Blown Away by Navy Pier

Saturday in the Windy City and it looked like it was going to be sunny and in the mid-'70s.  That meant only one thing - Navy Pier and a walk down the Magnificent Mile.  Having lived in Illinois for many years, I have trod the Magnificent Mile plenty of times but this was my first trip to Navy Pier.  This is mostly because I left the state before the Pier became what it is today - 50 acres of parks, restaurants, exhibits, and attractions.  As we were walking up the first thing spotted was the giant wheel which everyone declared was a must.  Heading over, we got sidetracked by the giant chair and the need to sit...

We made it to the wheel and those of us not deathly afraid of heights got in line while the others waited below soaking up the sun.  Which was necessary because that wind off of Lake Michigan is no joke.

We needed to get two cars.  This is my attempt at a photo of those in car 2 from our group...

Uncle C also snapped this...

We got some pretty cute kids in our car too.

 

And there are a few of the rest of us having some popcorn while they wait on the bench.

The Pier.

That skyline...and you can start to see the dark clouds rolling in.

The kids spotted the swings from the wheel and we promised them a ride.  But not before getting them all sweatshirts.  Did I mention that wind that the Windy city is named for?

P (sitting with MadHatter) is deathly afraid of heights.  The kids talked him into this.  And that smile is nervous as all get out.

Love a good reflection shot.

By now the sky was threatening rain.  So much for the sun and 70s they forecasted.  But, having grown up in the midwest, it was not unexpected by any of us.  The weather can change on a dime.  We decided to ditch our walk on the Magnificent Mile and hightailed it to our cars.

We did not make it!  Those of us without hoods stayed behind and sought cover while the others sprinted ahead to get to the garage.  Grampa came back and picked up Nana, Spike and I and off we went in search of dry clothes at the hotel.

Still gorgeous even in the rain.

Dry clothes secured.  And just in time for dinner.  And since the kids had never had deep dish pizza we knew exactly what was on the menu.  What is Deep Dish, you ask?  Well, as the name suggests the crust is very deep creating a pizza that looks more like a pie than a flat pizza.  But that doesn't mean it is thick crust pizza.  Traditional Chicago deep-dish is a thin crust with a thick, thick layer of toppings including a chunky tomato sauce and layers upon layers of cheese.  And because of its longer baking time, which would cause the cheese to burn if put on top, the ingredients are assembled upside-down from a traditional pizza.  Mouth watering good! 

And the girls agreed!

Look at all of that cheesy goodness!

A balloon lady even came by and made swords and animals for the kids.

Stuffed, we headed back to the hotel for a nightcap where MadHatter decided that her Uncle C needed to update his hairstyle.  And then proceeded to do this for the better part of half of an hour (he is a pretty good sport).

It was getting late, and we had a very early taxi ride in the morning, so we bid everyone goodnight and farewell.  It surely was a whirlwind weekend and we will have to get back to Chicago soon to sight see with the girls but it was so worth it.  It was fun introducing my kids to my home state.  And on the way home I got to introduce them to one of my other favorites from when I lived in North Carolina (we went through the Charlotte airport) - Bojangles.  The best chicken and biscuits around!

Until next time Midwest!  I'm sure we will see you again soon.