Chi-Town Day 1: Children's Museum

By MAGGIE WANG

Last summer we took a very enjoyable and memorable week-long trip to New York and Connecticut to connect with Andy, wife Purva, daughter Anaya and son Jay (Andy and Kevin go way back to childhood). Our big plan for this time after the Lakers' season ended was to vacation in Chicago, where some of Kevin's good college (Northwestern) friends still live and now have young kids we were excited for Sedona and Maven to meet or get to know better. (The New York trip was so fun for Sedona and Maven that in the days preceding this trip to Chicago, they were playing "pretend" with Kevin and turning our bed into a plane to fly to "New York City!")

Our first day in Chicago, we hit up Joe's Chicago across the street from our Marriott Magnificent Mile hotel for six select stone crab legs for a whopping $48 and some other lunch items. Kevin has raved about these stone crabs from Miami since I met him 11 years ago so my expectations were high, only to (sorry, Kevin!) be somewhat disappointed. I thought Joe's lobster melt sandwich and stone-crab bisque were to die for, though!

Kevin headed off to the Reds-Cubs game to meet his college pals: Mag, Soop and Teddy -- while Sedona, Maven and I explored Michigan Avenue and went swimming at our hotel pool!

In the evening, we met up with another of Kevin's college friends, Bry, and his family to hit up the Chicago Children's Museum with Mag, Sarah and Austin

The girls posing in "Play It Safe" exhibit.

Sedona in the Treehouse Trails exhibit.

Fueling up a car and bricking a home in the Kids Town exhibit.

Trucking it with Austin.

Flower power in the BIG Backyard exhibit.

There was a cool program in which children's photos were superimposed onto bees or butterflies.

We had some quick quesadillas before enjoying a carousel ride at Navy Pier, compliments of Uncle Bry.