Aaron & Maggie Extravaganza
Friday
April 1st likely drive up from Springfield to the AirBnb, check-in at 3pm, but they’re driving up after work so likely after 8pm?
This is the AirBnB listing
These are my pictures of it
It would be helpful if (perhaps only for the drive) you send me your ETA/location on Google Maps, so I can estimate when to have everything ready for dinner, etc.
That way, I can meet you when you get here, you can park, I can hand over the keys, you can move your luggage in (nothing visible in the car), use the bathroom, settle in a little, before I drive you over to our place.
Request for meatless or seafood, so probably simplest to come over to our place for take-out, I can pick up some smoked seafood from Calumet Fisheries https://g.page/calumetfisheries?share
What I’ll probably do is let you check in at the AirBnB, and when you’re ready you can text me and I’ll come get you. That way you won’t need to find parking at our place, where it may not be as easy to find a spot.
I may also get bao for the meal, though it may conflict with not eating meat on Friday.
Hopefully we’ll have some time to do some planning for Saturday, though of course we can do that Saturday morning as well. Will look for you to give me a sense of what’s more interesting for you, etc.
Saturday Morning
If you’re looking for a coffee place Saturday morning, we haven’t tried this, but there’s a place that roasts beans on site nearby here https://goo.gl/maps/9oL3Ua7bituxQ1Lh7
But if you want, we probably have some Intelligentsia cold coffee we can stock up for you https://www.intelligentsia.com/products/cold-coffee
Saturday Mid-day
If it’s raining, we can spend more time driving, and less time walking around :(
There’s a quarry and park near our place that’s picturesque https://goo.gl/maps/qE9Cgbza2DYxJa5k9
There’s also the UIC campus near us, that has some interesting buildings that’s fun to walk around https://goo.gl/maps/dptyLEcxevKW3SyP8 . There’s also this park in the same area https://goo.gl/maps/Yz1qhsH1MZotfZAx7
We can also go to the lake-side. This is a concert venue along the lake https://g.page/HuntingtonBankPavilion?share
Can also visit Little Village https://goo.gl/maps/jFehwKSgK4vAAa7fA
This is the National Museum of Mexican Art https://goo.gl/maps/6iHPJ6J4jMeERcyq5 https://nationalmuseumofmexicanart.org/visit
Saturday Dinner
Wentworth Seafood House, reservation made for 6.30pm https://goo.gl/maps/CcPu3aRA1dRpwPrX6
Before/after that we can visit Chiu Quon for bao — though possibly best to do this on Sunday for the things you want to bring back to Springfield. https://g.page/cqbakery?share
Sunday
Sunday morning St John Cantius https://goo.gl/maps/J3zuc7fZDgoS8fFR9 Liturgy Schedule https://www.cantius.org/full-liturgy-schedule
There’s a great ice cream place. We can do this prior to single meal of lunch. But be warned, that in general, this area is now “the hipster apocalypse.”
I could also bring you to https://goo.gl/maps/LWhmeYJAwRiC9d2D9 and https://goo.gl/maps/iX2DXybn3pAVMNAb8 (ask for more details) and I can walk you through how the neighborhood has changed over the years. Fulton Market is particularly interesting since it’s now very fashionable, but used to literally be the “meat packing district.”
If we park around EuroAsia, the Kyrgyz restaurant (we can pick up Samzy if they have it), there are some nice houses, next to some condemned project housing nearby. https://goo.gl/maps/P6W7vRJnDEeG2t9F6
Thinking of picking up Birrieria Zaragoza as take-out before late lunch. https://goo.gl/maps/GzVXbg9R1y6L1FRG9 https://chicagoreader.com/food-drink/omnivorous-a-connoisseur-of-chivo/
For lunch, Wentworth does dim sum, that’s not bad. I can help order things that don’t have MSG. Reservation made for 2pm (used to be 3pm, but they close early to spring clean).
Reminders
- Aaron wants the Chromebook. Both sides USB-C ports can be used for charging — but when the battery is completely drained, the left side does not work, you have to charge with the right side port. It has been “powerwashed” and is connected to my home Wi-Fi network, ready for him to log in. The power supply is there, as is a USB-C dongle, where the HDMI audio may not work from being dropped.
- Put spare charger in back seat (done, in magazine pouch), check if there’s a spare port in car charger (there is, USB 2 — so person would need their own cable to charge with a USB-C port, or use the spare charger)
Places I’ve decided against
Saturday morning trip to Highland Park (though it’s a long drive) for bagels, looking at posh houses and a semi-private beach? Once Upon a Bagel https://goo.gl/maps/MKL7oHDCiKFnoY2A8
Suspect will be late by then. Can go for relaxed dinner at Chilango for fish and shrimp tacos https://goo.gl/maps/yFSb5JnNSa4uisTP6
If you’re looking for breakfast, this is our local “corner” place that’s good — Gorditas La Tia Susy https://goo.gl/maps/fpYRNixHi6yzM2Jo7
The popular breakfast place around here is probably Pochos, though we haven’t had a chance to try it yet https://g.page/pochos-chicago?share
There are a bunch of interesting food places I know in that area, since we used to live near there. Kyrgyz might be the most interesting.
One option for Sunday dinner (after 11am checkout) could be The Momo World https://g.page/themomoworldchi?share — or we can do early Wentworth dim sum at 3.30pm if you’re leaving early to drive back to Springfield.
