My “nothing planned” day turned into a pretty great day. I did a lot of walking (again) but also made a few fun stops along the way. Had I chosen a different dinner restaurant, the day would have been even better.
But first, breakfast. Lou Michell’s is a Chicago institution, having been in business for nearly 100 years. It is your typical greasy spoon/diner atmosphere, with traditional breakfast food to match. I walked the mile and a half from my hotel and settled into a table on their small outdoor patio, but not before snapping a few photos of the old school lunch counter inside. I was soon gifted with an orange wedge and heavenly donut hole… golden and crispy on the outside with a melt-in-your-mouth traditional cake on the inside. Not enough people appreciate the often overlooked breakfast appetizer. My eggs Benedict was unremarkable, but it provided necessary sustenance for the rest of the morning.
Following breakfast, I made a 5 mile loop through Grant Park, down to the Adler Planetarium (amazing views of the Chicago skyline!), and back to Navy Pier along the Lakefront Trail. It was cool and breezy when I set out from the hotel this morning, but by the time I arrived at Navy Pier, it was hot and I was drenched in sweat.
The perfect antidote for the heat? Sailing on Lake Michigan. When I was looking at my walking route during breakfast, I saw something intriguing on Google Maps. A quick online search and I had my next activity planned: an 11AM sail on Lake Michigan aboard the Tall Ship Windy. The lake had a nice breeze and an even nicer view of the Chicago skyline. Did you know that the city of Chicago has more than 20 miles of shoreline? I couldn’t believe how far the tall skyscrapers stretched along the lake!
My next stop was one I knew I needed to make before leaving Chicago, and I was running out of time. A trip to The Northman Beer and Cider Garden on the Chicago Riverwalk was in order. Drinking on an empty stomach never works for me, so I grabbed a container of house Munch Mix to accompany my Northman Rosé and picked a seat at a bar stool overlooking the river. The constant stream of leisure boats mixed with sightseeing boats and kayaks provided some quiet entertainment as I enjoyed my afternoon snack.
I went back to my hotel to rest for a while and freshen up before heading out for dinner at Au Cheval in the West Loop. I had high expectations for an upscale diner which purportedly has the best burger in town. Arriving shortly before 5PM, I had to wait over an hour for a table. Even then, it was an outdoor table, which I would have been happy with if it was slightly cooler than 87 degrees at the time. Suffice it to say, this was not another amazing Chicago dinner. I have no idea what the hype is about because I only managed about half the burger and it was really nothing special. Lucky for me, Jeni’s Splendid Ice Cream has an outpost just up the street and a scoop of Gooey Butter Cake ice cream made up for my disappointing dinner.
After dinner and dessert, it was one last walk along the Riverwalk on the way back to my hotel. Tomorrow it’s on to part 2 of vacation!
Traveling with Laura 