It all began with Troy's desire to see the Cubs play in Wrigley field. He grew up watching them play, it was a dream to see them play at home in person.So the tickets were bought, and are trip planning began. We thought is would be just a quick trip...not much of a real vacation, but we were so wrong. The trip itself was not long, but it was a great vacation. We had so much fun in unexpected ways. We were all sad to come home.
Our first stopping point was camping at Illinois Beach State Park. It was right along Lake Michigan. We were a little worried about the hot temperatures that were around 90 degrees. Not ideal for camping. But our campsite was nice and shady and the electric site allowed us to have a fan in the tent. We let the kids play in the lake after dinner and they loved the waves! The water was icy cold, but that felt rather good on a hot day. Troy and I got our toes wet, but the kids went all out and got soaked.
We survived the night and spent the next morning at the beach again. The waves were a little less fun, so we spent some time looking for sea glass and rocks. Timothy and Teresa did splash around a bit. Then at one point Teresa's croc got in the water and drifted quite a ways out. Troy was the hero and swam in the cold water to rescue the shoe! I do not think I could have done it--face the cold, or swim that far!
Later in the day to escape a bit of the heat we drove up to Kenosha, WI. We stopped at some rather "cheesy" tourist places--a cheese/ antique shop and Jelly belly Visitor's center. (On the drive in we also stopped at the cheese castle!) All our stops were fun in their own way and included yummy samples!
We had made some back up reservations at a Motel 6 in case the heat was too much. We had decided to cancel , but later found out we could not. So after a dinner at the campsite it was off to the motel.
Troy and I thought of the Motel as a bit of a mistake on our parts. We should have checked the cancellation policy a bit better. But for our kids, Motel 6 was paradise! Big comfy beds and a pool just can't be beat!
The next stop on our trip was the Shedd Aquarium in downtown Chicago. Troy was the hero again as he navigated us through traffic to the Shedd. It was a slow drive, but the kids were very patient. The drive was worth it too, as the Aquarium was awesome. We saw all kinds of fish and sea creatures. There was a live animal show with dolphins and beluga whales--Teresa loved this! A special amphibian exhibit for toad loving Timothy. We could pet sting rays and see a fun 4D movie. And as a bonus we were able to eat lunch outside overlooking the city and Lake Michigan. Pretty great day!
The next day was the Cubs game. This caused a bit of anxiety with rain predicted for the day. We planned to take a bus in, but than would have to stay the whole game. We wondered if rain came would we really want to stay. We did choose the bus and the weather cooperated. It rained on the way in and was perfect for the game. Our seats were actually under shelter too. The Cubs lost, but it was fun to experience Wrigley field along with Troy! The kids were once again very good the whole time! After the game we grabbed dinner at Whole Foods. As we ate in our room the rains came again. And they came hard. So much rain that the parking lot flooded. Troy took the kids out to play in the water and rain. It was just as much fun as a swimming pool!
Our last stop was the Lego Discovery center in Schaumburg, IL. We all had fun. There were a few rides, some fun 4D movies, areas for building and lots of cool Lego creations.
We were all a little sad to go home--a sign of some great times! But it was good to get home too. And thankfully Timothy waited until we got home to come down with the 24 hour stomach bug. He was sick all of our first day back at home. We are thankful for all the great adventures we had together!
