After a 9+ hour drive home yesterday, we officially hit the ground running this morning! Our school calendar grants us one week in mid-February to get away from it all. While some choose warm vacations, my guys prefer the slopes this time of year. Our trip was fantastic {more on our adventures later this week} but the coming home is ALWAYS the hardest part. I mean look at that blue sky and those fresh tracks!
I am still trying to master the art of {re} entry. What did I do this morning? I got the kids up a bit earlier than usual. This gave us more time to get all of the essential tasks complete. I filled their tummies with gooey cinnamon rolls. While vacation is over, it is nice to have one last decadent treat to ease back into normal life. Lastly, I reassured Little Man that returning to school/work is hard for everyone. To go from skiing all day with your buddies to sitting all day at a desk is a tough transition. A quick kiss and a reminder to “BE GREAT” and they were out the car door.
It usually takes a few days for life to return to normal. What are your tricks to easing back into real life?
I seriously fell in love with Chicago. A direct, mid-morning flight from Seattle got us to the Windy City in time for cocktail hour. We explored the city by foot, taxi, train, and boat! We took the Blue Line into the city from the airport. For $5 it was a total bargain and kicked off a weekend of adventure. It was great to walk Chicago because it was totally flat! I felt like we could walk for miles and miles-which we probably did! I highly recommend the Architecture Boat Tour on the Chicago River. The 90-minute tour provided excellent history and stories regarding the buildings, the architects, and the city itself! My favorite building was the Chicago Tribune building [sadly, I don’t have a picture!]. The food was outstanding. We ate late [since we were on rock star- I mean Pacific time]. Dining with a party of 8 can be a challenge, but we had excellent service and outstanding food! One evening at a tapas bar we ordered the entire left side of the menu. We were having so much fun, decisions were easy. It was a luxury to travel with dear friends, dress up, dine out, stay up late, and have little [well, actually no] responsibilities.
We ate well, slept little and laughed heartily. The deep dish pizza, 4am closing, and social media may have got the best of me-but the trip was fantastic. I wasn’t fully recovered until Wednesday. Thank you, thank you, thank you Chicago! I will be back.
Stay::
Fairmont @ Millennium Park Centrally located just a few blocks from the Chicago River and Michigan Avenue. It was an easy walk to Millennium Park [home of The Bean] and The Art Institute of Chicago.
Xoco Mexican done right by Rick Bayless [none of us knew how to pronounce it….we were told it was “cho-co”]. Casual dining. My favorite was the Guacamole Bar [add mix-ins] and fresh to order churros!
Giordano’s Home to the famous stuffed pizza. Death by cheese, but oh so right! Can’t go wrong. [They also offered gluten-free thin crust.]
The Gage Great place to grab a drink and something to eat before the game. I loved the interior. Felt like old school, Chicago [what ever that is!].
Play::
Divvy Bikes All over the city we saw racks and racks of awesome blue bikes. It was a bike share program. Too cool!
We are off! My husband and I are headed for a long weekend in Chicago. And the party starts as soon as we back out of the drive way. If you travel with kids, you know exactly what I am talking about! Without them, everything is 100% easier. [I have almost missed flights when traveling alone. I am too darn relaxed.] My carry on has earphones, a new book, a couple of magazines and my camera. THAT’S it! I don’t need to worry about snacks or on-board entertainment. I won’t need to light a fire under anyone’s ass. We simply drive to the airport, breeze through security, sit back, relax and arrive just in time for cocktail hour in Illinois. The plan is to eat, drink, and take in the city from ground and water. We can’t wait!
Have a wonderful weekend. See you back here Monday! xoxo-denise
{This someecard created by moi! I couldn’t help myself.}
In just a few weeks, my husband and I {sans children} are headed to Chicago for a long weekend. We are traveling to watch our beloved Huskies play at Soldier Field. It has been 15 years since I was last in Chicago. I remember loving the city, so I am more than excited to be going again. There will plenty of time to eat, shop and drink! Where should we go? If you know Chicago, I would love and need your suggestions. Where should we eat dinner, grab brunch, shop for a great pair of shoes, and stumble in for last call?
Our family was lucky enough to spend three days rafting the Snake River through Hells Canyon. It is North America’s deepest river gorge at 7,993 feet. Yes, that is deeper than the Grand Canyon. It’s beauty is undeniable. I found myself looking up with my mouth dropped open for much of our time on the river.
The 3 day trip through class 4 rapids and over 30 miles of river was a guided by experts from Mountain River Outfitters. MRO gets 5 stars in every category. Simply top notch. We were joined by two other families-for a total of 6 adults and 6 kids ranging in age from 6 to 10. [An extremely kind German couple booked the trip at the last minute and were a great addition to our group. Lucky them, right?] Just prior to our trip I was nervous about taking my young boys, especially my 46 pound little man. Once we were through our first set of rapids, I knew I had worried for nothing and purely enjoyed the rest of our time on the river.
We arrived in Riggins, ID [population 424] the day before our trip. After a sleepless night {for me} and an early wake up, we left the hotel at 6am. We had a four-hour drive [in a large passenger van] to the launch point just below Hells Canyon Dam. The weather was amazing-hot and sunny! Armed with sunscreen, a camera, our dry bags and courage…we pushed off.
We witnessed a ton of white water, paddling and adrenalin! Right away. (more…)
