of great museums in Chicago...
- The Museum of Science and Industry
- The Art Institute of Chicago
- Museum of Contemporary Art
- The Field Museum of Natural History
- Adler Planetarium
- Chicago Childrens Museum
- Shedd Aquarium
- Peggy Notebaere Nature Museum
...and many more...
The only one we had time to hit in our short trip this time was the Art Institute of Chicago. Sam was really excited to see so many familiar paintings and favorite artists! He happens to have an AMAZING art teacher and told me all sorts of fun facts about particular paintings and artists that even I never learned in my years of college art history classes. Their armor exhibit was a hit with the boys too!
11. Lincoln Park Zoo
I grabbed a ride via Uber with the boys to the Lincoln Park Zoo while Daddy was working, and it was great! Unfortunately we got there shortly before closing, so we didn't have a ton of time. The great thing about this zoo though is that it is FREE, so you don't have to feel like you need to cram every square foot in on one visit to get your money's worth.
The zoo was really beautiful and manageable for us on foot. After the hour or so that we had there, they were tired and ready for dinner so we tried one last, great Chicago pizza place: Giordano's!
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| Giordano's was my favorite pizza...but Gino's was my favorite crust. Both amazing! |
All in all it was a GREAT trip and the boys can't wait to go back! To top it off, we even managed to weave in some requirements for Sam to earn a travel related Cub Scout "belt loop!"
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