Chicago

As my loyal readers know, I recently moved from Texas to Cleveland- to be closer to my boyfriend, Jonathan. I honestly knew nothing about the Midwest but I quickly discovered the gem of the Midwest: Chicago. It is honestly one of the most beautiful cities I have ever been to. The city is truly livable, clean, with an amazing amount of culture and history. It probably didn't hurt that my two recent trips happened during the summer. From my recent visits, here are a few of my favorite things I tried:

Fitness

Chicago Lakefront Trail. Lake Michigan is an amazing resource to be healthy. The water is truly beautiful. Bright blue, clean with a real beach in the city. My favorite thing I did was rent bikes with my friend. We began downtown and biked along the lake, traveling North. The path went on for miles and we felt the breeze of the ocean on us while explore new areas of the city. Wherever you are staying in the city, I recommend you hop on a bike (locations throughout the city) and get on the Lake Michigan trail.

Boating on Lake Michigan. There are so many other ways to be outside with this gorgeous lake. Basically anything you can do on water, you can do it on Lake Michigan.

Our run around the city took us to the Bean

Walk around Millennium Park. Millennium Park is probably the place you think of when you hear Chicago. It has the Bean (silver structure that's prime location for selfies) Institute of Arts. It is a couple blocks of park and a great place to walk around and admire city skylines.

Just walk up and down Michigan Avenue. Like any major city, Chicago is great for people watching and just exploring. Michigan Avenue is famous for its shops but home to beautiful historic apartments and trendy, newer areas. Just walk up and down the street or one of the main roads that is parallel.

Food

Deep-dish Chicago Style Pizza

Chicago style pizza. Obviously this is must- do. I had never eaten it before, but I promise it is better. There is a major debate in Chicago between the infamous Chicago style places. I tried a few but my favorite was Giordano's.

Juice places on Michigan. Need your craving of juice to feel better about your travels? Check out Lincoln Park, a young professional neighborhood, with lots of cute cafes, grocers and multiple juice places to try.

Beer. If you're in Chicago, you gotta try the drink scene. We went to Wrigley Field area and I highly recommend it, particularly if you want a sporty, young, social atmosphere. It's a street where you can definitely go from bar to bar and a great place to go if you are with your whole group.