Yet another highlight!

We've arrived back in Tucson, as of last night. At the end of the trip one tends to reflect on the fun they had, and in our case we tend to blog about it! We'd be remiss if we didn't do an entry about our trip into Chicago to have dinner with our friend, Lynn!

I have known Lynn for several years, meeting her as a "friend of a friend". We always have a great time together, and as luck would have it - she lives in Chicago. Lynn is originally from England, and moved back there for a couple of years (in recent history). She has moved back to Chicago, now, however - and through the wonders of Facebook we have been in contact with each other on a regular basis! I hadn't seen Lynn since 2007, so it was fun to plan a visit. She had been to our house in the woods when we first bought it (before any improvements were done), and we had hoped to have her out for a weekend - that was not to be, this time. Lynn lives in the Lincoln Park area of Chicago (somewhere between downtown and Wrigley Field), which is a beautifully picturesque area full of old brownstone homes, charming restaurants, and upscale neighborhood pubs. It's the perfect setting for her - cozy, relaxed, and even though you are in a huge city it has a very 'small town' feel to it. I had visited Lynn before, and had a great weekend there with friends - enjoying the neighborhood, the shopping, and the closeness of downtown. This trip was for just the evening, but we had a great time! It was raining that evening, on our trip into the city...and rush hour. I'm not sure where the term "rush hour" originated, but I'm sure Chicago was involved somehow. I laugh when people talk about rush hour in Tucson - it's nothing compared to a million cars on the highway, some going into the city - some coming out....equal amounts, typically, either way! The drive home (late in the evening) took us 1 hour; the drive into the city took a full 2 1/2 hours! The rain wasn't any more of a factor than there being a Blackhawks game that evening, and it was Friday night. By the time we reached Lynn's home the rain had stopped, however. We hugged and greeted, and then headed out for dinner. Again, this neighborhood is so charming. We walked to dinner, just a few blocks away, enjoying the little wrought-iron rimmed gardens in front of the homes along the way. Gardens bursting with Iris', Tulips, Peonies, and full of Ivy! Lynn had chosen a favorite restaurant for dinner, Rose Angelis. Rose Angelis is a beautiful, little Italian restaurant, situated in an old house. The food and wine was exceptional! Lynn had a seafood fettuccine, Dean had a chicken ravioli, and I went for the eggplant Parmesan (one of my favorites!). There was enough food for two or three meals in each serving - and it was something that you wanted to take home as leftovers! Lynn and I enjoyed catching up with each other, and she enjoyed getting to know Dean (her first time meeting him) over dinner. After dinner we ambled back to Lynn's home, where we visited some more before heading back to our cottage in the woods. While other commitments prevented Lynn from coming to join us for the weekend in St. Charles, she has promised that she would come out for a cottage weekend this summer; and we're going to hold her to that promise!