Wheels up in ATL! Chicago bound!
I love taking pictures from the plane - I always choose a window seat.
Beautiful, isn't it?
Such a vast, vast view...
Starting our descent into Chicago and there was definitely snow on the ground!
SNOW!
SNOW!
SNOW!
SNOW!
SNOW!
On the ground in Chicago!
We (four of my teacher friends) took a cab to our hotel and immediately set out to wander the city.
SNOW! By this point, I think everyone was over it, but I was so excited - I love the snow!
We popped into a pizza place around the corner from our hotel and chowed down on a fantastic thin-crust pizza.
So yummy.
These signs were everywhere. You never see signs like this in GA.
Michigan Avenue!
There were tons of different decorations along the streets. Chicago puts a solid effort into their Christmas decorations. They were so pretty.
Big city!
Chicago River!
Can't get enough of the big city.
I love it.
We wandered over to the conference site to pick up our materials. Totally ready to nerd out with other social studies teachers from around the country.
The city's Christmas tree in Millennium Park!
Beautiful light displays along the street.
Garrett Popcorn. When I asked my sister where to go and what to see, this was at the top of her list.
I now know why. It was amazing!
Macy's!
Chicago Theater!
We found a local German Christmas market that was so cute!
Tons of crafts!
So glad we stopped here.
Great hot chocolate, too! And a cute mug to keep as a souvenir.
Beautiful nativity...
Dinner time!
A big burger!
Smart pigeons.
I took my dessert to go, so once I was back in my hotel room I broke out the cheesecake. It was great!
Morning view from my hotel room!
Keynote speaker - Anthony Ray Hinton. He spent 30 years on death row in AL for a crime that he didn't commit. His story was incredibly touching.
Keating Crown - one of only 18 people to be above the point of impact in the World Trade towers on September 11, 2001. An absolutely amazing story of what he experienced that day.
Lunch break = more sightseeing!
That's an entire store of Nutella treats...
Millennium Park!
The BEAN!
It was so cool!
View of the city in the bean!
Ice skating anyone?
In between sessions we wandered through the vendor booths and one was serving champagne!
And we met HIP HUGHES!
An amazing session put on by the National Portrait Gallery!
FaceTiming with RA!
And the boys!
Evening view from my hotel room!
More holiday decorations along the streets!
Lights! We decided to take a holiday lights tour around the city - it was so much fun and our driver was amazing!
The holiday lights tour took up to Lincoln Park Zoo - so many lights!
Fish and crabs!
Ice sculpting via chainsaw!
So pretty!
This display was set to music. It was really pretty.
Big ferris wheel and gingerbread people.
Chicago at night.
While I was out enjoying the lights, RA and the boys were camping and playing checkers.
The tour stopped at Christkindlmarket, so I grabbed another hot chocolate so that I could have two mugs - one for each of the boys.
After the tour, we were starving so we stopped for a Chicago Deep Dish pizza at Gino's.
It was good. Not the best pizza I've ever had, but at least I can say I tried it.
Saturday morning sessions were great and one of our sessions was an architectural tour of the city, so mid-morning we set off to see tons of sights!
Staircase, designed by Frank Lloyd Wright, in The Rookery building.
Beautiful pedestal.
Column around the original Victorian style column.
Chicago Board of Trade
Lake Michigan!
Robie House, also designed by Frank Lloyd Wright, on the campus of the University of Chicago.
Student center with elevated train running above it.
Stairs + wheelchair accessible.
Stainless steel floor.
Chicago!
Selfie time!
Some of my favorite people.
After the tour, we grabbed a bite to eat before heading to our next session. Yes, I went all the way to Chicago and ate at Chick-Fil-A.
A better view of the Chicago Theater sign.
Elevated trains on Wabash street!
More great sessions in the afternoon.
Saturday night called for some shopping and Dylan's Candy Bar was a definite stop.
Ellis Hawk would have gone crazy.
The fudge was amazing!
More Christmas decorations.
Chicago Water Pumping Station - built in 1869 and survived the Great Chicago Fire two years later in 1871.
Dinnertime!
Magnets!
More lights!
I had one more session Sunday morning - a great session on Digital Literacy - and then headed back to the hotel to grab my luggage and catch a cab to the airport.
I think he wants me to come home.
Mama's boys!
Wheels up in Chicago! ATL bound!
Beautiful sunset photos from 30,000 feet.
I intended to do some reading, but I couldn't stop looking out the window.
It looked like a beach and the divide between the sand and the water.
Just watching and thinking...
Beautiful.
Once the sun went down, I kept taking photos...
Absolutely beautiful!
Once on the ground in ATL, I booked it to my car so that I could get home to my boys. They were already asleep when I got home, but left me some sweet pictures to welcome me home.
It was a fantastic trip and I am thankful to RA for handling the boys for four days so that I could enjoy myself at the conference. Next year's conference is in Austin, TX, so I think the weather will be a bit different, but I'm sure it will be just as fun! It is so nice (and so important) to spend time with fellow social studies teachers!
