Chicago!

Michael and I went on a vacation without our 3 little kids a few weeks ago. Thanks to our wonderful babysitters in Salt Lake who made it possible. We were gone 6 nights and the kids spent time with the Bensons, Grandma Kay and Grandpa Dennis, and Nana and Papa. It was so much fun! I love my kids, but sometimes it is nice to have time alone. Michael is a huge baseball fan, and I also enjoy watching baseball. One of his dreams is to visit every major league baseball stadium. So when we go to big cities we have to include baseball games. We flew into Milwaukee, Wisconsin and went to a Brewers game where they played the St. Louis Cardinals.



Miller Park was one of the coolest stadiums I have ever seen. It is covered with a roof but has windows and awesome lights. I could smell the grass and dirt because we were so close to the field. Our tickets were awesome! We sat on the first row along the third baseline. The Cardinals dugout was right in front of us. We could almost touch the players as they ran in and out.



I made eye contact with Albert Pujols, if Luke or Liza were there he would have thrown a ball to us. I actually did catch a ball thrown towards us but I gave it to the kid behind us because his dad said the player was throwing it to them. Even though I had the right to keep it I decided to give it to him because I felt stupid. It was an exciting game. The Brewers lost, but we also like the Cardinals. We didn't even leave our seats the whole game. I watched every pitch, it was very entertaining sitting that close. I thought it was one of the highlights of the trip. We then toured downtown Milwaukee and went to a science discovery museum and saw Lake Michigan.



We also went to the movies and saw Clash of the Titans in 3D and Date Night. It was nice not to pay a babysitter to go to a movie and just plan things as we went. Besides the baseball games we did not have plans set in stone. The next day we took the Amtrak train to Chicago. In Chicago we went to a White Sox game and Chicago Cubs game. The White Sox game was cold and windy but we had fun cuddling in the upper deck along the first baseline. It was opening day for the Cubs and it was crowded at Wrigley Field. There were probably 43,000 plus fans there, it was sold out and some fans had standing room only tickets. Our seats were in the outfield bleachers. It was also a fun game, the Cubs won. I must say they seem to have the best fans. We had a great time walking the streets of downtown Chicago and looking at all the buildings. We visited the Sky Deck in the Willis tower, formally the Sears tower. It is the tallest building in America. We had a fantastic night view of the whole city. Mike took some awesome pictures.



We also visited the John Hancock building during the day. There we enjoyed splendid views of the city and Lake Michigan.



We walked through Millennium park and to Navy Pier. The famous "Silver Bean" was quite the structure to see.



We walked down the Magnificent Mile on Michigan avenue which is world famous for shopping. Everyday we walked several miles, my feet got tired. The subway was very convenient and quickly got us to destinations beyond walking distance. Mike is an expert at navigating through the city. He always knew where we needed to go and never got lost. I just followed him and always felt safe. Sometimes I was cold, it is the windy city for a reason.



It was so fun to be with just Michael. I love our kids, but they can be a lot of work. I only had to take care of myself. We ate out at restaurants where our kids would not fit in. The subway and crowded streets would not have been conducive to children. It was a great place to visit without the kids, which is why we did it that way. Although sometimes we would say "oh the kids would like this." But ultimately it was much more fun without them. I am so glad that I enjoy spending time with my wonderful husband who is my best friend. It was a wonderful vacation and I loved having all that time to be with Michael. I can't wait for the next trip to somewhere fun!