After a slightly late start to the day (mostly due to the fact that we couldn’t figure out where a member of the group had disappeared to) we all piled in to the shuttle bus and headed to the train station.

The train left at 10.30, upon arriving in the ‘big smoke’ there was only one thing to do –

Take a picture! LOL! First port of call was the Architectural boat tour ticket desk, it took a while to walk to, but it was a nice day and it wasn’t an overly long walk.  I suggested we get a ticket for the 4.30pm tour, head to somewhere like Navy Pier to fill in the time so we weren’t just wasting time standing in a queue.

So, decision made, we  got tickets for the later boat tour and headed off to find Navy Pier.  Now, it’s worth noting here, that the last time I visited Chi-Town (somewhere in and around 2006), Amber and I got lost looking for Navy Pier.  I think it’s a right of passage or something…either that, or the Pier is just a frigger to find!

En route, we stopped for a (slightly extended) pit-stop in Gap as Louise needed to pick up a cardigan as she’d misplaced hers somewhere that morning.  After this pit-stop, I apparently ignored everyone who was pointing one way, and followed Neil who was pointing another (and, as it happens, the wrong way).

I didn’t hear people say, ‘there’s a sign for Navy Pier’, but Neil led the way and ended up taking us on a somewhat extensive detour.  Ho-hum!

Anyways, after getting lost yet again in Chicago, we finally hit Navy Pier!

After a quick and tasty lunch in Capi’s Italian restaurant, just at the entrance to the Pier (where we were served by a girl from Monaghan no less), we all split up and went our merry way, agreeing to meet back up at 3.15pm so we’d have enough time to haul-ass through the streets back to Trump Tower (where the boat was leaving from).

Nicky and I stuck together, we bought soap (and lip balm) from a handmade soap shop, we went to the shop I’d wanted to go back to for 5 years – the UVA shop, where I picked up another bag and a few other wee bits and bobs, we walked a little down the pier, took some pictures and met a really vocal gull!

Brendan and Neil did the Pier in about 5 minutes flat and decided to go off and have a beer or two, the rest of us hung around until 3.40pm (waiting for the same missing group member as we’d been waiting for that morning).  We got to the boat tour with a little time to spare (the drinking boys only just made it), during our walk from Pier to boat, we saw a number of street performers – musicians, dancers, people painted silver from head to toe etc all trying to make a buck.

The boat tour was pretty interesting, it took us on a tour of the Chicago River.  Bits of it were a little dry, but it’s a great way to see the city and what it has to offer and hear all about it’s buildings etc.

The boat tour lasted around 75 minutes, so, when we were done, we hung around deciding what to do and where to go…

(and taking more pictures!)

We eventually decided that it was a good idea to walk to the House of Blues for a few drinks and go from there.

We ended up staying for dinner and having the craic…and some pretty tasty drinks!

The food was lovely, the drinks were good, the craic was flowing and in spite of the insane RUN (yes, run – and we all know I don’t run) through the city in order to catch the 8.30pm train back to the hotel – which we only JUST made.  It was a lovely afternoon – and was about to be followed by an almost all-nighter on the town, which, I’ll save for a separate post!

For now, meet the ANI team, a great, diverse, bubbly group of people, who I’m glad to have met on my trip!