When we arrived on Wednesday, we had to time to unpack and clean up before walking to dinner. A quick google search brought us a list of pizza joints, but we landed on Pizzeria Due, famous for it's deep dish style pizza. The restaurant itself was small and dark, with black and white tile floors and red neon lights. As soon as we walked in we felt like we were in authentic Chicago. The place was packed, but we found places at the bar where they serve the full menu. We ordered personal sized pizzas and were warned that they take 45 mins to an hour to cook. We were happy to watch the Cubs game and chat with the locals sitting next to us while we waited. Let me tell you, the pizza was worth it! After we finished, the bartender recommended we check out Navy Pier because they have a free fireworks show every Wednesday and Saturday night during the summer. So, we made the 30 minute walk to the pier just in time to watch the show with a few thousand other people. It was beautiful, and there were plenty of other attractions there for families, including a conservatory I wish we could have seen during the day!
On Thursday we set an early alarm to walk over to Millennium Park before it got too crowded. Even on a weekday there were plenty of tourists about, but we were one of the first people to arrive at the Bean which made for some incredible photos. From there we grabbed breakfast at Stan's Donuts before catching the shuttle to McCormick Place for the market. We spent the majority of the day at the show seeing all of the booths and displays, as well as placing orders for the upcoming season. The show floor is massive, at about 900,000 square feet, and it really takes two days to see everything if you take your time. We had prepared a list of the booths we knew we wanted to talk to ahead of time, and were able to fit everything in so that we could have more free time to explore. For dinner we walked from our hotel to Portillo's Hot Dogs based on a friend's recommendation. The line was long, but it moved quickly so we were able to enjoy or dinner and a slice of chocolate cake so good that I got another slice to go. We strolled along the River Walk back to LondonHouse and watched the sunset behind the skyline. The views were so pretty I think we'll take an evening river boat tour the next time we're in town!
We made a few last minute purchases at the vendor market on Saturday morning before hopping on our plane. Chicago really surprised me with it's wide streets, beautifully manicured flower beds, open parks, and stunning River Walk. We never felt unsafe or out of place. I hope it's not the last we see of this beautiful city!