Heaven to Hell and Back: Colorado, Chicago, and the Cayman Islands
Jan 24, 2020, 8:05 am
#31
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Jan 26, 2020, 8:53 pm
#32
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Next Stop: Chicago
After a quick 24 hours on the ground in Dallas to swap out my swim trunks for ski jackets we were headed back out to DFW to catch our flight to Chicago. After dropping our bags at the check-in desks at Terminal D, we were back to The Club at DFW for a quick snack before boarding. The selection was more or less the same from our visit a week earlier but it was good for a cup of coffee and a glass of bubbly.
American Airlines
AA 2412
DFW-ORD (Dallas/Ft. Worth International - Chicago O'Hare International)
Seat: 9C (Premium Economy Main Cabin Extra)
787-8 (N818AL)
Scheduled: 12:30p-2:50p
Actual: 12:32p-2:41p
After 20 minutes in the lounge it was time to head over to our gate for boarding. AA offers a variety of flights between DFW and ORD with a few being operated by international wide-bodies. We booked on one of the frequencies operated by the 787 and managed to snag Premium Economy seats at booking as they are marketed as Main Cabin Extra for domestic flights. Boarding was quick and after a short taxi we were off to Chicago.
Once airborne, the crew came through with the drink and snack service. The GF went with champagne while I had a Tito's with Dasani Lime. I'm not sure where the plane was catered as the inbound was from Hawaii, but my can was in French. The flight flew by and before long we were landing on a dreary day in Chicago with a wintry mix falling.
We parked at the far end of the K Concourse and had a long walk to baggage claim through the concourse that was still decorated for Christmas. After waiting for our bags we trekked over to Terminal 2 to meet our Uber driver. This was my first time flying through ORD post Uber and I was surprised by the fact that the airport only had one pickup location for all 3 terminals. However, we had no trouble locating our driver and we headed off into the city.
American Airlines
AA 2412
DFW-ORD (Dallas/Ft. Worth International - Chicago O'Hare International)
Seat: 9C (
787-8 (N818AL)
Scheduled: 12:30p-2:50p
Actual: 12:32p-2:41p
After 20 minutes in the lounge it was time to head over to our gate for boarding. AA offers a variety of flights between DFW and ORD with a few being operated by international wide-bodies. We booked on one of the frequencies operated by the 787 and managed to snag Premium Economy seats at booking as they are marketed as Main Cabin Extra for domestic flights. Boarding was quick and after a short taxi we were off to Chicago.
Once airborne, the crew came through with the drink and snack service. The GF went with champagne while I had a Tito's with Dasani Lime. I'm not sure where the plane was catered as the inbound was from Hawaii, but my can was in French. The flight flew by and before long we were landing on a dreary day in Chicago with a wintry mix falling.
We parked at the far end of the K Concourse and had a long walk to baggage claim through the concourse that was still decorated for Christmas. After waiting for our bags we trekked over to Terminal 2 to meet our Uber driver. This was my first time flying through ORD post Uber and I was surprised by the fact that the airport only had one pickup location for all 3 terminals. However, we had no trouble locating our driver and we headed off into the city.
Jan 31, 2020, 5:16 pm
#33
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Sheraton Grand Chicago
Traffic from ORD was moderate and about 45 minutes later our Uber dropped us at the Sheraton Grand in downtown Chicago. I applied some expiring suite night upgrades to the stay but the hotel was full for New Years Eve so no suite for us this go round. We did get upgraded to a corner room on the concierge floor that had some great views of Chicago and Lake Michigan.
The room had a mini-bar that was a tad on the pricey side, so we didn't partake but if anyone is interested.
I wasn't able to get any pics of the lounge as it was absolutely packed with families in town for the holiday but they did have a semi-decent food spread available.
The room had a mini-bar that was a tad on the pricey side, so we didn't partake but if anyone is interested.
I wasn't able to get any pics of the lounge as it was absolutely packed with families in town for the holiday but they did have a semi-decent food spread available.
Feb 5, 2020, 9:39 pm
#34
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Location: Austin, TX
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Wrigleyville Christmas Market
After settling into our hotel we decided to brave the cold and head out to the Christmas Market in Wrigleyville. After a short, snowy walk to the L and a 15-20 minute ride up to Wrigley Field we made it to the market.
Wrigleyville Christmas Market
The temperature had dropped even more by the time we made it so we grabbed some gluhwein and bratwurst to warm us up while we explored.
After finishing up at the market, we walked down the street to check out some of the local bars that had been decorated for the holidays and grab a bite to eat.
The snow had started to accumulate so we headed back to the hotel via Uber and called it an early night as we had a big day planned for New Years Eve.
Wrigleyville Christmas Market
The temperature had dropped even more by the time we made it so we grabbed some gluhwein and bratwurst to warm us up while we explored.
After finishing up at the market, we walked down the street to check out some of the local bars that had been decorated for the holidays and grab a bite to eat.
The snow had started to accumulate so we headed back to the hotel via Uber and called it an early night as we had a big day planned for New Years Eve.
Feb 11, 2020, 10:41 pm
#35
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Join Date: Feb 2017
Location: Austin, TX
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Exploring Chicago
With only one full day in Chicago we were up bright and early to make the most of it. First stop was the Magnificent Mile so the GF could pick up a dress for the wedding/NYE party we were attending that night before heading off to meet some friends at Yolk for brunch.
Brunch here was a BYOB affair so after a quick run to the 7-11 around the corner we were set.
Navy Pier
After leaving brunch we walked down to Navy Pier. I haven't been to Chicago since I was in middle school and then it was over Spring Break. Our trip to Navy Pier was good, but nowhere near what I remembered. All of the stores seemed kitschy and being the middle of winter, there wan't much happening outside.
After walking around the pier we decided to take the Lakefront Trail from Navy Pier over to Daley Park.
Millennium Park
No trip to Chicago would be complete without a visit to the Cloud Gate (aka The Bean). We did the touristy thing and snapped some photos before exploring the rest of the park.
We made our way back towards the hotel around dusk to get ready for the wedding, but not before stopping along the way for a quick snack.
Brunch here was a BYOB affair so after a quick run to the 7-11 around the corner we were set.
Navy Pier
After leaving brunch we walked down to Navy Pier. I haven't been to Chicago since I was in middle school and then it was over Spring Break. Our trip to Navy Pier was good, but nowhere near what I remembered. All of the stores seemed kitschy and being the middle of winter, there wan't much happening outside.
After walking around the pier we decided to take the Lakefront Trail from Navy Pier over to Daley Park.
Millennium Park
No trip to Chicago would be complete without a visit to the Cloud Gate (aka The Bean). We did the touristy thing and snapped some photos before exploring the rest of the park.
We made our way back towards the hotel around dusk to get ready for the wedding, but not before stopping along the way for a quick snack.
Feb 25, 2020, 9:20 pm
#36
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Chicago to Denver
After an all too short visit to Chicago, the GF and I were off on the last leg of our trip, skiing in Breckenridge.
As we were checking out of the hotel we noticed an unusually large law enforcement contingent in the lobby as some guests were apparently unhappy with their final bill and being very vocal about it. We managed to sneak around to the curb and hopped in an Uber for the 35 minute ride to O'Hare. The GF had to check a bag so after a brief stop by the American desk we were through security and off to our gate, H4.
American Airlines
AA 309
ORD-DEN (Chicago O'Hare International - Denver International)
Seat: 3E (First)
737-800 (N918NN)
Scheduled: 1:45p-3:30p
Actual: 1:38p-3:16p
Boarding began right on tome with Concierge Key members being invited to board first, followed by Group 1, US Active Duty Military and families needing extra time. We settled in to seats 3E and 3F on the Oasis'd where the flight attendants were proactive with the PDB's as we completed boarding.
We took off to the West and had some snowy prairie views on the climb out. We passed the time watching the remainder of the Minnesota/Auburn bowl game on my iPhone. Snack options were between a charcuterie board and a cheese plate. The GF took the charcuterie board while I went with the cheese plate. Before long, we were descending into Denver where we had a short taxi to our arrival gate.
We headed off to baggage claim where we had quite the time getting our luggage. We headed to the usual AA carousel on the west side, #17 , before the app instructed everyone to head to the east side on carousel #7 . Carousel # was in the middle of the Southwest area but was showing our flight info on the board. Finally, after about 30 minutes an announcement was made that the carousel number was wrong and we all headed back to carousel #17 on the west side to collect our luggage before catching the train into the city.
As we were checking out of the hotel we noticed an unusually large law enforcement contingent in the lobby as some guests were apparently unhappy with their final bill and being very vocal about it. We managed to sneak around to the curb and hopped in an Uber for the 35 minute ride to O'Hare. The GF had to check a bag so after a brief stop by the American desk we were through security and off to our gate, H4.
American Airlines
AA 309
ORD-DEN (Chicago O'Hare International - Denver International)
Seat: 3E (First)
737-800 (N918NN)
Scheduled: 1:45p-3:30p
Actual: 1:38p-3:16p
Boarding began right on tome with Concierge Key members being invited to board first, followed by Group 1, US Active Duty Military and families needing extra time. We settled in to seats 3E and 3F on the Oasis'd where the flight attendants were proactive with the PDB's as we completed boarding.
We took off to the West and had some snowy prairie views on the climb out. We passed the time watching the remainder of the Minnesota/Auburn bowl game on my iPhone. Snack options were between a charcuterie board and a cheese plate. The GF took the charcuterie board while I went with the cheese plate. Before long, we were descending into Denver where we had a short taxi to our arrival gate.
We headed off to baggage claim where we had quite the time getting our luggage. We headed to the usual AA carousel on the west side, #17 , before the app instructed everyone to head to the east side on carousel #7 . Carousel # was in the middle of the Southwest area but was showing our flight info on the board. Finally, after about 30 minutes an announcement was made that the carousel number was wrong and we all headed back to carousel #17 on the west side to collect our luggage before catching the train into the city.
Feb 26, 2020, 9:28 pm
#37
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Breckenridge
The final part of our Christmas/New Years trip had us skiing in Breckenridge for 4 days. We overnighted at the GF's in Denver before driving up to Breckenridge to rendezvous with some friends of mine that had flown up from Dallas. The drive up was uneventful and we made it to the house before lunch where we quickly changed into our ski gear and headed up the mountain to catch a quick afternoon session. We didn't take many photos up on the slopes as we were too busy trying not to end up in a Colorado hospital. Happy to say that we managed to end the trip all still in one piece.
After a short day of skiing we headed back to the house for dinner and some hot tub time to soothe our sore muscles. At some point the liquid encouragement convinced us to make some crude snow angels. After a morning of skiing we headed into town to grab some grub and do some exploring.
After wandering through downtown Breckenridge we headed back to the house to get ready for night skiing over at Keystone. This year, they expanded the lighting on the runs to provide even more space to ski. After a quick drive over we grabbed a bite to eat and wandered the resort while waiting for the night skiing to start. Didn't get any photos during the night skiing but we did manage to catch the fireworks at the end of the night.
Our last full day in Breck was spent on the slopes and was the best weather day that we had during our time there. Beautiful sunny skies and some temperatures awaited us.
With that, our skiing adventure had come to an end. The next morning we packed up the car for the drive back to Denver. Before leaving town we made a couple of stops first at the Troll of Breckenridge, a large sculpture set back in the woods south of town before heading on to the Lost Cajun for some comfort food before the drive back. Being from Louisiana I take my Cajun food very seriously and was pleasantly surprised with the quality given the fact that we were hours from the nearest ocean and sitting at 9,000' elevation.
Traffic back to Denver was light and we made the drive in about an hour and a half with no issues.
After a short day of skiing we headed back to the house for dinner and some hot tub time to soothe our sore muscles. At some point the liquid encouragement convinced us to make some crude snow angels. After a morning of skiing we headed into town to grab some grub and do some exploring.
After wandering through downtown Breckenridge we headed back to the house to get ready for night skiing over at Keystone. This year, they expanded the lighting on the runs to provide even more space to ski. After a quick drive over we grabbed a bite to eat and wandered the resort while waiting for the night skiing to start. Didn't get any photos during the night skiing but we did manage to catch the fireworks at the end of the night.
Our last full day in Breck was spent on the slopes and was the best weather day that we had during our time there. Beautiful sunny skies and some temperatures awaited us.
With that, our skiing adventure had come to an end. The next morning we packed up the car for the drive back to Denver. Before leaving town we made a couple of stops first at the Troll of Breckenridge, a large sculpture set back in the woods south of town before heading on to the Lost Cajun for some comfort food before the drive back. Being from Louisiana I take my Cajun food very seriously and was pleasantly surprised with the quality given the fact that we were hours from the nearest ocean and sitting at 9,000' elevation.
Traffic back to Denver was light and we made the drive in about an hour and a half with no issues.