Florida: Arrival

Sooooo...I guess that it's been a while since I posted, huh? Sorry but the last few months just got out of control, but I've thought of you often. At the end of last month, my husband, Michael and I took a trip to Florida...Ft. Lauderdale to be exact. We went with Stephanie (our human) as she attended the National Barbie Convention. So I thought I'd share pictures from our adventures.

Pixxa: Here we are fresh off the plane in Ft. Lauderdale. Michael, wave at our visitors.

Michael: Boy it's humid here. And we've got all of this stuff. Where's our ride anyway?

P: (whispering) Please excuse Michael...he's a bit of a grumpy traveler.

P: First stop...CUPCAKES!! I have been dying to try the cupcakes at Sweeter Days---come on, le't go in!!

M: Mmmmm...looks yummy and smells great!

P: Here we are with the owner, Steven. He was great helping us get our order!

M: I'm ready to eat!!
P: Later Michael. Just carry them to the car.

M: You want me to carry all of these? No way. oh Stephanieeeee...

P: Here we are on the grounds of the hotel. We stayed at the Harbor Beach Marriott Resort & Spa. It was VERY nice!

M: Let's go check out what's over there.

P: Oh Michael...our first look at the Atlantic Ocean.

A Visit Downtown

Pixxa: Here we are in front of one of the best theatres in Chicago, The Cadillac Palace Theatre

Vintage Travel Barbie: Are we going to a play?

P: No, we're going to do a quick tour of downtown.

P: Behind us is the State of Illinois Building. It's made of glass and steel.

P: And across the street is the City-County Building.

VTB: City-County Building?

P: Yes, this half of the building is the County Building...

P: And, this half of the building is City Hall.

VTB: This is where the Mayor works?

P: Yep.

P: From here you can see the doors to City Hall and the doors to the County Building.

VTB: Neat!

P: And here at the front of the State Building is Jean Dubuffet's sculpture Monument with Standing Beast

VTB: Interesting...

P: And across the street again is Daley Center which is the courthouse building. Let's go over there.

VTB: Okay

P: If you think back to The Blues Brothers movie, you might remember the building behind us.

VTB: Oh right...when they were trying to pay the money for the orphanage.

VTB: And here we are inside the Daley Center. Wow security is tight.

Note to readers - security really is tight. We were kicked out of the building just after this photo was snapped.

P: I think this is Chicago's most famous sculpture. It's our Picaso.

VTB: Chicago is a very artsy town, huh?

VTB: What's that over there?

P: It's the studio where the local news is broadcast. CBS, Channel 2.

VTB: Ahhh...CBS

P: This is what used to be our most iconic store, Marshall Field's. They have been taken over by Macy's.

VTB: Cute window display

P: That clock is famous. It was immortalized on the cover of The Saturday Evening Post in 1945.

VTB: So that makes this a very old clock!

The girls laughed and keep walking.

P: There's the Chicago Theatre. It's part of the area called...wait, there it it...

VTB: ...The Chicago Theatre District.

P: Since tea is becoming the new coffee, we've got Argo Tea shops. And the tea is wonderful.

P: This is Garrett's Popcorn...the best cheese and caramel corn in the world.

VTB: Didn't Oprah have this as a favorite one year?

P: Of course she did!

P: And there's The Goodman Theatre.

VTB: There are lots of theatres in Chicago.

P: Not as many as in New York, but we do okay.

And with that, the girls ended their tour by stopping for a cocktail.

Uh-"O"

Vintage Travel Barbie: So where are we off to today?
Pixxa: We've got 2 stops planned for today, but you'll just have to wait and see.

P: Here we are
VTB: Oh wow...is this where her show was filmed?

P: Yep

P: Remember "You get a car...You get a car...You get a car"?
VTB: Who doesn't?
P: This is the parking lot where the cars were.
VTB: They should make this a historical landmark or something!

The girls laughed and started walking around the building

VTB: Wow, I wonder all of the celebrities that those people across the street have seen.

VTB: Oooooo...shopping!

VTB: I guess this is the closest that I'll get to a pix with Oprah.

VTB: Look Pixxa, I'm standing in line to go into the show.
P: Ha ha ha! But you're right, the line wraps all the way around here.

VTB: Well, at least I can say I've been to The Oprah Winfrey Show..ha ha ha!
P: Okay, let's go

VTB: Where to now?

P: We're going to see some of the buildings of downtown.

P: Here we are under the tracks of the "L" which is the elevated train.

P: Now we're on the banks of the Chicago River

P: This is a view from the west of downtown

P: This train is the Metra and is one of the trains you take to get out to the suburbs.

P: See over there? There's the "L"
VTB: So that's how you get around "in" the city?
P: You've got it!

VTB: That's a very nice view
P: And over to the left is The Merchandise Mart

VTB: Chicago is my kinda town!!

A Day At Museum Campus

It's back downtown...but this time it's the south loop, right on the lake...Lake Michigan. P: This area is called Museum Campus because there are 3 museums pretty much right on the same block.

VTBarbie: Well I see these two are close, but that one down there is a looooooong way to be considered in the same block.

VTBarbie: So which way should we go?

P: Let's start at the Aquarium and then walk around and end at the lake.

VTBarbie: Okay...let's go!

Pixxa: It's this way to the front.

VTBarbie: Now THAT'S a fish!!

P: Cute dolphin statues, right?

P: And here we are, in front of the John G. Shedd Aquarium.

A few steps later

P: And here we are in front of the Field Museum. This museum has historic type stuff like dinosaurs and mummies.

P: Stand over there VTBarbie so I can get your pix on Lake Shore Drive with the skyline in the background.

P: Okay now to the Totem Pole.

VTBarbie: Wow, it's so tall!

P: Okay, onward. We still have several stops and it's getting dark.

The girls walk along the west side of the museum.

VTBarbie: What's that huge thing across the street?

P: Let's go see.

VTBarbie: Soldier Field...ah...home of The Chicago Bears!!

P: da Bears!!!

VTBarbie: Wow...big stadium. And a cute little park leading to it.

P: Now we're headed to the Planetarium.

VTBarbie: I'm glad my feet aren't hurting with all of this walking!

Both girls laughed.

P: Guess who?

VTBarbie: Of course Copernicus would be sitting in front of the Planetarium.

VTBarbie: Wow, this is big too. I guess there's alot to learn about the planets and space.

And just a few steps away

P: Okay, let me get you in front of Lake Michigan with the night skyline...beautiful.

And with that, the girls jumped back in the car and headed toward home.

P: Here's a closer look at Soldier Field. You can see the old, original architecture, and the new architecture that they added for the stadium's expansion. Okay...let's go. I'm hungry!