Chicago

Here is a word about digital maps: they are only as good as your connection to an active data network.  Without this active data network what you have is a cell phone and if you lose your signal, what you have is a piece of metal.  Pieces of metal, when you are diving in a new city during rush hour traffic, are helpful only for throwing at your husband's head while exclaiming "we really do not have the name, phone number or address nor directions to this hotel written down anywhere???"
(disclaimer: I am not given to fits of violent rage, especially not in front of my children and I would not potentially incapacitate the driver of a car in which I was riding)

Needless to say, we made it after no small amount of horn honking, fist waving and general dumb luck and stumbled, wind blasted and bewildered into the lobby and somehow made it to our room with all 17 pieces of luggage (people think we are joking when we say we are carrying a year's worth of clothing).
After peeing and apologizing, we were back in good form and ready to go exploring.

First stop:  a walk to Santorini's in Greektown at Sammy Amato's recommendation.  From the outside it looked like the sort of place one would pass on their way to something interesting.  But enter through the doors and....holy delicious Greek food Batman.

                    

Cold Weather Query: can the air make your face so cold that you can't move it?
and
is this what Botox feels like? (note to self: never get Botox)
Since we couldn't move our faces, we were unable to smile and the photographs of ourselves looked like we were auditioning for a documentary about the Great Depression. So there are no usable photos of us at Santorini's but what a view from our table, huh?

Breakfast the next morning was slightly less elaborate although that truck is pretty sophisticated, I must say. (Cupcakes? Yes, don't judge, we are on vacation)

                                                       

                        

The plan for the day was to go to the Field Museum where we heard they had a dinosaur exhibit: education and entertainment, the modern American way.

After some confusion regarding which bus to take, we hopped on one and met Richard, the nicest bus driver in the world who, rather than kicking us off declaring "you fools are on the wrong bus", instead let us stay on without paying him any fare (4 passengers, mind you) and gave us detailed instructions regarding where to buy day passes for buses and trains as well as which buses to take to get us back to our hotel.  When he found out where we are from he told us that his son lives in the Filmore and that he is a jazz musician and that he loves San Francisco and had a great time riding BART while there.
                                   Cheers to you, Richard: Chicago Bus Driver Extraordinare!
On to the Field museum which was so cool that even after a breakfast consisting of one cupcake, the boys did not want to leave after over four hours of exploring but alas, when Leigha gets hungry, things get ugly.

Look at this place.  What boy would not want to spend the day here?                                  

                                      

                 
One photo with the Lake Michigan skyline in the back ground is obligatory even if it's minus -something - ungodly and there's actual pain involved while posing.

                             
At last Luci got his deep-dish, Chicago-style pizza.  After hours walking in the museum and then out in the cold it was a little (or big) slice of heaven.

                                        
Then, since we hadn't been out in the cold quite enough, it was off to the Willis (formerly Sears) Tower for some hair raising moments at the observation deck and a spectacular view on a gorgeously clear night

Just to prove how doggone cold it was....

                                         Good thing we had our Practical German Coats

Next morning, at the recommendation of Derric, we hopped on the bus and headed to a famous Chicago breakfast joint where, much to the boys' delight, they hand you fresh baked donut holes right when you walk in the door.  Lou Mitchell's philosophy appears to be something along the lines of: "cholesterol?  calories?  bah!"  Interestingly, even in February with several inches of fresh snow on the ground (also to the delight of the boys), they offer ice cream as an after breakfast dessert.

                                         

                                          We will brave all kinds of weather for good food