2013's Last Getaway in America

Mark and I thought it would be great to get away for a long weekend as just the two of us since once we move to Africa we won't have that opportunity.  So for Memorial weekend we decided to visit his brother, Mike and our sister in law, Jessica in Chicago.  Strange to think of it as our last getaway in America in 2013, but knowing that helped us make the most of our time.

On Friday we flew to Chicago via Southwest, so nice to be able to take a 1 hour flight when a drive would have taken us about 9 hours.  On Saturday we met up with one of Mark's KA fraturnity brother, Hardeep and his girlfriend, Katie, to grab some brunch at a Top Chef restaurant, Sable Kitchen & Bar.  www.sablechicago.com   It has awesome decor and a unique brunch offering.  It was great to catch up and relive some college memories.  After a long brunch we headed to the Museum of Science and Industry.  www.msichicago.org By far one of the best hands on museums I have been too.  Mark, Mike, Jessica and I toured the entire place for about 4 hours.  It was a great time and not too crowded so we could try out everything.  

Museum of Science and Industry

Saturday evening we headed to Stacks Bar and Grill in Valparaiso, Indiana.  By far the best sweet potato fries I have had in my lifetime.  They were actually sweet potato tots, but paired with a variety of dipping sauces went along nicely with my portabella mushroom sandwich which I shared with Mark in exchange for part of his hamburger.  Both equally as good and cooked to perfection.  The decor was great and you would never know where this restaurant is as it is hidden in an office mall so you feel more like you are going to see a dentist than grabbing a bite to eat. Highly recommend Stacks and look forward to going back.  

Sunday morning we headed to Le Peep Restaurant, www.lepeep.com, to have brunch with Mike and Missy, some of Mike and Jessica's friends.  The quality of food and service was excellent and once full we headed about 1.5 hours north to Michigan. My first time to Michigan and I had a wonderful time.  The small lake side town of Saugatuck, Michigan, is where we headed to do some eclectic shopping, grab some delicious ice cream at Kilwins,  www.kilwins.com and enjoy the lake view.  

Saugatuck, Michigan

The weather was perfect for a relaxing afternoon.  On our way back to Crown Point, IN, where Mike and Jessica live, we enjoyed dinner on the patio at Stop 50 Wood Fired Pizza in Michigan City, Michigan.  Surrounded by Ferrari's and your choice of Porsche we made our selves right at home, laughing a little too loudly but enjoying our time.  

Monday we spent the day relaxing at Mike and Jessica's home, complete with their very own Bert and Ernies (cats) to cuddle with.  A quick stop at the mall and a few dinners later we were headed back to Midway airport to take our short flight home to Kansas City.  It was a wonderful weekend and a nice chance to hang out with my in-laws and friends before our move.