Tag Archives: Chicago

The countdown is on!

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Just over a week and I am OUTTA HERE!

I am going to miss posting on my blog every morning, as internet access will be far and few between.

As often as I can make it to a computer, I’ll be posting an update on my adventures.

In the meantime, do not fear….I have a few guest bloggers who are going to keep you entertained including my good friend from Switzerland and my sister (also from Toronto like myself).

Here is my very general plan to start off the summer:

Take off from Toronto at 1pm (when school is OVER!) head to just outside Chicago:

Lag 1: Toronto to Chicago (8.5 hours)

Pick up in Chicago and drive a loooong day to approx. North Platte:

Chicago to North Platte, Nebraska (11.5 hrs)

North Platte to GRAND TETON! Yippee!:

North Platte to Grand Teton National Park (10 hrs)

I am so excited, I am bouncing off my couch as I type this!

Not so excited for some parts of the driving experience…..looooong days, and just me in the drivers seat and my boyfriend navigating…oh and one trip to Target along the way.

Savory Saturday – Ohh the celebrations!

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Aside from being my sister birthday yesterday, it was also celebration time with my boyfriend as we have been together for 2 whole years!

Happy anniversary dude! (so romantic).

No cooking for me today, just reenacting our first date today!

Here is the place we met and shared a plate o frites:

Ahhh the memories!

Thanks S. for introducing me to Yellowstone, for inspiring me and motivating me, and for all the fabulous food (DEEP DISH PIZZA)!

 

Happy Birthday Blog!

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My first post was on this day, one year ago.

Happy birthday, blog!

I started Wistfully Wandering just as a way to keep up a travel log for myself, and to share with a few of my family and friends around me, who are always asking what I have been up to.

Now, I have grown to enjoy starting my day musing about my travel experiences and dreams.

Thank you everyone for reading about my wistful wanderings and wonderings!

Check out my first wandering post:

One thing I am getting into lately is themed trips. Pick a topic: a culinary journey, architectural experience, vineyard voyage, historical encounter… Not all trips can be categorized, but when I go for the short, in-out experience, sometimes a specific theme will help the experience (and help with my packing!)

Chicago skyline from the Hancock Tower

So – Chicago

Theme: No heels

This weekend (2.5 days) was about SPORTS and PIZZA, causal, relaxing, fun.

The one city in the USA that I thought would be on my top three (New York, San Francisco and Chi-town). It was very true. But let it be known, as you have read above, I am still relatively new to this traveling thing. I haven`t been to that many places around the world (shock!!), and I really have to visit Boston and Portland in the USA to get a feel for what I like as well, as I have heard from many a people.

So anyway, back to Chicago. It is really tied (for US cities) with New York and San Francisco. They are all so different, but all so loveable in their own ways. New York – you have the gritty, magnificently old buildings with a history and a famous story to tell. So many people, so many options and things to experience there. San Francisco – The hills, the stucco homes, and the hiking! Something about the west coast. Geography/geology/healthy living/outdoors vibe going on.

Chicago…sorry, I was distracted again. The buildings and architecture for what it is famous for, and the deep dish

Pizza at Lou Milnati's

pizza. This weekend was dedicated to baseball, hockey playoffs, and deep dish pizza. All were so much fun, and I can’t wait to go back and meet more amazing people, food and architectural venues.

Wrigley Field was crazy! So many random adventures going on in and out of the stadium. Everyone is a fan. Baseball is a bigger sport me thinks (as my man pointed out) than hockey. Two teams in baseball versus one in hockey. The real baseball experience was just what I have always dreamed of after attending countless games at the SKYDOME in Toronto. Of course, the old Yankee Stadium was also the same deal as Chicago, so lets include these two stadiums in my judgement. THIS is real baseball. Come on Toronto, get in the game.

Next, seeing a play-offs game Canucks vs Chicago Blackhawks…not exactly my passion, but still was absolutely a better experience than even my baseball games that I always love. Makes me want to take back the comment about Chicago being a baseball city.

A play-offs game! Imagine wearing Canuck’s gear to a deciding game. I was a bit nervous, but wanted to see what the reactions would be. Who would have discovered that Chicago had the nicest people in the US? Everyone was making sure we were being treated well and felt safe during the game.

United Center

Where was the heckling? The booing? Afterward, when the Canuck’s lost, we were welcomed open-armed into a pub to drown our sorrows…drinks on them.

Finally, let’s talk about the food…I mean the deep dish deliciously delectable pizza pie. Mmmmm. Please visit Giordano’s and Lou Malnati’s for their pies. The rumour was as well that Gino’s East was to be included in the list. Unfortunately though, over Easter weekend, this restaurant was close for my tasting pleasure. Oh well, next time!

This could go on for a while. So why don’t I just post a picture or two or three.

Wrigley Field

Hancock Tower

The Water Pump

Related articles

5 things that make me smile

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1. A delicious looking meal that is placed before my starving belly

Lou Malnati's deep dish in Chicago

2. Coffee that’s ready for me to enjoy – especially first thing in the morning

Mmmmm cappuccino in Quebec City

3. My dog (when he is behaving)

Hanging on the beach in Toronto

4. Exploring a new city on foot

Stepping out into the amazing city of Rome

5. Sunny days

My seal friend in Cabo soaking in the sunshine

Back to the grind

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Well, March Break is now over and it’s time to get back into the classroom and teach like there is no tomorrow…

Stuffed chicken with goat cheese

Unfortunately I did not have an opportunity to travel as my bank account is holding on to my money until the summer, but I did have a nice relaxing time in Toronto.

Aside from wandering around the city as the gorgeous weather dictated us to partake in, one of the other main forms of entertainment over the past 2 weeks, my boyfriend and I experimented with our culinary skills in the kitchen.

Let’s see – what did we make:

1. Fish tacos (with spicy basa fish) (boy)

2. Greek stew (me)

3. Mussels with spicy tomato sauce (we like spice!) (boy)

4. Stuffed portabello mushroom caps with roasted rosemary garlic potato fingers (me)

5. Stuffed chicken with goat cheese and asparagus on a bed of garlic kale (me)

6. Homemade deep dish pizza (from scratch – all of it!) (boy) – we had this twice, as it was – in my opinion – as good as Giordano’s in Chicago

7. Scotch Pie (me)

8. Seafood pasta with garlic bread (boy)

9. Australian style mussels (me)

10. Carolina style ribs with cornbread, corn and green beans (boy)

11. Seasoned flank steak fatijas with homemade pico de gallo and guacamole (boy)

The other thing I did a lot of over the break was WORK OUT. Much needed after a few heavy meals!

We used most of this garlic over the 2 week period (phew!)

Homemade pico de gallo, so good!

Flank steak fatijas with homemade margaritas

Enjoying sunny Toronto weather on my balcony

The hills are alive with the sound of creepiness

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A few weeks ago, I came across a video of someone recording strange noises being made by the wind in Chicago.

It’s haunting and creepy, but so neat!

Listen to the noises below:

Hmmmm…hoax or no hoax, that is the question.

To further read about these events, check out:

Strange Sounds in the Sky – January 2012

Weird Noise – Strange Sounds Popping up in Different Parts of Canada – Huffington Post

Strange Sounds in Sky Explained by Scientists

Photo of the Day – Chicago at dusk

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Here I was atop of the Hancock Tower in Chicago last spring catching the view to the north of this spectacular city:

The timing was perfect as I ran around the city that day attempting to soak up as much architecture and deep dish pizza as I could. Dashing to the elevator that would take me up the tower, I was able to pop out on the 94th floor just in time to catch the sun setting around the loop and the city beginning to light up for the evening.

Pizza pizza pizza!

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Shout out to my boyfriend today for this post. The ultimate pizza maniac I have ever, and will ever know.

Source

Lonely Planet came out with an article on the best pizza in the USA. It mostly discusses the debate between New York or Chicago style pizza. As a person who has only had Chicago deep-dish, and has tested it a total of 4 times at different places, I have to say that it would be very tough to beat this ooey-gooey-cheesy goodness.

Here are their top picks:

Manhattan

1. Joe’s in the West Village

2. John’s in the West Village or Midtown

3. Patsy’s uptown.

Brooklyn

Source

1. Grimaldi’s, under Brooklyn Bridge

2. Di Fara (1424 Ave J)

3. Franny’s in Prospect Heights

4. Totonno’s by Coney Island

5. Lucali’s in Carroll Gardens

Chicago

1. Giordano’s in the Near North

California, New Haven, and St. Louis are also mentioned. Which I found came right out of left field!

I was a bit disappointed that they only listed one pizza restaurant in Chicago. Me thinks Lou Malnati’s and Gino’s East should be included as well. (read my review of Lou’s on my Restaurant page!). Can’t complaint too much since Giordano’s is where it’s at!

In Canada, I have a few to add to the list:

Toronto, Ontario

Source

1. Queen Margherita Pizza

2. Terroni’s

3. La Vecchia

4. Mercatto

5. Camerra’s

Kingston, Ontario

1. Wooden Heads

Halifax, Nova Scotia

1. King of Donair (KOD)

Quebec City, Quebec

Source

1. Portofino

2. Savini

Vancouver, British Columbia

1. Hell’s Kitchen

2. Incendio

Victoria, British Columbia

1. The Joint

Waterloo, Ontario

1. McMullens

I think the most entertaining aspect of this article are the comments at the end. Some people, like I just did here, recommended their own favorite pie places.

But a few actually were offended by this piece of writing. Come on, it’s pizza! Everyone has their own tastes, don’t be a pizza party pooper.

Mmmmmm pizza…