I despise cold weather. So, to break up a long, nasty winter, I love nothing more than planning a mini trip for a long weekend. We live in the Midwest, so a few hours of driving in just about any direction gives us a ton of options for a weekend away. Sometimes, we head to southeast Michigan and get an AirBnB or go to Chicago or Indianapolis and stay in a cool boutique hotel. Or we just head up to St. Joseph, Michigan for a day trip and hit some antique stores and take a walk on the beach and eat some of our favorite foods, like Stuffed French Toast and Corned Beef Hash at the Mason Jar Cafe or authentic Mexican elotes and carnitas at LaPerla, both in Benton Harbor.

Our most recent weekend away, we spent a few nights in the Windy City – and boy, was it windy that weekend. And rainy. And snowy. Curtis somehow managed to bring only his old man New Balance sneakers AND forgot his coat. (I happened to be toasty warm in my ‘sleeping bag with sleeves’ style coat and waterproof, insulated Merrell boots – with really good tread). I love Chicago, I love that we can drive there in under two hours or hop on the South Shore Line train and just walk or take the L train system just about everywhere in the city. There’s always so much going on, great people watching, and of course, it’s got an excellent nightlife. And ohh, the food!

I’ve recently started watching comedians on social media and Netflix and saw that British comedian and actor Jack Whitehall was going to be in Chicago. He’s one of my faves right now, so we got tickets planned a weekend around it. The Chicago Theater is beautiful, and there’s just something about the energy of the city and good, hard laughter that really boosts my mood. We had an excellent dinner of beer battered fish and chips at The Gage (24 S. Michigan Ave.), which is our favorite Chicago restaurant after the show. Normally, we eat breakfast there because they have great scotch eggs and French toast. I love a good breakfast- especially if I get mimosas or Bloody Mary’s, too!

The next morning, we got up and walked to the Shedd Aquarium to do a Penguin Encounter which is something I have wanted to do most of my life, and honestly, I can’t believe I’ve waited this long to do it. We met Esmerelda, a Magellanic penguin who is over 20 years old. Talk about a dream come true! I meant to get a new penguin shirt before we went, but time got away from me, so next best thing, I just dressed like a penguin instead, in black pants, white shirt, and black cardigan and my adorable Kate Spade penguin box purse. Curtis was not amused, and frankly, I was shocked (and impressed) that he even noticed my outfit. However, the other ladies in our group AND our guide were very impressed. Especially with my purse.

The Penguin Encounter fees includes your admission to the Shedd Aquarium too, so we arrived early and checked out the exhibits. I hadn’t been to the Aquarium since my oldest kids were small, so it’s been years and years. We were there on a Saturday, so it was mobbed with people, but the options are limited for the Penguin Encounter. They only allow 12 people in a group and do only twice a day on the days they offer it. We had 11 in our group, along with a Keeper and two assistants. Our little penguin was ADORABLE. Penguins are really cuddly and affectionate birds, which I had no idea. We each got to pet her and check out her feathers, wings, and feet, and she was able to wander around the room that we were in. She stayed over by us, and I like to believe it was because I was dressed just like her. (Right?) She was very sweet. This experience was a bit expensive because it’s only less than an hour, but to me, it was a dream come true and well worth the price. If you are a penguin lover like me, go for it!