Through the Chicago Fog

Saturday morning dawned... well, cold and foggy. But don't you fret. A little fall of rain could hardly stop us now! (Name those lyrics!)

We started out our morning at Intelligentsia Coffee (thanks to Jeanette's recommendation!) Here, the coffee is less about style (latte vs. mocha) and more about brew method. Matt and I choose the same beans, but different pour methods (basically different filters) and were amazed at how differently our coffee came out. We're coffee nerds. Fun!

We chose Rwandan coffee, my choice was the Chemex pour over, while Kristine chose the Coava Kone metal filter. Now, don't get me wrong, we both adore coffee, but were skeptical how different they could be. So, we asked the super hip guy behind the counter what the difference was. Luckily the guy was super helpful (not what you'd expect at a place much too cool for us) and explained that the metal cone was a thinner filter that would allow more of the coffee bean's natural oils through, while the chemex would trap them. The guy knows his stuff; he was exactly right. The kone coffee looked a little like an oil slick, but tasted delicious. We ended up switching cups.

Great presentation too!

One of my favorite parts of being Chicago was the view out our hotel window. It changed by the minute as the clouds would roll in and out, obscuring and revealing the skyline in turn, . We saw the same effect as we headed out on our riverboat architectural tour. Our tour guide (when he wasn't flirting with the bachelorette party) did a good job letting us know what we couldn't see, and had plenty of fun facts about the buildings we managed to make out through the mist.

Downtown Chicago by boat.

Chicago bridge is falling down... (Actually, it's been permanently raised.)

Summer boats making their way to the lake. The bridges only open at certain times to let them through, hence the traffic jam.

The boat tour was AWESOME. It was the best view of the bottom 10 floor of the Sears Willis Tower that you could ask for. And more about Kristine losing her purse and being so thankful it was still waiting for us at the restaurant- we were watching people get off the boat, waiting patiently for our spot in line, when one of the crew reached for something on the ground and asked it if was ours. No sir, my wife does not have a diamond tennis bracelet (yet!), but you should check with the ladies that were sitting in front of us but went under deck when the winter storm set in. So, we waited, and finally spotted them (last group getting off the boat) and thankfully reunited tennis bracelet with owner. We have a neighbor who always talks about "God-things". Call it karma, "God-thing", whatever, we got to pay it forward. 

I wish I had more pictures to show you, but honestly, they were all full of fog. It was such a gloomy day that after our chilly boat trip (not even my free bloody mary did much to warm my bones) we decided to find an indoor activity. We opted for the Field Museum (home to the world's largest t-rex, Sue). Of all the exhibits, Matt and I enjoyed the ancient and dusty hall filled with plants from around the world, including tiny models of tea and coffee plantations. Again, we are nerds.

The Field Museum is probably the best place you could go if you were a 12 year old boy doing a science project. As an adult you spend most of the day dodging teenagers. Thankfully they don't favor the hall of plants.

After stopped at the hotel for more snacks, we wandered the Magnificent Mile again until it was time to find a place for dinner. One tip if you're traveling to Chicago - make dinner reservations! We had such a time narrowing down where we wanted to dine that we never had time for reservations, meaning we waited (a lot) for a table in this crowded city. (The fact that it was Cinco de Mayo and the Kentucky Derby didn't help our cause.) The good news is, the food was way worth it, every time.

Fourth Presbyterian Church, Michigan Avenue. A breath of calming fresh air.

I want to live here.

Or here.

So pretty.

After a delicious dinner at Chicago q, we walked home.

We really had no idea what we were in for with dinner. A friend had given us a ton of recommendations. He's an amateur, well, semi-professional, aspiring "pit master" and listed Chicago q. Hmmm...can they really do barbecue right up north? It was recommended, he's in the biz, we were hungry, and BBQ sounded delicious - why not give it a try? First problem, we were under-dressed (how can you be under-dressed for pulled pork??). I think my actual quote was "I hope it's not that place with all the fancy people standing outside!". It was... Second problem, like K said, no reservations. Third problem, we weren't the only ones stalking the bar seats. Thankfully we found two seats, ate vigorously, then finished the meal with a treat from the bar, Evan Williams Single Barrel Bourbon, served neat, no less. Even Kristine enjoyed! 

And finally, on our last night in Chicago, the sky finally cleared and we got a beautiful glimpse of the starry skyline. It was beautiful. We came thisclose to rushing over to the Hancock Building to take in the observatory, but alas, it was too late. We just had to cross our fingers and hope for sunny skies on our last day.

Chicago at night.