Chicago!

Well, I think it's safe to say that I found one of my new favorite cities. On a whim in early July, my brother and I decided to plan a weekend getaway to Chicago to visit my our dad who was there for work. I'd only heard good things about Chicago and I've always wanted to visit, so when the opportunity presented itself I was 100% on board. This past weekend of exploring the city turned out to be more amazing than I could have imagined! I've only been back home for a week and I'm already planning my trip back to Chicago. 

Now let's see if I can sum up the weekend in iPhone & camera pictures with my top 7 favorite things.  

1. We were greeted with cheese, crackers, and wine on the balcony of Charlie Chaplins old penthouse (our home for the weekend, Dad has some awesome friends!), with gorgeous views overlooking the city & Lake Michigan. 

2. Chicago at night is ahhmaaazing!

Also, taking pictures in a conference room of the Willis (Sears) Tower with the lights completely on (and unable to turn off) has it's challenges. But it's also really fun to get creative with it. 

3. I had one of the best long runs & bike rides of my life!

On Saturday I had to do an 11 mile run for marathon training and it was actually enjoyable! And the views? Incredible. On Sunday I decided to rent a bike and cruise further along the same path that I ran and it was probably one of the highlights of the trip. There's miles and miles of paved running, walking, and biking paths along Lake Michigan with amazing views of the water and the city. And the weather was perfect! Although I know this wouldn't quite be the same in the winter, I am still a huge fan and could certainly see myself running and biking here more. 

4. Deep dish pizza + local beer. Yum. 

5. I love the Chicago River. It's a gorgeous teal color and it runs through the heart of the city. City skylines and city life + any form of water = my favorite. 

6. The Bean! ...and the endless photo opportunities that could happen there, if there weren't so many people! To the future brides in Chicago, if you somehow have connections to take pictures at that location with no people in sight, contact me. I can only imagine how dreamy those pictures could be and I'm itching to take some! 

7. There are so many buildings, and all of them so unique! We took the Chicago Architecture boat tour while we were there and it was such a neat tour. It was along the Chicago River and we got to see so many of the buildings and learn about each one. This skyline of this city is beautiful!

I could go on and on about this trip and how much I loved it. And those pictures just scratch the surface! It's amazing how many pictures I can manage to take in one weekend. But now I suppose I'll just continue to day dream about my next trip back. Chicago, you've stolen my heart. 

Anyone want to move? ;)