surprise getaway

A few weeks into summer Greek, I starting thinking of something I could do for Dave as a reward for finishing Greek. There was only one week between the end of Greek and the beginning of the semester so I thought a small getaway would be nice. I was able to get a couple of days off work during the week which worked out perfectly.

After a quick trip to Indiana, I told Dave what his surprise was. We hopped on the "L" and headed downtown for the night.

I used Priceline to get us a great deal on a hotel room.  It was so nice!

We were on the 30th floor overlooking the river and Michigan Avenue. What a great view!

Even though we got there late, the whole city does not shut down at 9 p.m. like other places we have lived. ;) It was so strange to be out so late, and to see so many other people out too! We found a great Mexican restaurant and enjoyed a late dinner.

On the walk back, we found Sprinkles Cupcakes. Dave had heard before that they had a vending machine for cupcakes! We just had to try it and enjoyed a yummy red velvet cupcake when we got back to the hotel. It was very, very good!  

We slept in the next morning and that was great! We both were in need of some serious sleep with no alarm!

One of Dave's lifelong dreams (well maybe not) has been to go to the Billy Goat Tavern, made famous by the SNL skit back in the 70s. Last time we went downtown he was determined to find it. He knew it was under Michigan avenue but had no idea where. We never ended up finding it that day. But, when we were walking back to the hotel the night before, we saw the sign for it and he just HAD to see it! :) 

Since our Mexican food from the night before had finally digested, we decided to go in for lunch. I'm not one for looking like a tourist, but we managed okay. They seem pretty used to it in there and they were very nice. And, the cheeseburgers were really good!

After a nutritious lunch, we walked to Millennium Park and rented a couple of bikes. This was a great way to cover a lot of the city without as much walking.

We rode out to Buckingham fountain, the planetarium, Soldier Field, Navy Pier, and back to Millennium Park. It was such a fun way to be around the city. 

After we turned in our bikes, we went to The Cheesecake Factory. Apparently, I was too tired at that point to remember to take a picture. It was so delicious and a great way to top off our adventure in the city.

We really enjoyed our time together. It was so good for us after his rigorous summer class. Now we are on to the regular semester.  

I'm thankful for women around me who are going through the same thing as I am and can offer encouragement to me when I'm having a hard time. I'm thankful for moments of goofy laughter that I have with my husband. I'm thankful for the opportunity to get away, and for the growth that has come and will continue to come throughout this experience.