We landed in Chicago lunchtime Wednesday and much to Craig's dismay and my relief the weather was a big difference - left Florida at a muggy 94 degrees and landed at a refreshing 56.
We didn't have a rental car booked for our first two days in Chicago so caught a taxi from the Airport to our hotel. Price was actually pretty good considering it was nearly a 50 minute trip.
Chicago from the outside coming in looks, well, really dumpy to be honest. There's a lot of run-down buildings and grey, broken concrete and rusted metal pretty much where ever we looked.
Our original plan was to spend the first afternoon looking around but the boys and I were still feeling unwell, the flight not really helping that feeling, so we ended up wandering down the street to a tiny little Mexican place - literally a little shed type building underneath a very busy overpass - and had something to eat before pretty much crashing for the rest of the evening.

Thursday we were up early and out to explore. We hit the Shedd Aquarium first and Wow....all four of us enjoyed ourselves there and we spent quite a few hours wandering around, seeing the aquatic show, going to one of the 4D movie sessions and just generally relaxing and enjoying ourselves. Craig was disappointed that their big representation of Australian fish were lung fish. (Ugly buggers and I don't ever recall seeing them before in Australia).
They had such a huge range of fish and creatures from fish from all over the world to beluga whales, dolphins, sea lions, otters (sooo cute! - and big), frogs, turtles, sharks, caiman and even some small monkeys. They had a MASSIVE alligator snapping turtle - no wonder those things are renowned for doing some damage - definitely not something you'd want to accidentally step on.

We left the aquarium a little later than we'd expected and therefore didn't make it to the Planetarium so instead decided we'd wander over to Navy Pier. It didn't look that far from where we were and there are big path ways around the edge of Lake Michigan so it seemed like a good idea. Long, lonngggg walk when I still wasn't at 100% and the boys were feeling it a little too.
By the time we got there I felt so exhausted I just wanted to sit and rest so Craig and the boys took a ride on the big Ferris Wheel. Afterwards we explored the area a little more, found a fun maze to have a go at and then headed back up to play mini golf because Kaine desperately wanted to. Unfortunately for Kaine it was closed because the rain was starting to come in.

Craig really wanted to go up in one of the two towers they have in Chicago with viewing decks so we jumped in a taxi and found our way to the 360 Chicago. From here you look out from the 94th floor across the city of Chicago. Apparently on a clear day you can see four states from up there (it was NOT a clear day when we went up).
Blake and I were too chicken to have a go at the Tilt but Craig and Kaine were in to it. The Tilt is a section of windows that you stand against and then it slowly tilts forward so that you are looking straight down below you. The pair of them loved it. Personally I was quite happy to sit back and watch from a distance.
Wet wander a few streets down to find somewhere for tea - turns out the tower is in a part of town I would not consider Craig and my scene. The give away was passing Armani, Victoria's Secret, Tiffany and Co, Ralph Lauren etc all in a row. Rather swanky looking places that frankly, we didn't fit in to with our jeans and runners. We did manage to find a pretty cool Italian joint though - was just a pity none of us had much of an appetite.

All of us exhausted.