As I’m catching up on recapping our adventures this past summer I can’t skip over the weekend we went to Chicago for the Grateful Dead 50th Reunion concert. Well, Josh and family went to the concert at Soldier Field, I went back to the hotel with mimi and sister, and was in bed by 9 with Lottie Rose (the life of a mom).
It was a quick 24 hour trip, so we didn’t have time to waste. Our drive to the city kicked off the weekend perfectly, mainly because Lottie did what we hoped and slept in the car the entire way!
So, What did we do with a one year old in Chicago?
We were hungry, so we started with lunch. Luckily Lottie will eat almost anything (unless it’s in vegetable form). We visited one of my favorites for a quick (and delicious) meal at Quartino .
I always carry a variety of foods with me incase baby girl needs food ASAP. Sometimes restaurants don’t understand the “need of the toddler” when they get hungry. They need it NOW. I had some spinach pancakes, a mozzarella stick and Cheerios that kept Lottie occupied until our food came out.
Next, we walked to Millennium Park and played in the Splash Pad, which if you have a toddler in Chicago in the summer this is the place to be. I was nervous she might be too young for the splash pad, and there were a lot of older kids running by her splashing water in her face, but Lottie held her own and loved watching the other kids around her play.
That evening we walked through Eataly and grabbed some gelato. Eataly is a mecca of goodness and one of my go-to stops when we visit NYC. I had never been to the Eataly in Chicago so I loved walking through seeing, smelling and tasting everything in sight!
Josh sent me plenty of photos and videos from the concert to make it feel as if I was there too.
We woke up that morning ready to explore the city, but first we filled up on the hotel’s large breakfast buffet. Once we finished stuffing our bellies we set out to explore more of the great city of Chicago.
Other great activities to do with a toddler in Chicago:
- Shedd Aquarium
- Lincoln Park Zoo
- Children’s Museum at the Pier
- North Avenue Beach
What would you add to my list? What do you and your toddler love to do in Downtown Chicago?
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