One Last Downtown Hurrah!

Here was the great view from our hotel room. It was cool to see the waves crashing on the lakeshore over the top of that building. We were saying goodbye to our great downtown adventure on Friday morning.

Dresden was fascinated and stood on that windowsill forever!

Before we drove back to Lake Forest, we decided to treat ourselves to a nice breakfast, as we'd been enjoying the same hotel food every morning for three days. We found this place called Yolk online, and what sold me was their offering of Red Velvet French Toast.

In the end, as much as I wanted to, I just could not bring myself to order it, because it was slices of cake dipped in egg batter and I would have felt sooooo guilty for the rest of the day, but the food we did have did NOT disappoint. This was maybe the best, nicest breakfast experience we've ever had. It was AWESOME. Know how usually the coffee at a breakfast place is mediocre to sub-par at best? This coffee was delicious, even though it was just your basic brew. I was just happy to find a place that was so good down to its smallest detail. We all thoroughly enjoyed ourselves!

Alex had an amazing egg-white omelet and fresh squeezed (delicious) strawberry-orange juice

Dresden photo bombing my Challah French toast picture

Goofball and yummy pancakes

On the way back after breakfast, we had the crazy idea to go down by the shore and watch the waves, because they were crashing super-high and it was pretty awesome. What was NOT awesome was how FREAKING cold it was by that water!!! Dresden and I were done before we even started, ha!

Big waves!

After we left downtown we ventured to a different little urban area of Chicago, called Lakeview. It was really cute, with tons of brownstone apartments. I imagined it was where the Huxtables probably lived. Hehe.

 Enjoying some cocoa at Caribou coffee, waiting for a shop to open

I just really liked this door...

And this one, too. This was some kind of private school. 

I loved that both doors were just so bright and cheerful.

And there endeth our time in Chicago. We headed to Lake Forest and the brothers- and sisters-in-law started trickling in that night and then the next few, and then Christmas festivities began! It was a lot of fun with everyone there together for five days and nights.

Love,

Cassie