The rest of Illinois

After spending a few days in Nauvoo, we drove up to Rockford, IL to spend some time with my aunt. My mom came with us, and Ben actually continued on to Chicago for a week of training for work. Henry, my mom and I spent most of the week playing with my aunt and young cousins (who are closer in age to Henry than to me). 

We went to the Children's Discovery Center that I used to love as a child, and Henry was a big fan of it as well. They have all kinds of science experiments and games you can play. It actually makes me want to learn about science, which is saying something.

We also went to Magic Waters, the water park I also loved to go to as a kid. Henry enjoyed splashing with my cousin Spencer, though his favorite part was going down the little frog slide over and over. I was especially brave and went down the new, very high, sheer drop slide. Once was enough. 

Since I hadn't ever spent much time in Chicago, despite visiting my grandparents, who lived an hour from there, multiple times a year every year for about 18 years, we took a trip in to the city. 

We stopped at Cloud Gate, which I expected to be overrated but was actually really neat. I could have stayed there awhile, taking pictures of different reflections.

You can't tell by this picture, but the Chicago Food Fair was going on in Millenium Park and it was crazy. The food trucks and stands smelled delicious, but I didn't want to ruin the fancy dinner Ben and I had planned.

I ditched everyone at dinner time, and they stayed at Navy Pier and rode the merry-go-round before heading back to Rockford. My mom had agreed to watch Henry for the night so I could stay in the city with Ben.

Ben and I went to Girl and the Goat for dinner (please forgive the few lower quality photos--I only had my cell phone with me for part of the trip). It was some of the most amazing food I've ever had. Small plates are really popular in Chicago--you order about six different things and thus get to try a little bit of a variety of dishes. We ordered fried pickles (I fancy myself something of a pickle connoisseur, and those were some life-changing pickles), oysters, goat meatballs, the most amazing cauliflower, and "pig face", which is that fried egg you see there--it's covering a slab of amazing, fatty, pig meat. Mmmm. .

The next day we met my mom at the airport and picked up Henry before she flew home. We came back into the city to do a bit of site seeing as a family. Henry loved looking out the window from our 32nd floor hotel room.

He did not, however, care for the mini train we put him on back at Navy Pier. He had asked very nicely to ride it, but I think he wanted us to go on it with him, and adults weren't allowed. He got a little bit scared. Poor kid.

All in all, it was a great trip (other than the two migraines I got, but that's pretty much par for the course as far as vacations go). Chicago was a lot of fun, but I'm glad we chose to move to Michigan instead of there when we were given the choice. Partially because it's so hectic and traffic-y in Chicago and partially because I think we'd be fat/poor with all of the amazing food they have. Seriously, amazing food.