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!