Chicago Day 5

Thursday, July 5 was another downtown day!

I love this city - I really think it is the most beautiful, friendly city in the world.

Traveling with kids in Chicago is no problemo.  I love, love, love that.  

I will say that ever since Chicago sold their parking spaces (and all the revenue) for now and forevermore, for a few million (billion?) dollars, parking on the street is much more expensive.  Like  $11 per hour expensive.  But there it's still fairly cheap and easy to come by!

But our favorite places to park are the $20ish for the entire day parking garages -

Like the one at Navy Pier.
A word about Navy Pier - one of the greatest Children's Museums ever, a WONDERFUL theater, LOVE the ferris wheel, some cool tours launch from here - but, it's the only part of downtown that feels tourist trap/ county fair-ish to me.  So while I think a visit to Navy Pier is a great idea, it's not my favorite place to get that Chicago 'feeling.'

My kids love it though!  ML picked out her birthday present at the Build a Bear in the Navy Pier mall -

She picked the Minnie Mouse bear.

Of course.

Love this.

On this trip to the pier, we had tickets to see the Shakespeare Theater's production of Beauty and the Beast.  

It was awesome.

And afterwards we got to meet some of the cast:

Then it was on to the Children's Museum:

We ended the day at the Bubba Gump Shrimp Company.  It was great.  

Be sure not to miss the 'actual' Forrest sitting outside on the bench!