Chicago!

There are a gazillion reasons why I love my job working for the restaurants, but this ranks at the top ... a company trip to the National Restaurant Association conference in Chicago! If you've ever been to the big conference center in Chicago, this show took up the ENTIRE McCormick Place with the nearly 50,000 attendees. (Yes, the first day I felt like a small fish in a big pond!) It took a little getting used to taking buses and cabs vs. just hopping in the car and driving everywhere, but it was so fun living the "city life" for a few days! 

For three days, we listened to speakers, attended educational sessions, and toured the trade show to learn the latest and greatest new trends in the restaurant industry. It was amazing to see the products and ideas showcased with all the different food vendors (not to mention all the food samples we lunched on each day at the exhibits!) Our days were packed with the conference activities; our evenings were packed with amazing dinners & tours of the city that our owners had planned for us. Most nights we were eating dinner at 9 or 10 and going to bed well past my usual bedtime! What an absolutely incredible time seeing the city and attending the show!

Our Keynote Speaker ... Bill Clinton!

Since he had heart surgery several years ago, 

he has recently helped to lead some healthy eating/

living initiatives in the nation & other countries.

Great speaker!

Back when we had cable, I used to be a big fan

of the show Top Chef and remember watching

Richard Blais in Season 4. He did a cooking demo

at the show. Talk about cooking inspiration!

A Chicago landmark. It looks like a shiny bean

but is actually formally named "Cloud Gate."

Our crew from Rocky Mountain Restaurant Group,

including the owners & managers. 

So lucky to work with such a fun group!

When visiting the bean, may I suggest you wear

a bright color ... like coral. Much easier to spot

one's reflection in the bean.

Such clever fountains! There's a water spout coming out

of the woman's mouth, and the video images

change and flash up different people. You never 

know when the faces are going to "spit" water 

at you. Someday we'd love to bring the boys here!

Riding in style! Our main mode of transportation 

each evening for our group of 11.

Chicago Skyline at Night

Chicago Skyline on My Morning Run

One of our managers is a huge Cubs fan.

So we made a quick stop here!

Enjoying tapas and sangria at Cafe Babareeba!

Our owners treated us to a special evening with 

a Spanish guitar player entertaining us 

while we dined on the best tapas EVER! 

Dessert, anyone?

On the final day of the trip, I was

fortunate to visit with some family.

Lunch & a water taxi ride with

Aunt J & Uncle D! 

Seeing the sights on the boat!

I also met up with Aunt Marcia & adorable little 

Lincoln, her grandson and the son of my 

cousin Mark & his wife Lindsay. It was so great to 

see them and have a little play-dough time!