Christmastime In The City

Hi, friends! I’m sorry I disappeared on you this week. Work got hectic with President-elect Donald Trump coming to Indiana and then I tweaked my back on Friday, which interfered with my plans. But, I have a fun weekend recap for you today!

We are on the train headed back to my hometown after a quick visit to Chicago with my parents. We planned the trip earlier this year when my mom managed to snag some tickets to see Hamilton.

We drove over to Illinois Friday night and took the train up to Chicago early Saturday. It’s so nice not having to worry about parking or driving. Once we got to the city, we dropped our bags off at our hotel and headed to the Walnut Room for an early lunch.

My family’s been going to the Walnut Room during the holidays for years. It’s a tradition I introduced James to when we started dating and now we look forward to making the trip every December. There’s a giant tree in the middle of the room that gets decorated differently every year and makes for a fun photo opp. Lots of other families have the same tradition, making the wait to get a table over two hours most days. But, you can also sit at the bar area. That’s what we did and there was no wait!

After a delicious lunch, we did some window shopping before heading to the theater for Hamilton. Like just about everyone else in the country, I’ve been dying to see the show. It absolutely lived up to the hype. The singing and dancing was nonstop, making the 2.5 hour show seem much shorter. I didn’t want it to end! I have a feeling I’ll be listening to the soundtrack and mix tape on repeat all week.

Shortly after the show we headed to Labriola for dinner. We tend to go to the same restaurants every time we are in the city, so it was fun to try something new! Our friend Debbie recommended the restaurant and we all had great meals. They offer a variety of salads, pastas and pizzas and everything was delicious. I had the spaghetti and meatballs and the portions were HUGE. You could easily spilt an entree. I’d recommend this restaurant if you’re staying in the Mag Mile area and looking for hearty portions.

My parents turned in for the night while James and I met up with a friend of ours at Watershed for drinks. The bar is in the basement of Pops for Champagne and only features beers from the Great Lakes region, which I loved. It’s laid back and a good spot to grab a casual drink.

Our trip to the city was a quick one, but so much fun. There’s just something special about Chicago at Christmastime.

We’ll be back in the city in two weeks to reunite with some friends, so I’m looking forward to hitting up more new spots. If you have any recommendations, send them my way!