Yes, we chose the coldest weekend to take the family to the Windy City of Chicago. Yes, we knew it would be risky to plan. Yes, we made it back home alive. And, yes, we had an amazing time. My husband always feels that on a holiday weekend, we should get away. The kids are out of school, he’s generally off of work, and there are only so many weekends you can hit your favorite St. Louis hangouts or let the kids tear up the house while enjoying the comforts of being home.
Here’s how we did it:
We pulled out of St. Louis at 4:40 p.m. on Friday, hitting a little downtown traffic and then putting on cruise control once we crossed the river. Everyone was excited, the kids were laughing, and then 18 miles away from downtown, my husband said he needed better snacks. I knew this meant the dinner I packed wouldn’t work for him either, but we made it as far as Springfield, Ill., for our first and only bathroom stop and dinner break. I highly recommend this stop for those traveling earlier in the day and with older kids who would better understand the historical significance of the city. Back in the car, the kids fell asleep within 20 minutes, and it was smooth sailing the rest of the way. The only issue we had was checking into a hotel with three sleeping kids, especially with arctic blasts shooting inside the car from the moment we opened the doors.
Checking in at 10:30 p.m.
Thankfully, we were booked at the Four Seasons Hotel Chicago. I say thankfully because of course all three kids woke up screaming when we took them out of the car. But the staff members were so friendly and offered the kids a choice of a toy from a special treasure chest. There were little robes and winter caps waiting for them in the room along with a tray of sweets that we promised they could eat for breakfast. It wasn’t a problem getting them to sleep as soon as we got to the room.
Little touches for the little guests!
Happy Valentine’s Day!
The kids had saved their bag of Valentines from their classmates to open in the hotel room. After an hour of that and their promised breakfast of sweets, we went for a healthier breakfast down in the Four Seasons’ restaurant. After that, we discovered more treasures in the hotel…
A bathroom with magic mirrors and a lipstick trashcan
The amazing indoor pool featured in Home Alone 2
After a swim and a stroll through the attached shops in the 900 North Michigan mall, including Bloomingdale’s, one of our kids decided to take a three-hour nap, reserved only of course for short vacations. We were so thankful for the kids’ playroom right inside the hotel.
The hidden guestroom converted into a magical playroom
Later in the day, we drove to the Chicago Children’s Museum at Navy Pier, not realizing that our scenic route would take as long as it did and leave us with 20 minutes to see an entire museum that is like a combination of all of the best spots in St. Louis in just one place. We headed down to Shedd Aquarium, again not realizing the scenic route would mix us into the Chicago Auto Show traffic. Needless to say, the kids enjoyed a tour of Chicago from the comfort of our car.
Back at the Four Seasons, we enjoyed dinner in the mall and then bedtime for the kids after a visit from the hotel’s ice cream man.
Ice-cream cart
Sunday was more of the same with an early departure Monday morning. Although we had a whole weekend of activities planned, we found it really nice to just relax, not overextend ourselves, and listen to what our kids wanted to do. My advice would be that if weather has the potential to be disruptive for a trip, book a place that welcomes kids, enjoys their laughter, and has plenty of activities for both little ones and the adults. Although we didn’t have to go all the way to Chicago to stay inside, it sure was a nice break not cooking, cleaning or planning.
