Thursday, September 5, 2013

The Bogerts 'Do' Chicago, Day Two


On our second day in Chicago, we got an early start and headed to the famous Navy Pier.


The pier is pretty much just a tourist mall with lots of fun family-oriented things to do, but it's free to visit, and we had the Go Select Deal that got us tickets for the rides and attractions.


I'll have you know, I dominated at Put Put. I guess my Wii Golf skills are finally paying off or perhaps I was a master of distraction.


Obviously where there is a pier, there are boats, and that's where we set sail  for our Architecture River Cruise. It may sound boring, but there is no way you could have a bad time out on the Chicago River. You feel so small as you glide past the massive buildings, and the history is quite humbling.



At this point, you can bet that our feet were ready for a break, and Divvy Bikes came to the rescue. They have stations all over the city where you can access bikes for 24 hours at only $7. We were seriously ridin' in style. Even if it took me a minute to catch my balance.

Then it was time to get ready for Date Night! It was time to dress up, check out a swanky restaurant, and stay out past dark.

Will found an awesome place called The Gage that advertised "upscale comfort food", and they definitely delivered on that. We loved the ambiance, the service was great, and the food was scrumptious. If you are into "American food with Global influences" {anything from fresh made sausages, fish & chips, and lots of Brie}, then you will be quite impressed.

From there it was a hunt to find the best night skyline view in the city. Everyone had a different suggestion, so we narrowed it down to two. The first was the Roof at The Wit, which Travel and Leisure calls "One of three top rooftop lounges in the world". We agreed that the place seemed fabulous and could see why it turns into a hot spot on the weekends, but short of getting a table on the perimeter, you couldn't see as much as we'd hoped.

 The second suggestion we actually received from our River Tour Guide, and she was on the money. I would never have thought to go hang out in a Holiday Inn lounge, but it was perfect. The aptly named Cityscape Bar sits right on the Chicago River, and gives you a much wider range of view than any other building. Plus the drink specials were a helluva lot cheaper than anywhere else we had been.

We stayed up sufficiently past our bed time, so it was back to the hotel. I may have been wearing a dress, but we still used our bike passes!

Chicago is a magical city, but after seeing it at night, we had a whole new appreciation for it. I can also say that we were comfortable enough to get around at night without feeling like we were going to get jumped. When people try to talk you out of going to Chicago because it's 'dangerous', don't listen to them. Don't miss out on an amazing part of our country because of some misguided fears, which I will follow up with tomorrow.

Ciao for now!


21 comments:

Pamela said...

B-E-A-UTIFUL pictures! You look great :) I haven't been on a bike since I were little, so I prob would not have good balance at first either, ha! Can't beat that price though!

Jamie said...

GAH! Youre so pretty!

Miss Rachel M. said...

I love Chicago! The last time I went was for a family member's wedding and aside from some delicious pizza, we really didn't get to explore much!

I am bookmarking and committing to memory your essentials list for my next visit, which will hopefully be soon!

Love the dress by the way!!

Sami said...

Love the bikes that is such an awesome idea.. plus you get a little exercise in so it's a 2 for 1! Glad you loved your trip :)

Nikki said...

I can't wait to go back to Chicago!

Nicole said...

Love it! I always like getting recommendations for places to go from the local people-they always know the best places to go!

Jamie Hart said...

Wow! You guys know how to take over a city! When we went to Chicago, we didn't get to do half the things you guys did because we went for Oprah (I guess I shouldn't whine too much, I did get to be on her show!).. I would love to go back and see the Navy Pier! My hair is almost as long as yours and I need you to give me lessons on how to function with it down! I'm constantly aggravated with sitting on it and it getting in my way but you pull it off fabulously! You two look great!

Kathryn B said...

Sounds like a great trip! I went to school about two-three hours away and I never made it to Chicago and really wish I had. Hopefully one day I will get there! :) Glad you guys had a great trip!!!!

Kenzie Smith said...

Seriously how fun are you two! I love that you guys are going out and showcasing Chicago :D You two are such a gorgeous couple!

Rebecca @ Highs and Humdrum said...

I may have to add Chicago to the list of places I want to visit in the US. I love the look of it from your photos and skyline view you had, wow!

Kelly said...

Gorgeous pics!

Fran @ Sassy Southern Bride said...

I LOVE these pics! Two weeks from today I will be in Chicago for the first time and I absolutely CANNOT wait.

Cece @Mahogany Drive said...

Riding bikes in a new city on vacation. I've never done that yet and need to. How fun. I haven't been miniature golf in forever. I think it would be fun to do it again. Glad you enjoyed Chi Town.

♥ ♥ Just a Girl in Love w/ a Soldier ♥ ♥ said...

Im loving reading your recap on Chicago. I hope I can go back one day and see more of the city!!! Looks like you two have had a wonderful time and really made the most of your time there!!!

My-cliffnotes said...

So fun I used to live there!!! The last couple pic is soo cute too! Frame it!

Eights on the Move said...

Hey girl! New follower here & fellow military spouse :) Can't wait to read more from you!

- Ashley @ http://eightsonthemove.blogspot.com

Courtney B said...

The Navy Pier is so pretty! And what a perfect day!! It looks like you two had SO much fun!

Rach said...

I love that you rode a bike in that dress! You two are so beautiful together... seriously if you ever had a kid, the world may not be able to handle it cuteness! Glad you loved Chi-town! :)

Nicole said...

I absolutely LOVE Chicago. You're right, there's no reason to feel like you'll get jumped. We actually stayed at The Wit when we stayed there. Never ventured up to the roof though.

Kim said...

Those bikes are so cool! :)

Emily @ Martinis | Bikinis said...

The Navy Pier looks gorgeous! I definitely want to go visit there and walk around.

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