Beach Bums

With the unusual and steaming hot weather we've had in Chicago lately, there's no better way to cool off than to hit the beach! Chicago may be in the Midwest, but we're lucky enough to have a huge body of water to take advantage of during the summer months. As a Nebraska native, I always imagined every lake was mucky and dirty; but to my surprise Lake Michigan has very clear, clean and pleasant water. In my opinon it beats the West Coast beaches because you don't have to deal with the salt and seaweed.

After a hard work week nothing beats relaxing on the beach all afternoon. And in our case, we ended up staying until the lifeguards closed the beach down. We biked for about 10 minutes from our apartment along Lake Shore Drive pedway with lake views to our beach spot. We made our camp with the essentials: snacks, water, magazines, fresh fruit, a floppy hat, sunglasses and sunscreen. It was one of my favorite days spent in Chicago thus far. Not to mention, both Michael and I were needing some sun to get rid of some tan lines from golfing and running/biking! North Avenue beach, you will be seeing a lot of us this summer.

Chicago's seashells (and Michael skipping rocks in the background)

Pride

The scorching hot heat along with humidity didn't stop anyone from showing up for the Chicago Pride Parade we attended in our neighborhood two weeks ago. Like I mentioned in my previous post, festivals are all the rage in Chicago's summer months, but I think the Chicago Pride Parade takes the cake. Rainbows lined the streets and the outfits were more creative than ever. The heat didn't ruin anyone's mood; I've never been surrounded by so many happy people in one place. There was one point when we were hot, sweaty and trying to find a friend in a crowd that was literally bumper to bumper. That was a situation when people could have easily got upset, or claustrophobic, but not at Pride. 

I myself couldn't handle 800,000 people packed on Halsted street for too long, but if you're new to Chicago, or haven't attended it's a must. When we decided to head home we realized we were on the wrong side of the street. This resulted in us taking a long route around the parade which was quite an adventure. Along the way we got some gelato (which I've been craving every day since I left Rome) and we were happy. This city has yet to show us a bad time!

Finally found some delicious gelato!

1 month Chicago Anniversary

Picture from my bus stop when leaving work.

Wow! Where has the time gone? My first month in Chicago has been a whirlwind, but I wouldn't have it any other way. I'm still so fascinated by this city I'm sure I get mistaken for a tourist quite often. It's safe to say Chicago is another world compared to Lincoln, Nebraska, let alone Scotia, Nebraska (my home town of 318 people). One thing remains the same though, the people in Chicago have lived up to the rumors and are extremely polite and kind. Below are some things I've learned so far, but I'm sure this list will continue to grow as I become more accustomed to "city life."

Things I've learned thus far: 

1. There's a festival to attend in Chicago every day if you want.

2. Always pack an extra pair of shoes for the commute.

3. You'll be known by all your neighbors by your dog's name.

4. You could eat out every day of the year for 3 years and still not make a dent in the resturants this city has to offer. 

5. Never get on the north bound bus when you're trying to go south bound, unless you want an hour tour of neighborhoods.

Our neighborhood

Beautiful artwork on the way to the beach.

Our rooftop by night

Favorite Thai food in our neighborhood: Ping Pong.

Chicago has beautiful landscaping that I can't get enough of.

Evenings spent at the dog park.

Date night

Taking a swing

 

With help from Michael over the past few years, I’ve taken on a new hobby: golf! It’s definitely been a learning experience but I love that it’s something we can do together. This sport takes patience, practice and more patience! But most of all it's just fun to get out and play with friends. 

It's one of our favorite summer past times, so it was no question we would bring our clubs with us to Chicago. One of our friends is a PGM major and is doing an internship at a course in a Chicago suburb, so we've been able to golf on some pretty snazzy courses out here. What are your favorite hobbies to do in the summer months?

My best friend (one of them :)

Having fun trying to take a picture. This is typical!

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)