This past weekend we had the privelege of visiting Louisville, KY to support our great friend as he competed in the Ironman Louisville! We are so very proud of him for completing the race which was a 2.5 mile swim, 119 mile bike and 26 mile run all which took him only 16 1/2 hours :) (he he)
Here are Brittany and Brent at the swim finish. Aren't they cute?
Seriously, to check out his version and details of the competition, be sure to visit his blog: My Path to the Ironman We stayed at a really neat hotel called 21c Hotel, which was a combination of a museum and a hotel. Brent thought their art was "creepy" but it was definitely unique. They had a bunch of these red penguins throughout the hotel that "moved" around during the night. We even saw one that had a sign around its neck cheering on a fellow Ironman competitor.
The Ironman was on Sunday, but we still had some traveling to do: we left Louisville on Monday morning and headed to Chicago, IL which is only 4 1/2 hours away from Louisville.
This was the most fascinating thing EVER - there are bleachers on the tops of these buildings. Once we were inside the stadium, we could see that these guys had some great seats. Very unconventional, but just one more thing to make Wrigley Field so unique!
Wrigley Field is sooooo awesome. It's the second oldest stadium in the country and definitely has more character than any stadium I've ever visited. The Moncriefs were excellent ticket pickers and we ended up with excellent seats, in the shade. We all had a Chicago-style dog - complete with the poppyseed bun, grilled onions, and crazy "neon" green relish.
That afternoon we went up in the John Hancock building to the 96th floor to overlook the beautiful city - even the women's bathrooms were all windows which overlooked the city. It was amazing!
We wrapped up our last night at another pizza place: this time, Giadarno's which took 1st place on best pizza for the Montikers! It was incredible.
And just because she's so darn cute...here is a collection of some adorable Ada shots
The Ironman was on Sunday, but we still had some traveling to do: we left Louisville on Monday morning and headed to Chicago, IL which is only 4 1/2 hours away from Louisville.Monday
We went to Wrigley Field to watch the infamous Chicago "cubbies" take on the Houston Astros. Unfortnately, the Cubs lost and we didn't get to hear the Cubs song that Brent kept telling us about (we're still not sure he didn't just make it up in the car). We looked for about 15 minutes for a parking spot and were just about to pay $45 for a spot when we found this guy holding a sign "Parking $25" so we pulled over and he directed us to his back yard of his condo - we ended up parking in the alley of his condo. Only the "Montikers" could fully appreciate this guy's entrepeneurship.
The One, The Only - Wrigley Field
This was the most fascinating thing EVER - there are bleachers on the tops of these buildings. Once we were inside the stadium, we could see that these guys had some great seats. Very unconventional, but just one more thing to make Wrigley Field so unique! Wrigley Field is sooooo awesome. It's the second oldest stadium in the country and definitely has more character than any stadium I've ever visited. The Moncriefs were excellent ticket pickers and we ended up with excellent seats, in the shade. We all had a Chicago-style dog - complete with the poppyseed bun, grilled onions, and crazy "neon" green relish.After the game, we headed to the W Hotel which overlooked Lake Michigan and was GORGEOUS!! For dinner we had Pizzeria Uno for dinner - deep dish Chicago-style pizza that was fantastic. Afterwards, we were all exhausted so we headed back for a peaceful night's sleep in our fab hotel.
Tuesday
Brent was able to swing a deal when he booked our room and scored 2 free breakfasts from the W Hotel restaurant. The bad part was that there were 4 of us. Oh but have no fear - Jimmy and Brent had no shame in eating their heart's desire out at the restaurant AND taking to-go boxes of food back to the room for Brittany and I. To give you an idea of the restaurant - it was around $50 PER PERSON to eat at the restaurant for breakfast!!
I work with someone who is originally from Chicago and she was a lifesaver with excellent recommendations on things to do in the Windy City. We took her recommendation and went on an Architectural Tour of the city on Tuesday afternoon. It was really interesting to learn about the various buildings and their history in the city.
Of course we visited Michigan Avenue, with a variety of stores. I had convinced Brent not to take his tennis shoes (because they took up too much room in the suitcase) and it ended up backfiring on me as he had to buy shoes at NikeTown because his flip flops had worn a HUGE blister on his wittle foot. (poor thing...i know)
That afternoon we went up in the John Hancock building to the 96th floor to overlook the beautiful city - even the women's bathrooms were all windows which overlooked the city. It was amazing! We wrapped up our last night at another pizza place: this time, Giadarno's which took 1st place on best pizza for the Montikers! It was incredible.We didn't make it to Soldier Field THIS time, but there were plenty of reminders that we were in Bears Town and Brent was in heaven.
Wednesday
We took the recommendation of Ramone at the W Hotel and ate breakfast at and amazing restaurant serving up some amazing eggs, omelets, pancakes and waffles. Our full tummies took us to Navy Pier, we walked around (not much to do here except see the beautiful lake) then headed back to pack up the car and begin our trek home.
And just because she's so darn cute...here is a collection of some adorable Ada shots
3 comments:
Go Cubs Go, Go Cubs Go, Hey Chicago what do ya say, Cubs are going to win today. Go Gubs Go....
He didn't make it up. The Cubs are having a great season too bad you caught them in their recent slump and didn't get to hear the song.
Awesome Post for an Awesome Vacation - it's midnight and I'm craving a Chicago Dog!
I don't know how I missed this post. I did not realize it was up until Jimmy found it. Thanks so much for going with us to support!!! You all are awesome.
I knew Michael would know the song, if anybody :)
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