From Chicago to Las Vegas and Back Home Again!

I thought I'd take a minute to post about my two most recent trips with Pete. Pete is fortunate in his job to have lots of opportunity to travel for conferences. Every once in awhile, if our kids schedules allow, I get to follow along. I had the opportunity to travel with Pete to Chicago. We stayed at a great old hotel, The Knickerbocker. It was in a great location for shopping on Michigan Avenue. We didn't arrive until quite late, due to a delayed plane flight, so we sauntered over to the hotel across the street for a very late night snack! I won't mention the time, but man, we shared the best cheeseburger I've had in a long time! The next morning, Pete had conference, so I was able to sleep in. Then we wandered around the Magnificent Mile and admired the great architecture that Chicago is known for. We stopped for chicago style pizza, and later, cheese popcorn from Garrett's. I think we walked around for about 5 hours.

That evening, Pete attended a dinner with some friends from Michigan, then we headed to the Chicago Field Museum for a conference event. As we walked, a brilliant red Chinese dragon was winding its way between the tables, as traditional Chinese music played. There was a strangely costumed woman, wearing wings and stilts, that wandered through the crowds, a little unsettling, honestly. Sue, the big fossil of a T-Rex, and the big Mammoths in the central hall, were fun to see, as was the exhibit on a real pirate ship dredged from the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean. Apparently, it's the only ship ever found with its "pirate booty" in tact. We also enjoyed reconnecting with old friends from Michigan.

The following day, Pete and I spent the majority of the day at the Chicago Institute of Art. What a fantastic fine arts museum! We concentrated on the European artists on the upper floor, so we could be sure to see the famous Seurat. I think we spent another 5 hours wandering around the museum, something we definitely couldn't have done with our kids in tow. My favorites are the Impressionist paintings, especially those by Renoir and Monet.



That evening, we met up with some of our old friends from BYU and an old mission companion of Pete's, Jared and Matia Marcucci, for dinner at a restaurant with a hip, 1920's vibe. We had such a great time, laughing and reminiscing about the past. It's always fun to hang out with friends, and few people can make us laugh like Jared Marcucci.

The next day, I had to return home to kids and mom responsibilities, while Pete had 2 more days at the conference. But, before I left for the airport, we had brunch at the Four Seasons hotel. Great times!

View of the Bellagio Fountains from the Eiffel Tower, Las Vegas

To my surprise, a few short weeks later, Pete surprised me for our 14th Anniversary with an overnighter to Las Vegas. I didn't know where were going until we boarded the plane. Pete didn't pack clothes so that we could shop at the Caesar Palace Forum Shops for a show that night. We didn't go too overboard, but it was fun to be that spontaneous, and much quicker to not wait for luggage. We ate at a great Italian restaurant and then saw a cirque du soleil show. We stayed at the Paris Hotel, since I've always wanted to go to Paris (you can't really do Paris, France justice in an overnight trip). We went to the top of the Eiffel Tower and watched the Bellagio Fountains below us. We had an incredible room with views of the Strip and the Bellagio Fountains. The following morning, we grabbed breakfast at Mon Ami Gabbi, out on the patio, before heading back to the airport. I loved not knowing what we were doing or where we were going. I have so much scheduling to do on a regular basis, its nice not to worry about the details. It was especially nice not to have to organize childcare--Pete took care of everything. I am lucky to married to such a great guy! Pete, you are the best thing! Thanks for 14 fabulous, exciting, adventurous years!

Now that I'm back to reality--last night I was cleaning up vomit at 3:00am--its nice to look back on Pete and my mini-vacations! It's great to be married to my best friend. We have many more years of adventures to look forward too.


The Paris Hotel