Chicago: my continuing love affair with a city 6/29-6/30/09

I played hooky from work this past Monday and Tuesday to spend the day with my Chicago husband C and go to the Broadway in Chicago free Taste of Chicago concert. We got to see performances from Mary Poppins (fantastic), 101 Dalmatians (terrible), In the Heights and Girls vs Boys (both forgettable), Young Frankenstein (lots of fun) and Jersey Boys (predictably fun). Our friend Liz got us VIP tickets, we got to have a cheesecake tasting beforehand (it was the Taste of Chicago, after all), and made friends with a cute little gay couple who sat in front of us. Overall, for a free concert, it was a delightful time. Afterward, we wandered down the Mile so that I could pick up a new power cord for my laptop (thanks Sophie!) and then had dinner at Friday's.

The next morning, we wandered down south and had breakfast at Yolk (Tweet is closed on Tuesdays, and this was a fine substitute) and then wandered over to the Shedd so that I could see the newly Re-Imagined Oceanarium. We had a fine time there, and I can't wait to see the finished product when they get the new multi-species Oceanarium show going. We decided to go to the Art Institute of Chicago next so that we could see the new modern art wing (well, I think C wanted to go home, but I asked and he agreed - it's good to have a friend who is a member of all the museums in town). The new wing is gorgeous! If you haven't had a chance to make it there to see it yet, I highly recommend it. Even if you are not a fan of modern art, I would recommend visiting the new wing just to marvel at it's own beauty (even me, a huge supporter of the arts, can sometimes find modern art challenging - I mean, 5 pieces of plywood, nailed into a box, painted white and topped in beige carpet and labeled Bench does not a piece of artwork make). We wandered back to C's place and then back downtown so that I could catch the train. A quick dinner at Qdoba ended this adventure and I was on my way back home.

A quick trip this time, but still, as always, I love the city that much more. Here are some pics from the trip.


Photographic proof that C can have his picture taken without making a goofy face.


The view of Millennium Park from the new connecting bridge to the Modern Wing of the Art Institute.


Pictures from the Shedd.






A random shot from Michigan Ave right by the Hard Rock Hotel.



You'll have to excuse the quality of some of these pictures. Until my contract with AT&T is up in December and I qualify for the lesser price on the new iPhone 3GS, I have to suffer with the craptacular quality of these pictures from my phone.