Friday, March 30, 2018

3.30.18 - Planning our belated honeymoon

When we got married in 2014, Dad offered to send us on a honeymoon as our wedding gift. We decided to delay the trip until after we had children. I think at the time the idea was (1) the trip would be a more meaningful break if it was after we had children and (2) I knew Jack and I were going to start trying to get pregnant right away in summer 2014 so I wasn't drinking. I don't want to go on a honeymoon where I can't drink.

So here we are four years later, and although we may not be done with our childbearing days, we are in a break at least. I'm not pregnant, not about to get pregnant and (hopefully) not still nursing by the end of this summer. Additionally and probably just as importantly, Jack will be done with school but won't yet have the commitment of a nursing job. It's really the perfect moment of physical and professional flexibility to take a quick vacation.

So we decided to take our belated honeymoon this August. Jack originally wanted to go to Europe, but for a trip like that to really be worth the haul I would think it needs to be at least two weeks if not longer, and we don't really have the budget for that, especially accounting for the daily cost of childcare while we're gone. So instead we decided to stay in-country and go to a city known for it's great food. Originally we were trying to choose between Chicago, New Orleans, Portland, and Seattle. After talking it over with more people we had narrowed it to Chicago or Portland and I really couldn't decide. Jack said he could go either way. I did an online poll and got these results:


Portland has the advantage of cheaper plane tickets and hotels, plus neither of us have ever been there before. Chicago has the advantage (or so it seems) of more to do, and I haven't been to Chicago since I was 15 anyway. Plus I get the impression that Chicago feels more "big city" and Portland feels more "laid back west coast town." I was pretty conflicted and, after the poll, leaning toward Portland. But then Jack talked it over with his classmates and they swayed him to Chicago, so that's that.


Anyway, so today I finally booked tickets: mine and Jack's to Chicago, and Don and Merlene's to Sacramento. We did the math, and buying them round trip tickets to come out and watch the girls was actually slightly less expensive than paying Beth to watch the girls the entire time. Plus this way (1) Don and Merlene get some grandparent bonding time and (2) the girls can stay in their own home, which may be less alien to them, I hope.


I also reserved mine and Jack's hotel in Chicago, which is right near the river. Once I knew where we were staying, I was able to spend a long time today incorporating all the sight-seeing and food recommendations people gave us, making a budget, and planning out not an iron clad schedule but at least multiple daily plans (e.g. if we're going to the Museum of Science and Industry we should hit up the best food places in that area the same day). It was so much fun to plan the whole thing out, and when I was done I was still pretty under budget--enough that I may be able to buy a couple cute new tops or something before we go, which I never do.


Jack and I have never taken a trip together except to go see family. We've never taken a vacation just the two of us. I am so excited. Here's the tentative schedule for now, but we'll see how much this changes once we are there:

Thursday
Breakfast: Wildberry Pancakes & Cafe ($$)
Field Museum (& lunch ($$))
Dinner: Malnati's ($$)
Evening: Signature Lounge ($$$)

Friday
Breakfast: The Purple Pig ($$)
Morning: Skydeck Chicago
Lunch: Au Cheval ($$)
Dinner: grocery store ($)
Grant Park Music Festival, 6:30p-8:30p


Saturday
Breakfast: groceries? ($)
Lunch: Cemitas Puebla ($)
L Train - $5
Museum of Science & Industry
Snail Thais Cuisine ($$)
L Train - $5


Sunday
Breakfast: groceries? ($)
Lincoln Park Zoo
Uber - $15
Lunch: Dak ($$)
Uber - $20
The Second City Theater (7pm)
Dinner: 1959 Kitchen & Bar ($$)

Monday
Breakfast: groceries? ($)
Lunch: Al's Beef ($)
Shoreline Architectural Cruise (earliest departs 9:30a, latest 6:15p)
Uber - $15
The Violet Hour ($$$)
Uber - $15

Tuesday
Breakfast: groceries? ($)
Lunch: Devil Dawgs ($)
Adler Planetarium
Dinner: Dine-in movie theater? ($$)

Wednesday

Checkout by noon


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