The Chicago River. 

Robin + Chicago = True Love 

Chicago skyline, Wednesday afternoon. 

The public fountains in Millennium Park. I love these! The changing face pillar spit out water, creating a wide shallow water pool across the pavement. The place is filled with little kids getting their splashing in. It looks like families spend their days there. Public parks rock.  

Ice cream at Margie's. Can you make out Robin's dish? Yes, he ate all of that.  

Eating our way through Chicago Part II
To continue the account of the family excursion to Chicago:
On Wednesday, Robin and I took the morning off and then took the Addison bus over to find our way to Hot Doug's where we met Todd for lunch. Mmmm: Hot Doug's. I wanted Robin to get a headstart on the place and he was properly impressed. He had one of their gourmet dogs (something sweet and delicious) and a regular Chicago dog and we were all very, very happy.

Afterward, Todd was about to drop us off at the Western el stop so we could catch the blue line downtown, but we decided to make an impromptu stop to Margie's Candies. Margie's is a Chicago institution: an ice cream place built in 1914, visited by the Beatles when they came through, and has an interior that looks like an old candystore on a movie set. There are often lines around the corner when we go by there during the nights and weekends, so beloved is this place. Todd and I split (and weren't able to finish) one of their signature thick cookie and cream milkshakes and Robin dominated a three scoop turtle sundae complete with a bucket of hot fudge on the side. I am way impressed by how Robin can shovel the food in. It pleases me greatly.

Sated with ice cream, he and I then went downtown, and walked along Michigan, by Millennium Park and then north so he could admire the magnificence of the Magnificent Mile. Magnificent indeed. It was a spectacular afternoon, so we spent all afternoon walking around and then met Todd to have dinner in Wicker Park, at Penny's (cheap Thai place #2). Afterward we went to have a beer at Club Foot in Ukrainian Village, after which we were all officially wiped out and called it a night at 10 pm. A job well done by all.

The walk along the lake. The north avenue beach is two and a half miles south, about, so we got on a sweet five mile walk just to the beach alone and back. 

North Avenue beach on Tuesday 

Eating your way through Chicago in Five Days
The Mahan clan has hit Chicago officially. Robin arrived on Tuesday morning and we played for a couple of days before the rest of the family arrived yesterday. It was a surprise too, which was pretty cool and pretty amazingly successful since I was wondering if I would slip at some point. I didn't and I'm proud. It's only really just begun, but I wanted to take note of what we're done (read: ate) so far before I forget. It must be noted that the Mahan family takes their food seriously. Very seriously.

Tuesday morning Robin arrived in Midway and after lunching at Duck Walk (cheap Thai place #1) and dropping off his stuff at my place, we walked down to the North Avenue beach along the lakefront. It was a sunny, hot day, and it was my first time lying out at the beach. Pretty awesome. Robin found some people to play volleyball with and I laid around and read the latest issue of Food and Wine (courtesy of Anne) while listening to Robin's iPod. Heavenly. We stuck around there for a couple of hours and then walked back, and for dinner walked over to the Southport area to have dinner at Strega Nona with Melissa. Word to the wise: on Tuesday nights at Strega Nona, with two entrees you get a 50 cent bottle of wine. Pretty sweet when they usually cost around $20. I love me some deals! After dinner we headed over to the best neighborhood bar ever, Guthries, and enjoyed a cold PBR before heading back to my place for the end of the night.

To be continued... (I have to get on the road now to round up the family)

Okay, this wasn't from vacation, but this is a leftover picture of just HOW awesome Hot Doug's is.  

The lervly St Louis riverside. Romantic! 

The St Louis Arch! Between buildings in the little riverside area where we had lunch. Are you bowled over by the artistic quality of it all? 

Enough said. On the road in MO. 

An excellent product that I spotted the outlets that we visited on Saturday. I wish that the picture could do the honors of just how awesome this thing was. there were dragons. 

View from dock at Todd's parents' place.  

Getting off of the pontoon boat. 

Todd showing off his awesome sunburned shoulders. He likened himself to neopolitan ice cream: white, red, and brown. 

More beautiful views. 

Here's a view from the boat at Lake of the Ozarks. 

Time vortex
Rate My Professor: look up your college, scan for your professor, and look for student reviews.