Chicago, IL | June 2017

We just got home from a week in the Midwest, and man was it hard to come home after this trip. See, I'm sure that summer has arrived everywhere in the US, except for Portland, so it was exceptionally nice to bask in a week of sunshine. The trip was filled with food, family and friends, all of my favorite things :) We spent the first few days of our trip in Chicago, then we visited Luke's parents in Indiana and our good friends down in Indianapolis. We even snuck in a day trip to Luke's college town in the southern part of the state (more on that later!). Here's a list with links of our Chicago activities: what we did, what we saw and what we ate...

We started off the trip with a quick dinner and beers at Public House while we watched the Cubs game. Then we made a visit to the Raised Rooftop Bar (where Heather met up with us!). It was such a good way to kick off the trip. The sun was shining, the beers were flowing, so you know the Copeland's where having a great time!

Our second day included morning coffee and brunch at The Publican. It was hard to choose what to order because I wanted everything on the menu! I decided on wine poached eggs and they didn't disappoint.

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We took a boat cruise on the Chicago River and out on Lake Michigan. This is the third time I've done a boat tour in Chicago - so obviously I would recommend this :) It's such a great way to see the city from many different points of view. We've always used Wendella Boats and love them! Plus they have a bar on the first level :)

FUN FACT: Luke proposed to me in front of the Water Tower Building five years ago, so this spot will always hold a special place in my heart. 

One morning we ate a quick breakfast at the Eastman Egg Company. This place started out as a food truck and partners with local farms - it was such a fun and delicious little spot. I got the biscuit with ham, egg and house made blackberry jam. 

We spent a morning walking around a few Chicago neighborhoods. We picked Lincoln Park and Bucktown to explore. They were both adorable and I felt like I could possibly live there. 

Luke's breakfast bowl below came from Gaslight Coffee Roasters, which was another amazing spot. Luke always finds the best spots by the way. We were staying in Logan Square and Gaslight was a short walk from the AirBnb. We also had iced chai's that were fantastic!

Can you go to Chicago in the summer and not take in a Cubs game?!? Of course not! Luke's parents drove over from Indiana and we had an early dinner in Wrigleyville before the game. Luke was happy because they won and we sang along to Go Cubs Go (and by the way... I was just getting this song out of my head after last October...).

You can't leave Chicago without indulging in a Chicago Dog! I picked this one up from a street vendor in Millennium Park.

We visited a few other places that I didn't take photos of (how dare I!). We had a delicious dinner at Velvet Taco on Rush Street. Those tacos were seriously sooooo good. We also visited Cindy's Rooftop and had a biiiiit of a wait to get up there - unfortunately it wasn't my favorite place as we encountered some less than pleasant people there. Plus, it was so crowded that it was somewhat unenjoyable. 

Overall, the trip was just fantastic. My sister joined for the first few days and it was so fun showing her the city. Next time I won't let five years pass in between trips!

- Photos © Holly Copeland -