CHICAGO FAMILY TRIP

JULY 31st-AUGUST 7th 2010
Our Family Trip to Chicago
We decided our family trip this year would be to Chicago. I have always wanted to see the city and since John was going to pharmacy school there it was a bonus! We stayed with John in his little one bedroom house (I wish I had gotten a picture of it...it was darling!) and it was so fun!
JULY 31st 2010
On the airplane! Our first time on the plane with kids and they did great! Travis was so excited to go on an airplane. He just watched and watched everything out the window. It was a lot of fun!
Travis on the plane!
Ready for take off! Set to arrive in Chicago around 6:30 pm!
AUGUST 1st 2010
We went to church with John and then headed over to his school to check out the campus and to see where he has been studying all these years! Visiting John's campus...Midwestern University in Downers Grove, IL.
Travis and Uncle John touring the campus!
The school was beautiful and very quaint
John is in his 4th year of pharmacy school. This was the main building where he had classes and studied!
Travis thought these little kids were cute!
The boys checking out the Midwestern!
AUGUST 2nd 2010
We got up early and headed to Nauvoo, IL. It took us about 4-5 hours to get there from John's house in Naperville. It was a fun drive and beautiful countryside. It was fun to see Nauvoo again and to take Travis and Tyler there!
The Scovil bakery...Travis' favorite place in Nauvoo because he got a little cookie there!
The window from the 2nd story in the Cultural Hall. From this window you could see the Nauvoo Temple!
The 2nd story of the Cultural Hall. This is where Joseph Smith drew out the plan of the Saints exodus from Nauvoo on the wooden floor.
The Cultural Hall
Getting ready for the ride to Inspiration Point!
Having fun in Nauvoo!
The view from Inspiration Point!
It was really hot there but we had fun walking the streets of Nauvoo!
Visiting the tin shop!
Outside the John Taylor home
Eating ice-cream in downtown Nauvoo. They made your ice-cream right in front of your eyes using liquid nitrogen. You got to mix and match any flavors. It was pretty neat!
Playing in the tub at the hotel in Nauvoo
We stayed at the Nauvoo Family Inn and Suites. The hotel was so nice!
Once we got the kids settled into bed, John and I snuck out and took a walk to the Temple to take pictures. It was beautiful at night!
John watched the kids early the next morning and Scott and I were able to do a session in the Nauvoo Temple. It was a wonderful experience!
AUGUST 3rd 2010
The Brigham Young Home. This table inside of his home is where the 12 apostles met prior to the exodus.
An example of the bustle oven used in Nauvoo
Brigham Young's home
Playing at Pioneer Pasttimes
It was so hot and little Tyler was so sweaty!
The end of Parley Street.... at the Mississippi River where the Saints left
Joseph Smith and Brigham Young
The boys dipping their feet in the Mississippi River!
Emma, Joseph and Hyrum Smith's burial sites
The Homestead...where Emma and Joseph Smith lived. It was built in 1839 on the eastern bank of the Mississippi River. It served as the church headquarters for 2 years.
The Mansion House...Emma and Joseph's second house built in 1843
Travis learning to make rope in the Family Living Center
Family picture at the Nauvoo, Illinois temple!
AUGUST 4th 2010
Wrigley Field...watching the Cubs play!
Wrigley Field built in 1914
The score board...it's not digital. A man sits inside and changes the numbers by hand!
Skyline of Chicago from Wrigley Field...you can see how the stadium is just right in the middle of the city amongst other buildings!
Watching the game...Wrigley Field is really a cool place!
Travis enjoying the game
People dressed up in funny costumes to cheer on the Cubs
The Cubs game
A fire station in downtown Chicago near Wrigley Field
Travis and Scott checking out the stadium!
Tyler enjoying the game wearing Uncle John's Cubs hat!
Tyler and Mom at Wrigley Field
Travis and Scott enjoying the game
Pictures of Chicago from Wrigley Field. Can you see the ivy covered brick wall?
Wrigley Field is literally in downtown Chicago. There is no parking around the stadium. The surrounding buildings built stadium type seating on the tops of their buildings and people can buy tickets to sit there instead of in the stadium. It was really cool!
Streets of Chicago
Picture of the city after the Cubs game
Family picture after the Cubs game
Wrigley Field
Enjoyed the Cubs game! The Cubs won and Travis enjoyed learning the Cubs song. He asked John to sing it to him over and over again!
Eating at the Irish Pub in Naperville....good authentic Irish food!
Lots of shops and restaurants in downtown Naperville. The city was so clean and really cute!
Walking across the bridge in downtown Naperville
The river walk in downtown Naperville
Downtown Naperville at night
Eating ice-cream in downtown Naperville at Cookie Dough Creations. You got to pick your flavor of ice-cream and your flavor of cookie dough. They just pile the cookie dough on top of the ice-cream. It was so yummy!
AUGUST 5th 2010
Taking the water taxi in downtown Chicago to get to the architectural boat tour.
Our tour guide on the architectural boat tour. This guy knew so much about Chicago and I swear he talked at least a mile a minute! We got to see all of the cool buildings and the architecture of Chicago. The buildings are beautiful! They are all along the Chicago River.
Our family on the architectural boat tour. It was hot but it was well worth it. The buildings of Chicago are beautiful!
Family day at Navy Pier (built in 1916)! There was lots to do there...shopping, food and games!
A huge water fountain just in front of Navy Pier. Travis got all wet and loved it!
Scott and I outside Navy Pier!
Scott and Tyler walking around Navy Pier!
Travis and John looking into a funny mirror! Travis thought this was hilarious!
The Unites States of America flag and the flag of Chicago!
John and Travis at the end of Navy Pier. The Chicago River empties into Lake Michigan. This is looking out towards Lake Michigan!
Scott and I at the end of Navy Pier
Beautiful Chicago!
Eating the most delicious Italian dessert at Navy Pier!
Downtown Chicago!
Downtown Chicago...a few from the ferris wheel at Navy Pier
John and Travis on the ferris wheel at Navy Pier
Chicago skyline from atop the ferris wheel
Riding in the ferris wheel at Navy Pier. Travis loved it!
The Chicago dog!
The Chicago Tribune building
The discoverers of the mid west...early 1800's.
The building to the right is Chicago's library. President Obama was in Chicago for the weekend for his birthday. For some reason this day he was in the library and all of his secret service were waiting outside for him. Scott actually saw him when he came out.
Millennium Park in downtown Chicago. It was beautiful!
It was so hot outside and Travis had a ball running around and playing in the water
Travis playing in the Downtown Chicago water park
Gino's East--the best deep dish pizza!
This picture does not do it justice....the Chicago deep dish pizza is GOOD!
Walking the Magnificent Mile
The Wrigley building at night!
Beautiful downtown Chicago at night!
AUGUST 6th 2010
Heading up to the top of the Sears Tower. This is the screen inside of the elevator showing the floors as you go up. 108 floors in total. It was crazy...our ears popped a million times!
Chicago skyline atop the Sears Tower. It was a little overcast that day!

Yes, John and I were the only two to go to the top of the Sears Tower. Scott stayed down with the boys. Let's just say he is a little afraid of heights!!
Chicago skyline from atop the Sears Tower
John and I in the glass box at the top of Sears Tower looking down to the street. Crazy huh?
I bought Travis a little souvenir of Chicago in the Sears Tower. It was a baseball with all of the Chicago sites. He was thrilled!
The Sears Tower, now called the Willis Tower. It is 108 stories!
The boys checking out Union Station. John bought the best popcorn and toffee covered nuts in the station at this place called Nuts on Clark. It was delicious!
Union Station in downtown Chicago!
The Rockin' McDonald's in downtown Chicago. It was a 2 story McDonald's...pretty cool!
Eating at McDonald's in downtown Chicago. Travis' favorite place!
The famous water tower in Chicago. This was one of the only things that survived the great fire of Chicago in 1871!
Downtown Milwaukee. They really had the coolest looking buildings!
Another cool building in Milwaukee built in the 1880's!
Downtown Milwaukee. The city was so clean!
The Safe House restaurant in Milwaukee. Beth's dad told Mike about this place and Mike told us about it. It was fun to eat there and the food was great!
Outside the Safe House Restaurant in Milwaukee. This was a hidden little restaurant in an alley. It was really cool!
We met up with Mike and Beth and their family in Milwaukee. They were in Green Bay for the summer visiting Beth's parents. It was fun to see them and Travis was thrilled to see his cousins!
One night I was joking around with John when we were driving home and I asked him if he had any Grey Poupon???? HE DID! Right in his glove compartment. I laughed so hard!!! I guess he had a jar from a prior joke he had with his friends. It was really funny!
The Chicago Temple. Our only chance to see the temple was at night. It was very pretty and had the coolest water fountain in front of it!
John's little house did not have a bath tub, so we improvised and bathed Tyler in the kitchen sink! It was perfect because it was so huge and Tyler loved splashing around.
The night before we had to leave to come home. This was our nightly fun after coming home from a long day of sight seeing. It was fun to relax at John's place and Travis loved playing the Wii, especially the baseball and bowling games!
AUGUST 7th 2010
The flight home! We had so much fun in Chicago and hanging out with John. Hope to go back again someday!