"She-cago Bee-cago" 2019 Chicago Beevention

Our Beevention last year was an adventure in the wilderness of Montana, so we decided to take our 2019 Beevention to the city, and Chicago turned out to be an especially excellent choice! Thanks to Tara, who had recently been in Chicago for an Arthur Murray event and had checked everything out and created an amazing itinerary for us, we had an absolutely fabulous time checking out the sights and sounds and flavors of the third largest city in the country.

We set out from six different departure times and places and found our way to the Westin Hotel on Michigan Avenue right in the heart of downtown Chicago. We launched our weekend with dinner at the Cheesecake Factory, which was just across the street from our hotel. Friday morning, dressed in our exercise gear, we headed out on foot to explore downtown. We had such a great time walking along the streets, the river, and the waterfront, that we logged several miles before stopping at Stan's Donuts for a breakfast of unique donuts and cronuts.


It started to sprinkle, then to rain, so we dashed back to the hotel to change clothes and get ready for some lunch and shopping! Traditional deep-dish Chicago pizza at Giordano's was super yummy and right on our way to some fun shopping. We packed in as much time as possible wishing, trying on, and buying fun new clothes, then rushed our overflowing shopping bags back to the hotel before heading to the theater. Rain was still in the forecast, but we made it to the theater before it started to sprinkle again. We were thrilled to be able to enjoy a performance of "Hamilton."

Saturday morning it was threatening to rain again, but we were undaunted in our plan to see Chicago's diverse architecture on a "Hop On/Hop Off" bus tour. The tour company gave us rain ponchos and we sat on the upper deck for the 2+ hour tour of the town. We got off at Navy Pier, checked out the shops at the pier and had dinner at Harry Caray's. Our next stop was the movie theater to see "Downton Abbey." We all loved it!! On our walk back to the hotel we stopped in at Ghirardelli's for decadent ice cream sundaes.

Back at the hotel and in our pj's, we stayed up way too late talking, laughing, crying, snacking, and brainstorming future Beeventions. We shared our favorite things with each other, and I relinquished my crown (and the mink coat!) to our newly elected Queen Bee Gloria. In spite of the rain and sometimes chilly breeze, the 2019 Chicago Beevention was a truly memorable and fantastic weekend with such remarkable women that daily enrich my life. I love the Bees!!!