navy pier

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Navy Pier

July 21st, 2011 · 2 Comments

On Jess’s second day of her visit I took her to Navy Pier. I haven’t been to the pier for years, so it was time. Jess had visited Navy Pier before, but she was very young (2004, 2005). I asked her if she remembered and she said she can’t remember a lot from when she was little. Funny. In my mind she is still “little.” Hahha. She is the ripe old age of 8.

Rachelle & Jessica :: Seadog Boat Cruise

Quinn :: Seadog Boat Cruise

Our captain.

Chicago Skyline from Seadog Lake Cruise

Chicago Harbor Lighthouse from the Seadog Lake Cruise

A month or so ago I saw a Groupon for Seadog boat cruises. I thought this would be something fun for Jess and I to do, so I bought it. I invited Quinn to join us, so we met Jen and Chad and Chad’s dad, who was in town from Baltimore, on the pier. We were doing the 30-minute lake tour. Seadog also does Chicago River architecture tours and some kind of extreme ride where they go really fast and spin in circles and who knows what.

For the lake tour we would go fast for a bit and then slow down and the guide would point out some things in the skyline and then go fast again. I think we went about 40 mph. I’m not sure, though, because the guide was terrible and had really bad jokes, so I was trying not to listen. It was a fun ride. Definitely worth the Groupon price of $13. And, it was great to be on the water and get the breeze, since it was 90+ degrees, 100 with the heat index, that day. HOT.

Navy Pier Swings

After the boat ride, Quinn went off to the Children’s Museum (located on the pier) for a while and Jess and I headed for the rides on Navy Pier. Jess had been telling me about how she went to Bay Beach, an amusement park in Green Bay, and how she really liked the swing ride there. She wanted to try the swings on Navy Pier, but wasn’t so sure when I told her she’d have to ride herself because I get sick going in circles! I told her I’d wait right at the exit and it would be fine. She manned up and went on the ride and even told me later on that she was brave enough to barely even hold on! Daredevil.

Funny side note about Bay Beach. Our family used to go there when I was young. The way that Jess was describing the rides to me, it seems like nothing has changed. I remembered going on the rides she told me she went on. One difference was that Jess told me they had a roller coaster now, which they never had before. Back when we used to go, it was like our parents and aunts and uncles would stake out a spot by Lake Michigan and hand my cousins and I some money. We’d go buy tickets and candy or whatever and disappear for the day. Just meet them back up on the grass for a picnic later. I don’t think this is how Jess’s trip went!

So, after the swings we met back up with Quinn and his family for lunch and then we were back on our own, off for more rides!

Jessica on the Navy Pier Ferris Wheel

Rachelle & Jessica. Right after this Jess actually spoke up to request that I don’t take any more photos of her!

Views from the Navy Pier Ferris Wheel

View of the swings from the Navy Pier Ferris Wheel

Jess had also told me that the ferris wheel at Bay Beach was boring and she didn’t like it. When she saw how big the ferris wheel at Navy Pier was, she decided she wanted to give it a second try. Here’s the thing: The Navy Pier ferris wheel goes so slow. Like so slow that it never even stops to let people on and off. They just exit and board while the thing is moving… slowly moving. And you only get one trip around. Afterwards Jess told me that it was boring and she didn’t like it. Figures!

Cirque Shanghai Extreme

Cirque Shanghai Extreme Motorcycle

Cirque Shanghai Extreme Motorcycle stunt

There are FOUR motorcycles in there!

Our final activity on the pier was to see the Cirque Shanghai Extreme show. I took my other niece Stephanie to a show similar to this a couple years ago and she really liked it. This Cirque show is kind of like a variety show with groups of performers coming out and doing different tricks and acrobatics and balancing acts. One of the biggest additions to this show was the acrobatics they did with motorcycles in the show’s finale. They rode the motorbikes on a wire over the audience and did tricks from above the middle of the audience. They also rode the bikes in a metal ball. I thought it was impressive when they did one, but then they added another and another and another. At the end there were 4 motorcycles riding around in the metal ball. Crazy. I couldn’t tell if Jess liked the show or not. She seemed interested, but afterwards wouldn’t really say. (She is still SO SO shy and mostly not talkative around us. Especially Dallas, who she has not spoken a word to in her whole life.)

This day turned out to be a long day, just because it was so hot outside, I think. I was so sweaty and tired when we got home. Plus, we took a bus and a train each way to get out there. Ugh! But it was a fun day and worth it. On the ride north to meet Amanda, I did get Jess to admit she had a fun weekend, so that is good. Before her visit she had told me more than once that she didn’t even want to come for a visit, but I’m glad she did. Despite her shyness and lack of openness to us, I think it is good for her and fun for me to have her around. Hopefully it will get better as she gets older (I’ve been saying this for about 6 years!).

Avatar in 3D at the IMAX Theater

January 15th, 2010 · 1 Comment

On Wednesday night I went to see Avatar in 3D at the IMAX theater with Dallas, Brian, Chad and Limey. These were the awesome glasses we got to wear! They were huge! And it was funny to turn to my friends during the movie and see them wearing them!!

So.. the movie. You know, there’s been so much hype about Avatar. Even before it premiered. And I remember hearing interviews with James Cameron going on about how this is his passion and his life’s work and how it was going to be bigger than his other movie Titanic and it was going to push the boundries technically and be better than Star Wars in its day or LOTR in its day. And I was kind of like “er. ok. whatever, dude!” But, I must say. I really liked it.

At its core it’s a story we’ve all heard a million times before. You know.. outsider infiltrates group and has an alterior motive. Group accepts him and he learns all about them and becomes one of them. Group finds out about alterior motives. Outsider must explain that those were the motives in the beginning but not any more. And there’s a romantic plot. And there’s a lot of action scenes with the big bad commander who will stop at nothing. This is nothing new. But the movie itself is gorgeous and fast paced. It’s something like 3 hours long, but doesn’t feel like it is. And the way that Cameron brings you into this new world, called Pandora, is really interesting.

As far as technology? Yes, some of the best CGI I’ve ever seen. .. and then add 3D. But, not your normal cheesy 3D, like the movies in the past that were just made for 3D and for messing with the technology. You know, things coming out at the audience on purpose just to make you jump. This is not like that. It’s more like you just feel like you’re a part of the movie. Of course, that huge IMAX screen didn’t hurt either.

So, overall, I think the story was weak, but the graphics were strong and it was still really fun to watch. Definitely worth the time and money.

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Tags:3d·avatar·brian·chad·Chicago·dallas·imax·limey·movies·navy pier

Stephanie’s Visit to Chicago

August 20th, 2009 · 8 Comments

On Friday night, Richard, Amanda, Jessica, and Stephanie came down to visit and we had dinner at Marcello’s Father and Son Restaurant nearby our house in Logan Square. The purpose of the trip was to drop Steph off to stay with us for a weekend in Chicago. This is something that we like to do every year.

On Friday night after dinner I was really tired from 2 days of work meetings and parties so we just relaxed at home and watched a movie. None of our Netflix movies were appropriate to watch with a 13-year-old and most of the movies Dallas owns were things Steph wasn’t interested in. The one movie she recognized that was rated PG-13 or less was The Simpsons Movie, so we put that in.

On Saturday I didn’t really have any plans for us until 6 p.m. that night. We had breakfast and planned our day. For lunch we went to Irazu Costa Rican restaurant. We decided to get chifrijo for an appetizer. This is a black bean dip mixed with fried pork, sauteed veggies, and rice, served with chips. It was delicious. I could have just eaten this for my meal.

Chifrijo, Irazu, Bucktown, Chicago

We also ordered shakes. I got the Avena (oatmeal) shake and Steph got the banana shake. Both were delicious. I don’t know what it is about the shakes at Irazu, but they’re not thick and heavy at all. I like them because they’re light and delicious and don’t feel like lead in your belly or make you so stuffed you can’t eat your dinner. And they’re not so sweet that it’s like drinking dessert.

Here’s Steph looking over her menu. I don’t know how she got to be 13 years old already! Or when she got so pretty. Not cute. But really pretty. I flash back to when she was born and when she learned to write and how she wanted to name her cat Pikachu. How I kept forgetting she could read and she’d sit behind me and try to read my email on a visit home. A couple years ago when she first stayed with me she was begging me to buy her something out of a gumball machine. And now this.

stephanie

I also don’t know what kind of mascara she is using, but look at those lashes. I must find out and buy it.

steph

Steph’s only 13, which is still young…. she’s going into 8th grade in a few weeks. .. but there are a lot of things we can talk about as though I was talking to a friend of mine, my age, which is kind of fun.

Look! No braces!

steph_smile

I decided to get the pepito sandwich. Again. This is the rib eye steak sandwich with sauteed onions, cheese, pinto beans and Lizano sauce. I also got avocado on mine because I am obsessed with avocado lately. Steph got the same sandwich but instead of avocado she got jalepenos on her sandwich. Awesome. I love this sandwich and could eat it every day. PLUS? It is only $4.95!

pepito_sandwich
Pepito sandwich, Irazu, Bucktown, Chicago

There was a slight incident at the table behind us with some guy who passed out and 911 was called. The fire truck and the ambulance showed up to wake him and make sure he was ok. After that drama we headed back on the bus downtown.

Another bus transfer later and we were at the Adler Planetarium. Steph had never been to a planetarium before. I think she found the exhibits to be a bit dry (I tend to agree with her there), but she agreed that the show in the dome was pretty cool.

From the planetarium we took a cab, Steph’s first cab ride, to Navy Pier. After a quick ice cream treat we saw the acrobatic show Cirque Shanghai. Here’s a photo of Steph before the show.

stephanie_cirque_shanghai

How did Steph keep her hair looking so good all day? It was hot and I felt a mess.

The show was pretty amazing. The stunts were crazy. Juggling crazy things while balancing in pyramids and dancing and leaping through the air, hoops and contortions in ways the body should not bend. At one point this chick was balancing on one foot, tip toed, on the top of a guy’s head! Unlike the Cirque show I saw in Las Vegas, which had a storyline, this show was just music and routines.. which was fine. Just different… more for the audience.. which was Navy Pier, all ages, and very affordably priced.

Steph said without hesitation that she thought the show was “Awesome” so I take that as a winner. I wasn’t sure if she’d want to go to the show, but luckily she liked it.

After the show we took a cab home, Steph’s second cab ever. We had dinner at Taqueria Moran, by my house. Steph commented how everything on the menu was in Spanish and how billboards in our neighborhood are all Spanish. To be honest, I’m so used to seeing Spanish, I don’t really find it odd til someone else points it out to me.

On Sunday we went to the Logan Square Farmers Market in the morning. I had a couple errands to run and then we got lunch at the Whole Foods food court. Steph got barbecue chicken pizza (the first time she’s ever had it) and I got a turkey burger. We shared a 365 cola, made with cane sugar and natural ingredients, not high fructose corn syrup and no caffeine. Yum! We did a bit of shopping and headed home. Before we knew it, it was time to drive up to Milwaukee and the weekend was over.

I always have a good time when Steph visits each year. We don’t spend much time alone or talking so it’s good to get to know her better. I also enjoy taking her around town and exposing her to things she’s never done before. Even things we take for granted every day in Chicago. So far I think she’s had fun too. I think she likes getting away from her family for a couple days and spending time in the big city.

Went by fast, but it was fun!