Best River and Lake Cruises in Chicago

Even though it feels like it's been forever since we lived in Chicago (it's been 2.5 years), I answer emails about what to do in the city all the time. One of the emails I answer most often (other than where to eat!) is about Chicago river and lake cruises. We went on six cruises during our year in Chicago! Now that the weather is nice again, I wanted to share some of my favorite Chicago cruises.

Chicago Architecture Foundation Center River Cruise
This is one of Chicago's most popular river cruises, and there's a good reason for that. It's packed full of information about Chicago's gorgeous architecture. The one negative I will see is this tour would be a little better if it was shorter. I thought it went into too much detail on some buildings that weren't all that interesting. Overall, it was a great tour, though!

Shoreline Sightseeing Classic Lake Tour
This was my least favorite of the tours that we did, mostly because I prefer guides to audio tours. It was the cheapest and shortest of the cruises we did (only 40 minutes), and it's a nice way to see the skyline from Lake Michigan. If you are short on time, this cruise is worth doing!

Odyssey Cruises Sunset Dinner Cruise
This cruise was more about the views and the food than learning about Chicago, but it was a great experience! We loved the boat, and the food was good. Plus, watching the sun set over the Chicago skyline is just magical.

Wendella Lake Michigan Fireworks Cruise 
If you are in Chicago during the summer (on Wednesdays and Fridays from Memorial Day to Labor Day), a fireworks cruise is a must! The fireworks cruise includes a short overview of Chicago's architecture, but the real highlight is watching fireworks with a view of the Chicago skyline.

Wendella Lake & River Architecture Tour 
This is by far my favorite cruise tour in Chicago (I'm hoping to do a full review of it in the future). I went on this cruise three times with family and friends, and I would happily go again. The guides are funny, the architecture portion was really interesting, and it was fascinating to go through the locks to Lake Michigan. The combo of being on the lake and learning Chicago's architecture is just perfect!

Have you done a river or lake cruise in Chicago?

Eight Favorite Experiences in Eight Years of Marriage

Chris and I celebrated eight years of marriage while we were in Maine, and I love using our anniversary to reminisce on all the special moments we’ve had throughout the years. Today, I thought it would be fun to share eight of our favorite experiences in our years of marriage. These are off the top of my head and in no particular order.

Celebrating Our 21st Birthdays and One Year Anniversary in Las Vegas
We had so much fun on our first trip to Vegas together! We saw Cirque du Soleil’s LOVE and KA and ate at so many amazing places. Vegas is still one of our favorite places if we only have time to get away for a few days.

Related Posts: 
Best Shows in Las Vegas, Best Buffets in Las Vegas, Hiking Through Valley of Fire State Park, Best Things to Do in Las Vegas if You Don't Gamble or Drink

Studying Abroad in Europe
There’s something special about being married and getting to study abroad in Europe together. We went with a group of about 40 other students from Baylor and were definitely the “mom and dad” of the group, but we had the best time! Our study abroad program was heavily focused on travel (Fridays off and lots of holidays), and we took advantage of it by seeing 16 different countries. I’m so glad we were able to do something like this before the craziness of medical school.

Related Posts: 
European Train Travel Tips, Three European Travel Stories I Will Never Forget, Visiting Neuschwanstein Castle, Via dell' Amore, Cinque Terre, My Top Five European Travel Moments, Three Cities to Visit in France (Besides Paris), Three Great Day Trips from Paris, 24 Hours in Strasbourg, Eight Ideas for the Best Romantic Getaway in Paris, 24 Hours in Stresa, Italy, Three Relaxing Destinations in Italy, 24 Hours in Bath, England, Five Things You Must Do in Marseille, France, Five Places in Europe I Would Love to Visit Again

Discovering a Love for Cruising
I hadn’t been on a cruise in the United States (we did a month long cruise from Russia throughout Europe when we lived there) until we got married, but we’ve done six together since then! (two to Alaska, one Southern Caribbean cruise from Puerto Rico, one Eastern Caribbean cruise, one Western Caribbean cruise, and one fall color cruise). We haven’t been on one in almost three years mostly due to Zika, but I am definitely planning on going again when the baby is old enough!

Related Posts: My Three Favorite Caribbean Cruise Ports, Cozumel, Belize River Cruise, Belize Lamanai Mayan Ruins, Maya Key in Honduras, Emerald Princess Review, Saint John and Saint Andrews, New Brunswick, Bar Harbor and Acadia, Maine, Portland and Kennebunkport, Maine, Brilliance of the Seas Review, Seven Reasons I Choose to Cruise, A Crab Feast Excursion in Ketchikan, Alaska

Graduating Baylor
Baylor will always be a special part of our story: we met on our first day on campus, spent that first semester falling in love, and got married the summer after our sophomore year at a gorgeous spot on campus. All of that made graduating together from the university we love even more wonderful. We were in different colleges, so we got to watch each other’s ceremonies. It was such a great day!

Related Posts:
Seven Years: A Short Version of Our Love Story, A Waco Weekend

Watching Chris Become a Doctor
I’ve never been one to sugarcoat medical school. It’s not easy (though it’s a cake walk compared to residency). Still, there was nothing better than watching my love fulfill his dream during those four years. I was so proud as he crossed that stage and officially became a doctor in 2015. Now we’re making our way through residency, and it’s hard to believe that day was over two years ago!

Related Posts:
Match Day Process, Match Day Results

Celebrating the End of Medical School with a California Road Trip
We’ve been blessed to visit many amazing places in our eight years of marriage, both in the United States and abroad, but our California road trip ranks as one of our favorite trips. We were celebrating such a big occasion in a place full of incredible views and so many fun things to do. I loved visiting La Jolla and the San Diego Zoo for the first time, and our drive up Highway 1 was absolutely incredible. Someday I’ll get around to finishing up my recaps of that trip, but it’s definitely a trip I will always treasure.

Related Posts:
Seven-Day Itinerary from San Diego to San Francisco, Old Town San Diego, La Jolla, San Diego Zoo Tips, San Diego Zoo Private Tour, Antelope Valley California Poppy Reserve, Hearst Castle Views, Hearst Castle Grand Rooms Tour, Hearst Castle Upstairs Suites Tour, Pacific Coast Highway Tips, The Most Beautiful Place in Big Sur, Five Things You Must Do in San Diego

Our Year in Chicago
Y’all know the story by now: I moved to Chicago kicking and screaming…and then I fell in love on basically the first day. Intern year was hard, but living in Chicago made it so much better. That year ended up being one of my favorites of our marriage so far. I loved exploring a new area of the United States with my love, and you better believe I left Chicago with tears in my eyes when the year was over.

Related Posts:
Best Weekend Trips from Chicago, Three Great Day Trips from Chicago, Best Places for Brunch in Chicago, Best Deep Dish Pizza in Chicago, Wendella Lake Michigan Fireworks Cruise,  Seven Things You Must Do in Chicago During the Holiday Season, Shoreline Sightseeing Classic Lake Tour, Best View in Chicago, Lake Michigan Circle Tour Itinerary, The Field Museum, Sunset Dinner Cruise on Lake Michigan

Our Journey to Parenthood
Of course, I had to include the last few months in my favorite marriage experiences. We have been so excited since finding out we’re going to be parents, and it’s hard to believe we’ll be mommy and daddy in just three short months! As much as I have loved all of our adventures, I know this one will be the best one yet!

Related Posts:
Our Announcement, All About Baby, Pregnancy Confessions, Gender Predictions, Gender Reveal, How I Told Chris About Baby

SaveSaveSaveSaveSaveSaveSaveSaveSaveSaveSaveSaveSaveSaveSaveSaveSaveSaveSaveSaveSaveSaveSaveSaveSaveSaveSaveSaveSaveSaveSaveSaveSaveSaveSaveSaveSaveSaveSaveSaveSaveSaveSaveSaveSaveSaveSaveSave

One Year Since Our Move Home from Chicago: Reflections and Confessions

This time of year always makes me a little nostalgic. The beginning of the Medical New Year is July 1, so over the last few years we have gone through a lot of changes around this time. Last year, we moved back to Texas from Chicago around this time. It was a strange move. I felt like I was in limbo, dealing with serious pain and just waiting for our insurance to start, so I could schedule a doctor’s visit and a surgery date. It’s crazy to me how much has happened in the last year since our move home: I had surgery, spent a few hard months recovering, and then got pregnant! Today, I just wanted to spend a little time reflecting on the past year and our time in Chicago now that we’re a year removed from the experience.

I honestly thought I would miss Chicago more. I definitely miss the city and our friends, but not in an I hate it here and want to move back to Chicago way. One of the sayings mentioned a lot in our doctors’ wives community is grow where you’re planted, and we’ve really been able to take that to heart in this move. It helps that Chris works with a great group of residents, and we love getting together with them and their significant others. It’s also been wonderful to be able to be a part of family events again and to spend time with old friends. That said, I really wouldn’t mind moving away for fellowship or for his attending job. One thing living in Chicago has taught me is there are a lot of places in the United States left to explore, and I am willing to be flexible.

Summer does make me Chicago a little bit more, though. We’re just at the beginning of our months of intense heat here in Texas, and I definitely wouldn’t mind a walk to Lake Michigan right about now! I also miss summer nights on the patio (I promise I’ll get my Chicago restaurant guide finished soon!), boat rides, and being in driving distance to a lot of great hikes.

I’ve been asked a lot lately if I could see us moving back to Chicago for fellowship or when Chris is done with training. Like I mentioned above, I am open to a lot of possibilities. Still, I think our time in Chicago was so special because of where we were in our lives at that time. Intern year was crazy, but I worked from home and was able to adjust my schedule to fit the time off Chris did get. That’s not really the case anymore, especially with a little one on the way! If we were to move back, I think we would more likely move to the suburbs or even to Wisconsin or Michigan, depending on the job opportunity, but for now we will enjoy our next three years in Texas!

Best Weekend Trips from Chicago

It’s been a while since I’ve done a Chicago travel post, and I still have so much to share about our year in the Windy City. Last year I shared my three favorite day trips from Chicago, so today I wanted to share my favorite weekend trips! Chris didn’t have many weekends off last year, so we saw most of these places on our week-long road trip around Lake Michigan, but they are completely possible to do in a weekend!

Grand Haven, Michigan
Time from Chicago: 172.5 miles, about three hours
What to do: Walk around the boardwalk, see the Grand Haven Lighthouse, and eat all kinds of yummy food.
More information: Grand Haven Lighthouse and Boardwalk and Grand Haven, Michigan Food Adventures 

If you followed our Lake Michigan Circle Tour, you heard me mention Grand Haven a lot. Chris and I were totally surprised by this gorgeous little town by the lake. If we had been in Chicago for more than a year, I know we would have visited multiple times. Not only is it beautiful, it had some great eats!

Traverse City, Michigan
Time from Chicago: 319 miles, about five hours
What to do: Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore, visit the wineries at Old Mission Peninsula, Leland, pick cherries or eat cherry product, enjoy many amazing restaurants
More information: Pyramid Point Trail at Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore

Traverse City is slightly pushing it for a weekend trip, and I think this city deserves more than two days, but if a weekend is all you have, it’s still worth going! One of these days (soon), I will write posts on all we did in this amazing city, but for now I will say it had some of my favorite views and eats of our entire trip. The wineries were wonderful, and Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore is stunning. It’s definitely a place I would love to visit again in the future.

Door County, Wisconsin
Time from Chicago: 244 miles, about 4.5 hours
What to do: Tour all the towns, shop, go to a fish boil, visit Cave Point County Park, eat all the cherry products

If you are looking for a relaxing weekend trip from Chicago, Door County is the perfect spot. It’s full of beautiful views and lots of great shops and restaurants. I even enjoyed the local tradition of a fish boil, even though it sounded a bit gross to me before we went!

Bonus: Galena, Illinois
Time from Chicago: 163 miles, about three hours

Galena was the trip that didn’t happen. We had plans to go in June before we moved back to Texas, but then I got sick, and it wasn’t possible. I wanted to included as part of this list because Galena is constantly voted as one of the best small towns in America, and about a million people told us to go while we lived in Chicago. We definitely hope to make it there someday!

Where do you like to go on weekend trips from your city?

SaveSave

A Year in Review: 2016 Highlights (Part One)

2016 was a tough year. It’s no secret that overall, it was the hardest year of my life. Still, there was so much good in this year, and I want to remember it. I love doing the year recaps every year (here is 2015 part one and part two and 2014 part one, part two, part three, and part four), so I was looking forward to doing one in 2016.

January

Most Popular Blog Post: Ten Best Books I Read in 2015

We kicked off the new year by celebrating New Year’s Eve with my parents and friends in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Chris had to leave the next day, but I spent an extra day with my family. Then, my parents drove me to Chicago, and I spent an afternoon showing them some of my favorite places in the city.

Another January highlight was my Christmas present-tickets to the Potted Potter! We had the best date night watching the show and eating at Cheesecake Factory.

Click here for a full recap of January in Chicago.

February

Most Popular Blog Post: Stunning Sea Views on the Via dell’Amore in Cinque Terre, Italy 

Chris had to work on Valentine’s Day, but he still made it special with a sweet message from the dog park while he was walking Skyler. We went to Bohemian House on the Monday after Valentine’s Day to celebrate. It was so delicious and ended up being one of my favorite meals in Chicago.

February was filled with lots of great restaurant and a gorgeous walk on a 50-degree day.

Click here for a full recap of February in Chicago. 

March

Most Popular Blog Post: Quick Trip: 24 Hours in Strasbourg, France

March was such a fun month! After Chris got off work on St. Patrick’s Day weekend, we headed to the Chicago River to see it turn green. It was a blast, and I highly recommend visiting Chicago during St. Patrick’s Day.

March was also a great month of visitors. I had such a fun time with my Red Army girls on our reunion weekend. I loved showing them the city! Then, my in laws came into town for Easter weekend. I loved going out of town with them for a day trip, so they could see more of Illinois.

Click here for a full recap of March in Chicago. 

April 

Most Popular Blog Post: California Road Trip: Hearst Castle Upstairs Suites Tour and Roman Pool

I realized there was something wrong with me in early February, but I wasn’t able to get an appointment until April. By April, I was having a hard time moving, so we weren’t able to explore as much. Still, I had a blast taking photos with Christopher to remember our time in Chicago, eating at Smoque, and enjoying the NFL Draft Town festivities.

Click here for a full recap of April in Chicago. 

May

Most Popular Blog Posts: The Hardest Post I’ve Ever Written, Best Things to Do in Vegas if You Don’t Gamble or Drink, and California Road Trip: Pacific Coast Highway Tips

In May, I was determined to not let being sick ruin my last full month in Chicago. By that time, Chris and I really missed Russian food, so we loved going to Russian Tea Time and meeting friends at a Ukrainian restaurant called Shokolad.

On Mother’s Day, we went to our first Cubs game ever at Wrigley Field! I have been joking with friends that they won the World Series this year because we are lucky charms. Haha.

Of course, I can’t write a short recap of our month without mentioning the Gelato World Tour. It was so neat to go to the festival and eat gelato from all over the world!

Click here for a full recap of May in Chicago. 

June

Most Popular Blog Post: Chicago Travel: Wendella Lake Michigan Fireworks Cruise 

June brought so many changes. Christopher finished intern year, and we celebrated in our favorite way: trying out new places to eat in Chicago. We went to Bavette’s, an amazing French steakhouse and Café Ba-Ba-Reeba for tapas and sangria!

We capped off our time in Chicago in the best way: with a fireworks cruise on Lake Michigan. If you are ever in Chicago during the summer, put this on your list!

My parents drove from Texas to pick Skyler and me up, so I wouldn’t have to ride in the Penske truck. My dad made the drive from Chicago to Texas in 13 hours, and I spent the rest of the month meeting up friends, relaxing, and moving into our new place.

Click here for a recap of our last weeks in Chicago (filled with lots of amazing food!) and our first weeks in Texas.  

Now it's your turn! What was your favorite part of 2016?

Reflections: Six Months Back in Texas

I realized on Monday that I have officially been back in Texas for six months. I’m always in a reflective mood this time of year, so I thought I would share some thoughts on leaving Chicago and life back in Texas.

In some ways, it feels like we have been home forever. So much has happened since we moved back, and honestly, those first few months back are a bit of a blur. In other ways, it feels like we just left. Weren’t we just celebrating the end of intern year? I talked a little in the past about how residency life is weird. It’s hard to stay in the moment when it’s designed to always look ahead. Each rotation is four weeks, so Chris and I are constantly discussing the next rotation and what the schedule will be like. Even so, I’ve been trying to enjoy these last six months with an easier schedule. I’ve mentioned it before, but medical students don’t learn much radiology, so first year radiology residents aren’t prepared to take call by themselves right away. It’s an interesting residency in that Chris has to come home and study for two to three hours a day.

Of course, all of that is about to change. His schedule gets much worse starting in January, and starting in July, he will be doing four months of nights per year. (The medical new year starts in July). All that to say we have really enjoyed the extra time together. He has been off every other weekend, so we have loved exploring where we live.

I do miss Chicago. I definitely don’t miss it as much now when Chicago friends post about negative wind chill, and I really don’t miss the crazy intern year schedule, but I do miss walking to Lake Michigan and constantly finding new places to explore with my love.

One thing Chicago didn’t have, though, is family. We live about an hour and a half from both sets of parents (though they live in opposite directions from us), and it’s been such a blessing to visit my in-laws for the weekend or go to a Russian party at my parents’ house.

I hope y’all have enjoyed my stream of consciousness. I did want to say a quick apology for not reading your blogs or answering comments as much. I haven’t been feeling well barely have the energy to write. I’m planning on catching up after Christmas, though!

Seven Things You Must Do in Chicago During the Holiday Season

During our year in Chicago, one of the things I was most looking forward to is spending the holidays in the city. It didn’t disappoint. I am always in love with Chicago, but it’s absolutely magical during the holiday season. I made it a goal to experience the season to the fullest, and today, I’m sharing my list, so you can, too!

Magnificent Mile Lights Festival
The Magnificent Mile Lights Festival kicks off the holiday season in Chicago and is similar to the Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade in New York City. The difference is the Magnificent Mile Lights Festival is held the weekend before Thanksgiving. The parade, which ends in a tree-lighting ceremony, is in the evening, followed by a stunning fireworks show over the Chicago River. The festival has plenty of fun activities for the kids and great shopping for adults!

Christkindlmarket
I have always wanted to visit Germany during the holiday season to see the Christmas markets, but Christkindlmarket in Chicago is the next best thing! I’ve been told by Germans that Christkindlmarket is exactly like the markets in Germany. Most of the vendors actually fly in from Germany for the market. I love the unique, hand-crafted items, amazing German food, and, of course, the mulled wine.

ZooLights at Lincoln Park Zoo
I love visiting the Lincoln Park Zoo any time of the year because it’s free, but it’s even better during ZooLights. Just like on regular days, the entrance is free. It’s so fun to look at all the gorgeous lights and enjoy the light shows while drinking some delicious mulled wine. One of my favorite parts was watching sculptors make amazing ice sculptures. Don’t forget to stop by the gorilla house on the way home to watch them go to sleep!

See the windows at Macy’s on State Street
The Macy’s on State Street is famous for its gorgeous Christmas displays, and they are worth seeing. My favorite last year was the blue mythological window.

Eat at the Walnut Room
Eating at the Walnut Room with the giant Christmas tree was high on my holiday season list, and it turned out to be one of my favorite things we did during the holiday season in Chicago. Click here for a full guide to the Walnut Room.

Go Ice Skating
Ice Skating at the rink in Millennium Park is a perfect holiday season activity. The park is gorgeous during the holidays and has a beautiful view of the Chicago skyline. The McCormick Tribune Ice Rink opens the same day as the tree lighting ceremony.

Christmas Around the World at The Museum of Science and Industry
The Museum of Science and Industry is always worth visiting, but it is even better during the holiday season when they have their “Christmas Around the World” exhibit. It features over 50 Christmas trees, each one decorated with holiday traditions from a different country. The trees were beautiful, and I loved seeing all the traditions from other countries.

Have you ever been to Chicago during the holiday season?