weekend getaway.

Weekend getaway's are definitely a special treat, especially when you get to travel by plane! Drew surprised me in October with a 4 day trip to Chicago, because Southwest would begin flying direct from our nearby airport in March! So he took advantage of cheap flights, by cheap I mean real cheap, and booked us an adventure. Neither of us had ever been to this great city. The Windy City, actually not that windy, offered us great weather perfect for walking and sightseeing. We saw/did a ton of stuff, as we wanted to take in all that we could.

I want to share a few of my favorite things...

Hotel Palomar: awesome location, right off Michigan Ave, and they serve free wine from 5-6 every night! Sable Kitchen & Bar: chic bar, fabulous food. Art Institute of Chicago: incredible collections, world renowned {we both love museums & art}. Lincoln Park & Zoo: lots of animals, huge park, but even better, it's FREE. John Hancock Observatory and Signature Lounge: amazing view of the city, historical facts, tasty drinks on the 96th floor of the "Johnny", as locals call it. Giordano's Flagship Restaurant yummy deep dish pizza, a must {thanks Murda}. Benny's Chop House: a traditional, low lit, chop house with a remarkable wine list {20 pages can you believe}. We had the most amazing Tomahawk steak, Malbec, and Key Lime tart...mouth watering and a wonderful, intimate experience; we even dressed up. And last but not least, our absolute favorite of the weekend was Francesca's on Chestnut, under the ownership of Scott Harris, Chicago's "2011 Restaurateur." It's authentic Italian cuisine renders me speechless and it's reasonably priced to boot. Dining while listening to a live pianist, drinking wine, and eating Italian food, Gnocchi to be exact, took me back to our honeymoon in Italy. If you're traveling to Chicago, you must go there, period.

For your viewing pleasure...

Are you planning a fun weekend adventure in the near future?

Surprises, trips, and most of all incredible husbands

are things to be thankful for!

- J