I Married My Sister In Chicago …… Part 1

I Married My Sister In Chicago Last Weekend …………..
The lounge of the Chicago Drake Hotel.
The lounge of the Chicago Drake Hotel.
Days Remaining to Finish Cooking Class:  20                                                          Average GPA:  97.8%                                                                                                             Class Ranking:  55  oops, I slipped a little.    🙁

My sister and I had decided to meet in Chicago for the weekend of July 4th.  She is turning 60 this month and we both thought it would be a great place to meet.  And, to top things off, we married each other!

Anyone who’s been to Chicago will most definitely comment on the horrible traffic and, it was.  When we finally made it to the Drake Hotel, Friday evening, we got settled in our room and promptly went out to scour the neighborhood for a nearby restaurant.  

What we found was an inebriated couple, celebrating their 3rd anniversary, right next to our table.  Apparently they thought we were married too 🙂

I know ……………. but, this couple had a few too many and in their defense, they were celebrating their anniversary so I think they just had marriage on their mind.

Or maybe, we just looked like a gay-friendly couple.  I can live with that!

Frankly, I’m not sure how they missed the mark.  The older we both get, the more we look alike.

My sister and I.
I think I need to get my sister to write about this couple as she was the one who interacted with them the most – her commentary, I guarantee, would be hilarious!

I mean …… come on……..right?

In any event, the encounter was full of entertainment for our first night in Chi-Town and it became our little running joke for the entire weekend.  I think we even held hands at one point 🙂  

If you can't act silly with your sister, who can you?

When we returned to our room, after a wonderfully satisfying meal, we found this treat waiting for us.

And who doesn’t love dessert?

The birthday cake the Drake Hotel left in our room for my sister.
The birthday cake the staff at the Drake Hotel left in our room for my sister.

I had mentioned in passing, when I made the reservation, that my sister and I were meeting there for the weekend to celebrate her 60th birthday.

Talk about customer service……

I highly recommend a stay at this little gem 🙂

When I made the hotel reservation at the Drake, we were both disappointed to find that they did not have a pool or hot tub.  As it turns out, we didn’t have any extra time to spend in no stinkin’ pool!

Saturday, we set out to do more exploring.  The Drake Hotel was a fantastic place to stay, primarily because of the location.  We could walk to the Chicago “Hop on Hop off” Trolley, a multitude of eateries, historic landmarks, theaters and ……………. my sisters favorite pastime, SHOPPING!

We explored the city from the downtown area, to the north side, and then the south side.

The one place my sister had requested to visit was The Art Institute of Chicago.  We decided to go there first to make sure we got it in.

We had to walk a few blocks after departing from the trolley and Millennium Park was on the way, so we strolled through it, taking in all the architectural and cultural elements.

The fountain at Millennium Park.
The fountain at Millennium Park.
Cloud Gate in Millennium Park.
Cloud Gate in Millennium Park.

I think I heard that the locals call this “The Bean,” but the stainless steel sculpture by artist Anish Kapoor is actually called, “Cloud Gate” and was inspired by liquid mercury.

Then on to The Art Institute………

The Nichols Bridgeway that connects Millennium Park and the new Modern Wing of the Art Institute of Chicago.
The Nichols Bridgeway, designed by Renzo Piano, connects Millennium Park and the new Modern Wing of the Art Institute of Chicago.

I think this might have been my favorite stop over the weekend.  We spent about 4 hours there and didn’t see everything.  We missed several exhibits, including the “Miniature Room.”  We did, however, get to see the traveling exhibit which included historical religious relics and armor worn during the medieval times.

This  tapestry was only lit for 5 minutes at a time.  The lights came on every hour and on the half hour, but for only 5 minutes. It was stunning!

I have so many great photos from the weekend but will refrain from inundating you with all of them at once.

“Art is the lie that enables us to realize the truth.”                                    –  Pablo Picasso 

xoxo, Katy

*Reposted from July ’17

 

Author: Katy

I am a business owner, a mom of two grown daughters, a wife, and lover of life! I am an active 50+ -er with many new developing interests. Physical activity has always played a role in my life. Sometimes, more ........and sometimes, less. As a "Baby Boomer," it has become increasingly important for me to navigate the aging process with grace and agility. Part of the healthy living equation is, of course, the nutritional aspect as well. This blog, first and foremost, is devoted to women over the age of 50 looking to improve the quality of their life by exercising and consuming a healthy diet. Cheers to a life well lived! *You can read more about me by visiting my Home Page.

2 thoughts on “I Married My Sister In Chicago …… Part 1”

    1. So I just found this comment, and one more, in my “trash.” I never saw them and didn’t put them there. Thanks for stopping by in your spare time, Emily!

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