07-06-08 Chicago Adventure

OK let me just say that in all the years we have lived here and as many times are we come to Chicago I have never ventured down town on my own with the boys! Kidlet #1 was due to spend the week with Grandma and wanted to go a day early. After calling Grandma to make sure it was OK we headed to Chicago on the train. I love taking the train (OK most of the time so long as we don't hit any cars or get stuck on the train for some unknown reason!!!). I decided along the way that we would have an adventure down town. Of course Kidlet #1 doesn't really like adventures especially when his back pack is full of clothes and he has to carry it, LOL. I managed to talk him into going to Navy Pier to have lunch. Granted I could have gotten Mc Donald's cheaper anywhere but Navy Pier, but oh well. As we sat outside eating I was looking at the tour boats coming in. I asked if they wanted to go on a 30 minute tour on the lake. Kidlet #2 immediately said yes, you can tell he is my child but Kidlet #1 said no, you can tell he is Hubby's kid :). We played the 2-1 rule on him and he had to go. It was a double decker boat and Kidlet #1 wanted to go on the upper deck in front. I tried to talk him into the middle of the boat so we could see more. Well since we were first in line I compromised and we sat on the lower deck (where there was shade) in the front. I think that was the best place we could have possibly picked! Here they are sitting in their chairs as we waited to launch. We were sitting right behind the bow and you can see part of the skyline behind them. Don't you just love their shirts??
Here is the side of the pier as we were leaving it.
This was pretty much how Kidlet #1 stayed for the whole tour, LOL! So much for not wanting to go on the tour!
Here is the end of Navy Pier. From here you can look out into Lake Michigan.
A nice gentleman took our picture for us.
I think this is called the Chicago Light House?? I can't remember off the top of my head, but it sits out at the edge of the bay next to the opening that leads out to the Lake.
This is my favorite picture of the summer so far. We were getting slashed a little by the waves when we picked up speed. Check out that hair, LOL!!
Oh look another picture of me :) Kidlet #2 took it all by himself :) Not too shabby! But of course it looks like I am trying to choke Kidlet #1, LOL.

Kidlet #2 wanted me to take this picture of the pirate ship as we were coming back into port. It is called the "Windy".

The Odyssey is a yacht that takes you out on the like for dinner cruises. I really want to do this. Maybe for our next anniversary Hubby will surprise me with a dinner cruise :) Hint Hint!!!
Once off the tour boat, Kidlet #1 spotted a "Tattoo" place, LOL.

Lovely tattoos. A dolphin and a watermelon :)
I can't wait to do this again with them. Maybe next time we can do some rides like the Ferris Wheel or the swings. Kidlet #1 loves those :) Kidlet #2 not so much :(