Just this past weekend, Tim and I flew back to South Carolina to attend my 10 year high school reunion...like there wasn't enough celebrating already going on in October! It was great to see everyone and spend time with friends. I, of course, returned to Colorado feeling homesick (along with another kind of sick) but was looking forward to a CALM, UNEVENTFUL week to follow! October sure knows how to fly by for such a wonderful month!
As the month of birthdays continued, Tim, Matt, Michelle, Carson, and I all trecked up to Estes Park for a weekend away. The trip was to celebrate Matt's birthday and continue our tradition of trips to the mountains in the fall. We chose a spectacular weekend for cold weather, beautiful Aspens and elk. Carson experienced his first snow this weekend and Tim experienced his first baby feeding! The trip was wonderful (even though it was cold) and Tim took more pictures of Aspen and elk than our last three trips combined. Please enjoy the slideshow:
October 3rd marked the 30th birthday for Tim. Yes, I am well aware that we are entering the last week of October and I am FINALLY blogging about what happened in the first week. That should explain to you how busy this month has been. By the time you read this blog, there will most likely be two other blogs added above it! In any case, enjoy the pictures of Tim's (low key) birthday celebration:
As most of you know, Tim and I traveled to Chicago as an early celebration of his turning the big 3-0. I get pretty excited any time we travel together, but I have to say that I thoroughly enjoyed this trip. Courtesy of our good friend and tour guide, Meg, we were able to take in all the important sites. The first day was spent at the Lake Michigan Beach and in Wrigleyville--the home of the Cubs. We were able to take in a Cubs-Cardinals game. This was a memorable experience for Tim to say the least. It did not hurt that the Cardinals beat the Cubs 12 to 6! We toured around the local spots and enjoyed the taunting Tim received from disgruntled fans. That evening we had, by far, the best pizza I have ever tasted. There is a reason it's called "Chicago-style"...cause it's that good! The three of us devoured it and added tirrimisu to finish the evening. Travel Tip # 1: If you go to Chicago, eat at Giordano's!
The next day was all about seeing the city. We started with Starbucks and shopping. The Magnificent Mile is simply magnificent! I seemed to be the MOST excited...since I spent the most money, but what's new there? In any case, we walked off all of the pizza and tirrimisu shopping and snapping pictures all over the city. Millennium Park, Buckingham Fountain (unfortunately not pictured) and The Sears Tower were just a few of the sites to behold. We had the best caramel and cheddar cheese popcorn I have had since I was 9. Travel Tip #2: Go to Garrett's for a great snack!
That evening we had reservations at Shaw's Crab House for a celebration birthday dinner for Tim. The food was wonderful...especially the desserts. The restaurant gave us the feeling we were in a 1930s hot spot. Just as exciting was the cab ride to the restaurant--If you've seen Batman Begins or The Dark Knight, you might remember the tunnel scenes. It really exists in Chicago and our cabbie drove through it--at a pretty high speed too! That evening, we enjoyed a few drinks from the roof-top bar at our hotel, and said 'good-bye' to Meg.
Unfortunately, our trip was not as long as we would have liked, but it was a great one just the same. We are already discussing the next time we will be in Chicago and are looking forward to it. Tim's Travel Tip: If you ever go to Chicago, trust Meg's opinion.
Please enjoy some of the clips from such a great weekend!
