Thursday (e:terry) arrived so we did a lot of typical tourist stuff,

First off we walked up Michigan Avenue to the Hancock building and rode up to the 94th floor. It's a little outside the loop so you have a really good view of downtown.





Next up we took the red line south of downtown to Chinatown. They have a full vegan restaurant which was so good. Soy beef and broccoli is delicious. I love being able to order anything on the menu.




After that we wandered west through a radiology convention at the convention center, up along the lake through the museum district, and into downtown.

There was a very cute German Christmas market going on. Most of the time these things are just basically craftshows but this one had gluehwein and a bunch of food and trinket vendors from Germany and Austria.





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Wednesday (e:paul) was working so I had time to wander by myself. It's weird because I can't say I've ever really spent any traveling alone before. A big plus in not having to form consensus on where to eat or what to do next lol,

I spent most of the time wandering around the loop/downtown and the waterfront. So many buildings you can just wander in and look around, There's a big free Chicago Cultural Center/museum right off Michigan Avenue. Super posh hotels that you can walk right though.

A 7 story Macy's that's what AM&A's probably always wished it could be. (e:mike) it sounds like the multilevel department store you said you used to fantasize about.

I ate at the French Market inside the Metra train station just west of downtown. They have a bunch of different food stands although a lot seemed to have close (less commuters I guess).












So many things are named after Rosebuds there.

Tuesday night we tried to go on a ride with the Chicago EUC(Electric Unicycle) group.

(e:paul) and I tried to get used to riding in big city traffic before taking the train to the meetup spot. On the way from the L stop to the meetup, there were all these cute dancing Jewish guys on every corner asking if you were Jewish, and wishing people a happy first night of hanakkauh.

These guys were seriously prepared for riding and had every motorized device you could thing of.

I guess we are definitely beginners because we lost the group in two blocks after I hit a red light and they kept going. No way could I keep up with them, they were going 30mph+. I'm too much of a scaredy to go that fast.

Didn't end up too bad because Paul and I rode through Lincoln Park, ending up appropriately at a middle eastern restaurant named Old Jeruselam.

(e:paul) had a work shindig in Chicago, so we decided to make a trip of it. Paul and I headed out on Monday night via the Amtrak Lakeshore Line.

He wanted to bring the electric unicycles and I love the train, so there we go.

The house was very full for Thanksgiving week. (e:hodown) came and visited us from her globetrotting travels, and was with us the week before.



We went with (e:mike) for a crazy night at the wine bar at Main. (e:hodown) found a new ping pong buddy.

Then (e:terry)'s family came into town the Tuesday before. Altogether we had 9 people in the house which was the most ever. The Mickelson's got to pingpong, (e:paul) got to teach unicycling, and we took the family to the botanical gardens and parking lot christmas market on South Park.