One morning, I woke up and decided it might be fun to go to Chicago and eat at our favorite Thai restaurant. I checked the flight loads, and it looked wide open. We quickly got ourselves together and headed for the airport. Although unplanned, we were about to see the Chicago Riverwalk for the first time!

While we waited at the gate, we recharged our Ventra cards through the app and eagerly awaited our time in Chicago. The flight was seamless, and we hit the ground running to catch the blue line into the city. 

Change of Plans!

While on the blue line, Google threw a wrench in our plans. We discovered the Thai restaurant (Noodles in the Pot) was closed for lunch! Upon this discovery, we re-routed to another Thai restaurant. We got off the train and changed our minds, as we didn’t want to transfer to a bus. Instead, I opened Google Maps and scoured the area for good eats. 

Chicago Riverwalk

Realizing we were near the Chicago Riverwalk, we veered off course, opting for a restaurant on the river. We were seated at a table overlooking the water. We both ordered Goose Island 312, a local beer, and fried cheese curds to split. I opted for the Caprese sandwich, and Bryan ordered the burger. 

We enjoyed the food under a clear blue sky with boats rolling by our table over the green-hued water. People strolled by us as we ate, and we enjoyed watching the bustle. Having eaten our fill, we enjoyed a walk along the Riverwalk. 

Oddly enough, we had never done the Riverwalk before. Having lived in Chicago for four years, we seemed to have managed to miss it. Having enjoyed our stroll, we realized our faux pas in not exploring the city more during undergrad. We had cloistered ourselves in the Lincoln Park/Clarke St. areas of Chicago in school, with the occasional trip to Symphony Hall or Grant Park.

After a beautiful few hours, we headed back home. Unexpectedly, we became stuck in Charlotte longer than expected and returned late at night. Despite this hiccup, we had a blissful day and look forward to venturing to Chicago again soon!

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