20 miles later...

Last Saturday afternoon Michael and I grabbed our bikes and hit the Lake Shore Drive trails. This happens to be another hobby of Michael's that has rubbed off on me. Exploring the pedway along Lake Shore Drive is beautiful and one of the best things to do during the summer in Chicago. It runs parallel to Lake Michigan and runs past several of Chicago's best sites and views of the lake. We're fortunate enough to live steps away from the lake and pedway, so this has been something we've taken full advantage of.

Before we knew it we were 10 miles out at the Aquarium. We found the perfect, most serene spot for a picnic that we plan to go back to before summer ends. We also had brunch at Yolk, which I have to say is one of the best breakfast spots around. 20 miles later we were able to bike through 4 neighborhoods and Grant Park where we walked among Giants (see photo below). 

This place deserves a blog post of its own, because I know we'll be back!

106 giants by the name of Agora.

Views of the city 10 miles from home.

Sweet Summertime

Before moving to Chicago everyone continued to rave about the amazing Chicago summers. I now understand why!

Although we’ve been lucky with beautiful weather, summer in the city has lived up to my high expectations. As a lover of all things outdoors and bright colors, we’ve taken advantage of the Lake Shore Drive running/biking trail, North Avenue beach, outdoor dining and grilling, and have spent numerous hours in the park and exploring our new neighborhood.

We’ve taken full advantage of our apartment’s rooftop by either sipping on a glass of wine or, my personal favorite, grilling with sangria. It’s a great spot to socialize with friends, which we’ve done once, and plan to do more once we make more friends. :) 

 

Sangria

View of the Harbor.

My grilling buddy :)

We’re steps away from the Lake Shore Drive running/biking trail (that stretches 27 miles long!) so we biked to the North Avenue beach with Harley, only to find out dogs weren’t allowed on the beach. Luckily there was a great little grass area where we camped out for a bit.

Hydrating after a mile bike ride to the beach.

Here’s a recipe for my favorite summertime drink! My friend gave me her recipe and I can’t get enough! It's kind of a "pour until it tastes right" recipe.

Summertime Sangria

1 bottle Pinot Grigio

Lemonade

Rum (4 oz)

Triple Sec (4 oz)

1 cup brown sugar (melt sugar on stove top)

Fruit (Strawberrys, Oranges, Apples, Berrys)