This weekend I got to travel to Chicago with Jackie and have an awesome moms trip!  We stayed in a great hotel downtown with a beautiful view and that first night I got a few pictures of downtown after checking in.  The next morning we went on an architecture boat tour down the river and saw a lot of amazing buildings and even a bridge opening as we went past.  We walked to Millennium Park to see Cloud Gate (aka the bean) and had Chicago hot dogs in the park for lunch.  We walked the park until we found the Buckingham Fountain and a little cafe beside it to have a beer.  We got cleaned up for dinner on the rooftop of the Conrad Hotel with drinks at their bourbon bar before.  The next day we walked north on Magnificent Mile to the Oak Street Beach.  We took the Red Line to the Harold Washington Library and saw their winter garden on the top floor.  Then back to enjoy the sun at the beach and for me to rent a take-and-drop bike and ride 6 miles up the lakeshore.  We had Gino’s Chicago deep dish pizza that night and it was delicious!  I walked the Magnificent Mile south and ended up on the RiverWalk and found some unusual riverside hot spots including a Frost franchise!  I then walked back and joined Jackie for ice cream at Ghirardelli.  The next morning I got up early to have a 10 mile bike ride of the southern lakeside trail.  I also rode the entire Navy Pier.  After a shower, Jackie and I took the train to Chinatown and after some shopping we had amazing Dim Sum at MingHin.  We went to the Museum of Contemporary Art which was largely a bust except the very interesting fan with light.  That night we got dressed up to have dinner at Maple and Ash, a truly incredible Chicago steakhouse.  It was a spectacular trip in a vibrant city with Jackie!