May Favorites

What can I say - it's almost June and still rediculously cold out. Which wouldn't be so bad in a bubble, save for the fact that we had two seventy degree days about a month ago and I presumptuously packed up my entire winter wardrobe to make room for shorts and spaghetti straps and slingbacks, OH MY! Of course, the next day it snowed. My toes have been in a quasi-state of frostbite every since - but the pedicure sure looks nice! Here are some ideas to get you through the next few weeks... months... will-summer-ever-come moments. Hang in there. It will. Sometime between realizing-you-planted-those-tulips-too-early and next Christmas. In the meantime:

Learn to cook.
Cooking is an invaluable skill and one that far to few have actually mastered. Plus, it's a great way to wow a date (for the reasons listed above. Since it's too cold to grill on the beach, grab your favorite bottle of Pinot and head on over to The Chopping Block for a few hours of culinary fun and a respite from the cold, dreary countdown to summer. http://www.thechoppingblock.net/


Learn to dance.
You'll be ready to shake it like a polaroid picture when the summer finally heats up. Here are a couple of places to learn new moves or brush up on your old ones:

Latin Street Dancing
http://www.laboriqua.com/
I took 12 weeks of salsa lessons my first year in Chicago. Not only was it a great time and a good workout, now I can salsa, merengue and cha-cha-cha my way to a good time any night of the week! Once you've got the basics down, check out Lalo's (500 N. La Salle) on Wednesday nights or Nacional 27 (325 W. Huron) and Rumba (351 W. Hubbard) on weekends!

Big City Swing
http://www.bigcityswing.com/
Swing dancing is also a jolly good time and a great skill to have for big-band weddings!

Check out a museum.
Chicago is known for having a smorgasboard of great museums. But if you're anything like me, this is not how you plan to spend your sunny summer days. So, though it may be too cold to sail around lake Michigan, it's just warm enough to walk on over to any of the following museums and up your IQ for the day (I included a description, just in case):

Field Museum, 1400 S. Lake Shore Drive:
Nature & Culture since the beginning of time.

Museum of Science and Industry, 5700 S. Lake Shore Drive:
Science and Industry (all I know - haven't been there yet).

Adler Planetarium and Astronomy Museum, 1300 S. Lake Shore Drive:
Grab your honey and gaze at the stars.

Shedd Aquarium, 1200 S. Lake Shore Drive:
World's largest indoor aquarium!

Art Institute of Chicago, 111 S. Michigan Ave:
One of the most famous art museums in the world, known for its French Impressionist and Post-Impressionist collection.

John Hancock Building and Observatory, 875 N. Michigan Ave:
View from the top! Stop in for lunch at the Signature Room (96th floor) and take in the breathtaking panorama of Chicago and Lake Michigan.

McCormick Tribune Freedom Museum, 445 N. Michigan Ave:
Everything you ever wanted to know about the 1st ammendment.

Spiritual Museum, 4328 N. Lincoln Ave:
Voodoo dolls, ghostly photos, a howl of a visit.

Summer in Chicago is one of the best things going. Don't waste your time waiting for it - get out there and have fun in the meantime and the warm days will be here that much sooner! Time flies when your toes are tapping!

Ten Pin Bowling Lounge, Marina City

Strike" out in style at Ten Pin!

As a Chicago local who hates dealing with the influx of summer, weekend, holiday, and – well - any-old-day-or-night-of-the-week tourists, who’d-a thought I could find anything even remotely redeeming about the ultra touristy House of Blues Hotel and adjoining facilities. But alas, today I eat my words, having discovered yet another jewel of Chicago culture and ‘townie’ entertainment.

When my boyfriend announced his brilliant “master plan” involving the two of us, a group of friends, cheap beer and matching, unflattering uniforms, I realized that my standard “56” wouldn’t exactly cut it in his fantasy world of Tuesday night bowling league glory,

The dedicated (and at this point, desperate) girlfriend I am, I wasted no time in scouring the city for bowling lounges where we could hone my ‘technique’ (or lack thereof) without being surrounded by small children to overhear the inevitable barrage of four letter faux pas, when my technique was not honed as quickly as I’d like.

In my quest to find the perfect spot to sink my strike (not!), I learned one thing – bowling in Chicago is not cheap. Most places cost a good $20 an hour – on weeknights! After extensive research however, I landed on Ten Pin Bowling Lounge, located in Marina City by the House of Blues Hotel. Not exactly where you’d expect to find a bargain – but much to my surprise they a super-trendy atmosphere, fantastic finger-food, one of the best bloody marys I’ve had in a long time and two great ongoing deals.

On Sundays you can get three hours of unlimited bowling for just $15/person and drink specials including $2.50 Miller and Miller Lite, and $4 select cocktails and bloody marys (right up my alley).

And if that’s not enough to get you into a pair a retro rentals, bring your man in for Monday night football (broadcast on eight oversized screens spanning 24 lanes), $4 games and discounted appetizers including 50 cent wings, half-price pizzas and $2.50 Miller bottles (although I’m sure they’ll give you draft if you ask nicely). They even have a “football toss” at half time with an opportunity to win $10,000!

At this rate, we’ll be ready to join a league in no time.

10Pin Bowling Lounge
330 North State Street
Chicago, Illinois 60610
312.644.0300

www.10pinchicago.com