Brian is visiting with us for a few days.  We were a tad bit late into Midway to pick him up thanks to a number of idle but still disruptive construction zones.

Gino’s Deep dish Chicago pizza.  Yummy but not quite as good as I remember Edwardo’s from years ago.

The Congress Plaza Hotel

Twelve floors up facing Michigan Avenue with a bay window that displays a panoramic view of Grant Park and Lake Michigan from Adler Planetarium to Navy Pier.   Sweet.  The windows even open a bit to let in the sounds of the city…mostly great, occasionally shrill and disruptive….city none the less.

Streams of water in Buckingham Fountain shot as high as 140 feet and danced from the mouths of seahorses and fish.

Navy pier – Yikes there are lots of people and its only 6PM.  We decided that the view from the hotel window was the best to be had so we didn’t hang on the pier too long.  We did get to check out the tall ship Windy and lots of other boats and yachts.  I couldn’t pass up dough ala mode!  It is like an elephant ear but fried in more bite sized pieces, smothered in cinnamon apple topping and gelato topped with whipped cream and nuts.  How could that not be good?

Good thing there were three of us but we didn’t waste a bite.

Ok, back to the hotel for the fireworks.   It’s a mile plus stroll but the evening is beautiful.  We checked out some new age sort of music at the Pritzkar Pavilion in MillenniumPark. It wasn’t really to my liking but hey, it was a new experience and it was free.  A quick stop at the polished kidney bean/butt crack sculpture and a cup of Caribou coffee and on home to the Congress.