Springtime in Chicago
A couple weeks ago Nisheet and I headed north to watch my brother and his beautiful bride tie the knot. And since they live only 2 hours away from our old stomping ground, we made a quick stop to see springtime in Chicago. I might be known to ramble on and on about how amazing Christmastime is, but springtime in Chicago is close second. Tulips are blooming, trees have baby green leaves, and the grass is soft and perfect for a leisurely picnic.
I took the same flight as I did last Christmas leaving Tampa at 7am and arriving in Chicago at 9am. Although this means leaving the apartment around 4:30am, I like having a full first day.
We spent most of our first day of springtime in Chicago wandering around the city and admiring the tulips. I’m not 100% positive, but I don’t think tulips grow in Tampa Bay. At least, I don’t see them to the degree I do in Chicago with every flower bed overflowing with these beauties.
If you know us, you know we also made time for some of our favorite foods along with some new ones.
First up was Do-Rite Donuts. I had a craving for donuts, and I kind of wanted to visit Stans (amazing donuts!), but I was in the mood of trying something new. Do-Rite popped up at #1 on Yelp, so we headed that way. It is an absolutely tiny shop with zero seating inside (though there are a couple tables outside) and barely enough room for more than 4 people to stand. When we arrived around 10:30am, there were very few choices. We quickly dismissed the gluten free donuts, and that basically left us a choice between Buttermilk Old Fashioned and Danish Cream Cheese. So, we got one of each, added on 2 small coffees, and took a seat at an outside table for some people watching. The donuts were good, but they certainly weren’t out-of-this world. And, the coffee was super strong and bitter. Next time I’ll be going back to Stans. [2 donuts + 2 small coffees = $7.69]
We couldn’t visit the city without snacking on one of our favorite bites, Wow Bao! I got a BBQ pork bao, and Nisheet got the spicy mongolian beef bao. The steamed buns are perfectly light and delicious, and they never disappoint! [2 Baos = $4.66]
Another iconic Chicago snack we couldn’t pass over was Garrett’s Popcorn. For the true experience, try the Garrett Mix. It combines cheese popcorn with caramel popcorn, and it is seriously the best popcorn you will ever try. [Small garrett mix = $5.24]
After all that snacking, it was time to venture off to the ‘burbs to meet up with a bunch of my old co-workers and friends. If you visit Chicago, you probably wouldn’t head out to Palatine, but if for some reason you end up there on a Thursday night, check out Lamplighter Tavern, it’s half price pizza night! It is kind of a divey bar, and yes there are other bars nearby with better food and drinks, but for some reason Lamps is my fav. We always came here after work and sat on the open porch upstairs, so that is exactly what we did on this gorgeous night. [5 drinks + large pizza +tip = $30]
We had one more full day in Chicago before driving towards Madison, so we decided to go to a Cubs Game! The cubs might never win the World Series again, but the atmosphere is amazing. It feels like you are at a old time town party with everyone chatting with everyone else and just being super friendly and cheery. And there is so much charm with ivy growing along the walls, a general lack of advertisement, and the original scoreboard. And, you can’t forget the Go Cubs Go song!
Go, Cubs, Go!
Go, Cubs, Go!
Hey, Chicago, what do you say?
The Cubs are gonna win today!
[Mai Tai $10, nachos and cheese $5.50]
After the game, we met up with some friends, chatted for too long at coffee shops, ate too much at a Costa Rican restaurant, and played too many games at the arcade in a bar. Good times. 🙂
They rest of our consisted of visiting as many people as we could, both friends and family. Most importantly, we got to witness the marriage of two of my favorite people. My brother and his wonderful wife.
All too soon, we made our way back to O’hare, boarded our flight, and came home to Tampa Bay.
What’s your favorite activity for springtime in Chicago?
