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Chicago MEA Trip Log

Thursday

  • Depart at 6:12a
  • Charge at Mauston.
  • Charge in Janesville, walk to Culver’s that was closed
  • Lunch at Culver’s in Janesville
  • Arrived in Chicago
  • Go to Museum of Science & Industry
  • Charge at North Columbus parking ramp in Chicago.
  • Tammy, Tyler check into L7
  • Jamie navigates lower level roads and finally gets to hotel.
  • Dinner at Perellia
  • Walked to Palmer House and realized we were at wrong place.
  • Walked to Magic Parlour
  • Great Magic Show
  • Walk back to hotel

Friday

  • Drive to Arlington Heights
  • breakfast with CJ at Scratchboard Kitchen
  • Charge at Waukegan by a large casino
  • Drive to Gurnee
  • Tyler and Jamie do Extreme Flight simulation, while Tammy explores mall
  • Ice cream at Scoops & Kettle in Gurnee Mall. This Just Got Serious. Chocolate Shoppe ice cream
  • 60 to Escape. Mystery Mansion.
  • Attempted to go to Botanical Gardens. Denied!
  • Early dinner at Prairie Grass Cafe.
  • Decide last minute to go to a movie — mad dash to get there just as the movie starts!
  • Return to Prairie Grass Cafe to pick up Tyler’s coat that we forgot while rushing to get to the movie.
  • Return to L7 Hotel for the night.

Saturday

  • Breakfast at Wildberry in Downtown Chicago.
  • Visit “The Bean”
  • Walk over to Buckingham Fountain, and return 20 minutes later to see the major display.
  • Check out Abraham Lincoln statue in Grant Park.
  • Visit the Art Institute of Chicago.
  • Walk to Bike Rental place, but decide to instead rent Lyft bikes instead.
  • Ride Lyft Bikes to Soloway Coffee in Lincoln Park.
  • Explore Oz Park after dropping off bikes.
  • Go to Soloway Coffee for great cappuccino and Kyiv cake.
  • Walk from Soloway Coffee to the Magnificent Mile, then walk the Magnificent Mile to the Architectural Boat Tour.
  • Take Architectural Boat Tour.
  • Dinner at Lou Malnati’s.
  • Back to the hotel to rest and turn in.

Sunday

  • Up early to drive back home.
  • Charge in Janesville.
  • Charge in Black River Falls while having lunch at Culver’s.
  • Arrive home.
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A trip to Chicago is not complete without a meal at Lou Malnati’s!

Three people smiling for a selfie beneath a large illuminated Lou Malnatis marquee sign on a white tile wall. Slice of Chicago deep dish pizza with tomato sauce and grated parmesan on a yellow plate, full pie in a cast iron pan behind it
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Chicago skyline.

Chicago skyline at sunset viewed from the river with skyscrapers reflecting golden light on the water
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We had a great time on the Architectural Boat Tour of Chicago.

Chicago skyline skyscrapers seen from the river, featuring a tall glass tower reflecting neighboring buildings under a clear blue sky. Willis Tower glowing golden at sunset above the Chicago River, surrounded by downtown skyscrapers under a blue sky Marina City twin corncob towers in Chicago showing curved concrete balconies and open parking levels at dusk Tall blue glass skyscraper with a stepped twisting facade shot from below against a clear sky in Chicago
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The L crossing the river in Chicago.

Chicago L train crossing the Lake Street Bridge over the Chicago River with downtown skyscrapers behind it
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Tammy had read about Soloway Coffee, a Ukrainian owned coffee shop in Chicago, and we rented some bikes and rode to the Lincoln Park neighborhood to try it out. They had Kyiv Cake, which I had never had, and it was great. They had Napolean Cake but the person in front of us bought he last slice!

Busy interior of Soloway Coffee in Chicago with customers waiting at a white tile counter and a menu board on the wall. Small round Kyiv Cake with hazelnut-studded chocolate cream piped on top, coated in ground nuts, on a blue-rimmed white plate
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While making our way to a coffee shop in Lincoln Park we ran across Oz Park in Chicago. It was a fun discovery. We didn’t have time to find the Lion though.

Shiny metal Tin Man statue on a concrete pedestal in Oz Park Chicago with a plaque from the Lincoln Park Chamber of Commerce 1995 Bronze Scarecrow statue on a stone pedestal in Oz Park Chicago, with a plaque reading The Scarecrow, surrounded by green trees Bronze statue of Dorothy and Toto from Wizard of Oz, with red shoes and basket, on a stone pedestal in Oz Park Chicago
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We visited the Art Institute of Chicago specifically to see one of the original Great Wave pieces that they have there. The Great Wave is one of Tyler’s favorite pieces of art. We also checked out the contemporary and modern galleries.

Auto-generated description: A framed artwork depicting Hokusai's famous The Great Wave is displayed on a wall with descriptive text explaining its significance and origins. Auto-generated description: A large, framed pointillist painting depicting people relaxing in a park is displayed in a gallery, with two women observing it. Auto-generated description: A cubist painting depicts a reclining nude figure with abstract geometric shapes and muted colors.
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While walking from Buckingham Fountain to the Art Institute of Chicago we took in the Abraham Lincoln: The Head of State in Grant Park.

Bronze seated statue of Abraham Lincoln on a granite pedestal in Grant Park Chicago surrounded by trees
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Buckingham Fountain in the early part of the major display.

Buckingham Fountain shooting a tall central jet of water with Chicago skyscrapers visible behind it under a clear blue sky.