Stevens Family Trip to Chicago

October 2006

We got a suite at the Conrad hotel. This was our view. The John Hancock tower was behind us.

The first stop was the American Girl Place where we met up with Maggie Lombardi. They both brought their Felicity dolls and hit the ground running on the shopping trail. I don’t even want to see the credit card bill.

Grant and I were having no fun at all but at least Grant got a hold of a Gameboy. All the other fathers and I cooled our heels in the lobby. Finally Grant and I left and explored the Magnificent Mile on our own in the rain.

Maggie spent the night with us in the hotel and the next day we all went to the Field Museum. We are with “Sue” the famous T. Rex skeleton. The two lions are the famous lions from the movie “The Ghost and the Darkness.” They killed and ate 144 men before being shot, stuffed, and shipped to Chicago.

We went to the top of the Sears Tower. A friendly lady from Lubbock Texas took our picture J

There were a lot of fun things to do at the Adler Planetarium. On the left, Grant and I build our own virtual solar system. We had to plot the orbits so the planets did not crash into the sun. Grant dressed up in monk’s robe and preached from the pulpit.

Pharaoh Grant and his handmaiden Georgia had to steer the boat by keeping the red star above the mast.

We were in the Hershey Store in Chicago when they announced they were having a contest.  One lucky kid was to be selected from the store to come to the counter and create their own special chocolate cupcake that they could keep.  Grant, Georgia, and about 10 other kids ran to the front.  Teresa told Grant that if he smiled his charming Grant smile, there was no way he could lose.  Grant smiled and he was selected.  All the other kids were so jealous.  Georgia grabbed on to Grant as he went to the front and started yelling..."What about his sister?!....  His loving sister!!!...."  That was good for a lot of laughs from the parents but no cupcake. Georgia made sure to stay close to Grant to make “suggestions” on how a cupcake should be made J

Grant with his award winning cupcake!!!

We went to the Navy Pier and took a boat ride on Lake Michigan and ate at Bubba Gumps. Forrest Gump paid us a visit. Grant asked him where he got shot and Forrest said, “In the butt-ocks!”

We came across the burger joint by the Pier that was the inspiration for the Saturday Night Live skit where John Belushi says "Cheesborger,Cheeseborger.....no coke, Pepsi"  A lot of the SNL comedians started in the Second City comedy club here in Chicago.  The burger guy is still there.  All he makes is cheeseburgers.  He talks just like John Belushi did.  So Teresa goes up to him and orders a diet Pepsi and he stopped and looked at her and yelled "You want Cheeseborger Cheeseborger?!?!"  Teresa said, “No thank you, just a diet Pepsi please.”  The guy yells at her, "You don't want Cheeseborger Cheeseborger?!?!?"  Teresa was getting irritated not realizing she was part of an old SNL skit.