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Randolph St Market
This content uses referral links and contains affiliate links to products. We may receive a commission for purchases made through these links at no cost to you. Attention all you city dwellers! Want to go to a really cool, vintage flea market without having to trek out to the boonies? Well, you are in luck. Just head on over to the Randolph St Market located in the West Loop. I went on a beautiful, chilly, fall day last year and it was laid out both inside (Plumbers Hall – 1341 W Randolph) & outside. I took the Metra to Ogilvie and met my friends coming in from the suburbs. If…
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my adventure & volunteer trip to Tahiti – day 1, Papeete
I can’t believe it has almost been a year since my trip to Tahiti. This post is the first in a series of 10 (one for each day) where I’m reliving this amazing adventure to share with you on my blog and since travel has come to a grinding halt (like everything else) to express how grateful I am to have experienced this as well as meeting some amazing people. I planned to go to London (early August 2020) for a wedding of one of the people I met on this trip but sadly she had to postpone it for a year. We also planned a reunion in Chicago this…
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buckingham fountain
Buckingham Fountain brings back wonderful childhood memories for me. We used to pile in the station wagon and drive downtown on Sundays to see the fountain, of course, after our Rainbow cones. What is a Rainbow cone, you ask? Only the best ice cream ever. Lol… ask anyone from the southwest side of Chicago (Beverly). Luckily you don’t have to go all the way to the southside. You can get one at the Navy Pier location. And new this year, they have an ice cream truck that visits different suburbs during the summer! You can find out where exactly by following them on social media. You’re welcome! history Back to…
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Summer in Chicago – my must go/see/do list
It’s still summer in Chicago, but not for very long. Here’s my Summer in Chicago must go/see/do list to help you figure out what to do. I’ll let you in on a secret, us locals hibernate most of the winter and save up our energy to go non-stop in the summer! What are you waiting for? Get out there & explore this big, beautiful city! Go on an Architectural River Cruise. There are many options to choose from however, this link may help narrow it down. Walk through Millennium Park which includes Cloudgate (aka the Bean), the Lurie Gardens and Crown Fountain. And don’t forget kid-focused Maggie Daley Park right…
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wndr museum
Recently a friend and I went to check out the wndr museum located in the West Loop in Chicago. We went to Chapter One of this new experiential museum which had a variety of exhibits and I must say, very different from the typical museum I’ve ever encountered. It was truly an amazing experience that engaged all of your senses. For example, as we entered, we gave a poet a word and they created a poem for us to pick up on our way out. And I just loved the ginormous chalkboard with interesting pictures & clever quotes. Another favorite was a room where you walk amongst the clouds. There…
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amplified: Chicago blues at CHM & Mavis Staples at ‘OUT OF SPACE’
Last summer, in late July, my sister & I went to see Mavis Staples in concert. She played the Canal Shores Golf Course in celebration of SPACE’s Tenth Anniversary (OUT OF SPACE) in Evanston. If you haven’t seen a show at SPACE yet, I highly recommend it. It’s an intimate venue in Evanston that showcases really great musical talent. Make it an evening by grabbing some dinner & drinks before the show at Union Pizzeria. To get us in the mood, we first went to check out the exhibit Amplified: Chicago Blues at the Chicago History Museum (CHM) in Old Town. We took the cta brown line to Sedgwick stop…
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Chicago – city of bridges
This content uses referral links and contains affiliate links to products. We may receive a commission for purchases made through these links at no cost to you. There’s nothing more spectacular than standing somewhere along the Chicago River on a beautiful day while the bridges are raised to let the boats with tall masts pass by. Well, except if you are driving, walking, or on the ‘L’ train & late for an appointment maybe. Good thing there is a schedule that you can keep in mind. Usually, it’s Spring & Fall on Wednesdays & Saturdays. Not sure about the current state of things, but I believe that even if one…
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biketropolis – graffiti & gears
In early August, my friend Susan & I signed up for one of Tom Limon’s Biketropolis biking adventures called Graffiti & Gears. We traversed through the city, seeking out hidden treasures of cool graffiti. It was a beautiful day for a bike ride, and once again, Tom did not disappoint. We started downtown at Daley Plaza, then wound through parts of the city that I have never been to, and I am a Chicago native! We discovered very cool, sometimes bizarre, but always interesting works of art. It depends on who you ask, but I found it all pretty amazing. We headed through downtown streets & alleys to the south…
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the monadnock – cac tour
This content uses referral links and contains affiliate links to products. We may receive a commission for purchases made through these links at no cost to you. The majestic Monadnock (Jackson & Dearborn) is one of my favorite buildings in the Chicago Loop. The Loop refers to the central business district. The elevated train (the “L”) follows around the loop and is over a hundred years old. This first line ran to Jackson Park and was a people mover bringing them to the 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition aka The White City. A very important event that I’ll write about another time. Read Devil in the White City by Erik Larson…
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qxy dumplings in chinatown
Qing Xiang Yuan Dumplings • 2002 S Wentworth Ave #103, Chicago, IL 60616 • rsvp recommended • byob Minimalist, BYOB nook with an open kitchen preparing artisanal Chinese dumplings with many fillings. Are you on the hunt for the best dumplings in Chicago? Your search is over. Go to QXY Dumplings in Chinatown. You’re welcome. Last Saturday on a chilly but beautiful fall day, my byob group & I headed to Chinatown for some of the most delicious dumplings we’ve ever tasted. This is turning into an annual thing. Last time we were here was in February. We should probably make it quarterly, they are that good. They are fresh &…
