Trip to the Windy City - Day 1

After seven months in the area, it was time for a trip to new territory. Several days of debating and Web searching later, we had tickets for a whirlwind tour of Chicago, followed by a special trip that I'll let Mama Geek write about. Some incredibly generous relatives of Mama Geek let us take up temporary residence in their spectacular condo right near Navy Pier (Direct quote from The World Traveling Geek Girl: "This is awesome!" Daddy Geek: "Holy ----!"), and we got to enjoy the High Life (the condo was on the 27th floor)...

Our first day started with this great sunrise over Lake Michigan:


and after getting organized, we took the CTA to breakfast at the Bongo Room (huuuuuuuuge pancakes in multiple exotic flavors, plus darn good coffee). We then waddled off to the Field Museum (free on Thursdays!), where Geek Girl met Sue:


and spent some time practicing palaeontology in the Crown Family PlayLab:

(which also has a great music room where you can make as much noise as you like with taiko drums and other percussion instruments, among other things). We spent a few hours at the museum, going through the evolution and geology exhibits in addition to the Play Lab - very definitely worthwhile.

And now, a word from Geek Girl: "I got a toy T-rex and I named her Sue, Jr. after Sue. Mama gave me the money and I put it in a machine that made Sue, Jr. out of plastic. She's red and stands on a stand. The stand says 'T-rex' on one side and 'Field Museum Chicago' on the other side. The machine that makes Sue is called Mold-o-rama." (That's because it uses injection molded plastic to make the figurines.)

From the Field Museum, we had a great view of part of the skyline, including our next destination off to the left:


Mama Geek and I stopped off at a vendor for Chicago-style hot dogs and bratwurst, and then we walked along the lake and through Grant Park toward the Willis (formerly-known-as-Sears) Tower, stopping off for a bit of artwork (and donuts) along the way:

Geek Girl takes Sue, Jr. to meet Calder's Flamingo

Our online searching had said that the Willis Tower Sky Deck line could take a really long time, but I guess visiting on a mid-November Thursday has its benefits: no line for us! After a quick elevator ride, we stepped off at the 103rd floor to a spectactular early evening view of Chicago below:

(The condo is somewhere in that picture, but it's hard to see...).

Geek Girl the World Traveler had the following reaction: "It's just like Google Earth with 3D buildings -- only we're really there!" Yes, she spends too much time on the computer.

The Willis Tower has added an innovation since the last time I was there -- "The Ledge", a series of four glass boxes that stick out of the building, so you can stand inside the box and take pictures past your feet straight down through 103 floors of air:

(note Sue, Jr. in between my feet and Mama Geek's feet). Mama Geek and Geek Girl had no trouble stepping out there. I, on the other had, had to convince several hundred thousand years of evolution that I wasn't going to fall through the floor. Ultimately intellect won over instinct. (Or more correctly: Daddy Geek can't let Geek Girl think he's a wuss.)

We spent an hour or so up there, and then it was time to head to the Art Institute, which was also free(!) on this Thursday evening. Geek Girl liked the lions in front:


and we all enjoyed a brief trip through the Impressionist exhibits. Geek Girl's review of A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte: "It was so cool! The silly pet monkey was the best part, and I liked the dog running in front of the monkey. It's cool that it was painted with just tiny dots!" She was also interested in Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec's mark that he used to sign his paintings, which led to us drawing similar ones for The Geeks.

At this point, Geek Girl's battery was definitely running low, so we cut short the visit and headed off for Chicago-style pizza before crashing back at the condo. We had a great time - a fun but very full day.