Pot Pie Pizza & Da "Bers" - The Windy City

Chicago with the Casey's!  Finally made it out to K's crib:)  This visit was long overdue:)  What a perfect time to visit the windy city, which really was more like the sunny city for our 5 day visit.  I mean really.... a Bears game in early October, in short sleeves, like I said perfect timing.

Trip Highlights (many more then whats listed below)

• CPOG (chicago pizza & oven grinder company)   

• Pizza Pot Pies:  what a Chicago welcoming, from the airport to the CPOG 
• Valentine's Day Massacre: a garage directly across from the CPOG was thought to of housed the sub-machine guns that brought the notorious “St. Valentine’s Day Massacre” to headlines around the world. Rumor has it that the house at 2121 North Clark (now CPOG) served as a lookout post for the hoodlum henchmen of the Valentine gunners.

• Wendella Chicago River Architecture Tour

• Chicago's architectural heritage is considered to be among the finest in the world...what better way to view the magnificent structures then via Chicago River.  Wendella boasts as Chicago's only tour boat company with a dedicated, in-house education department allowing the docents to provide a unique and entertaining insight into Chicago's architecture.  Great idea Debbie:) 

Tribune Tower (On June 10, 1922, the Chicago Tribune hosted an international design competition for its new headquarters, and offered $100,000 in prize money for "the most beautiful and distinctive office building in the world". The competition worked brilliantly for months as a publicity stunt, and the resulting entries still reveal a unique turning
point in American architectural history. More than 260 entries were received.)

One of my favs.  The architect purposefully used specifically curved glass windows to capture the reflection of surrounding buildings

Sears....I mean Willis Tower as it was renamed in 2009. Once the tallest building in the world, now remains as the tallest building in the US (108 floors, 1,451')

 

• Bears vs Panthers (10/2/11 Soldier Field)

• Starting with a taste of tailgating.. NFL style with Chicago's diehards
• I also learned during a phone call to brag to my pops about getting to watch a game at Soldier Field...It turns out he one upped me - He played at Soldier Field against Navy with the Air Force Academy back in 1966

Tailgating at Soldier Field - Now these guys had the setup!  A convert into a party ambulance:)

Not bad for the "Nosebleeds" - Bears won 34-31 - Do you think in 1966 the endzone graphics were in black and white? :)

• Wrigleyville  & Bears victory celebration at Chicago's top 3 bars
• After the bears game, Kristin got this rural raised city slacker on the L (elevated train) to Wrigleyville
• Formerly a working-class neighborhood, Wrigleyville is the nickname to the neighborhood directly surrounding Wrigley Field, which is more commonly referred to as Central Lakeview.  
• The top 3 Bars:
• Sheffield's Beer Garden (located in 3 blocks south of Wrigley Field)
• The Green Mill Cocktail Lounge (Shades of Al Capone's heyday are found in the wall memorabilia. Ask the bar tender about the famous booth where he and his henchmen could keep a cautious eye on both doors)
• The Hopleaf (Chicago's best Belgium Style Muscles, and one heck of a beer list)

Waveland Avenue and the Wrigley Rooftops  (Wrigley roofs have dotted the neighborhood of Wrigleyville around Wrigley Field. Venues on Waveland Avenue overlook left field, while those along Sheffield Avenue have a view over right field)

Already looking forward to our next visit to the Casey's in Chicago.  Maybe next time we will remmber to get a group photo:)  In the meantime we will keep working on a McQuade/Casey Colorado Christmas:)