A Day in Chicago with the Ford Kids: Sears Tower, Fox in a Box Escape Room, Lunch at Revival Food Hall, Redline VR, Korean BBQ at San Soo Gab San
The Ford kids are visiting the area, and Liz and I got to take them out for a day in Chicago. We had a lot on the agenda, and really went from place to place to try to do all the things.
On arriving at our place, we gave them a quick tour. Next thing you know, they picked up some brooms and started cleaning up the joint.
Nice to see Audrey and Sebastian following in their sister’s footsteps, with the cleaning.
First stop: Sears Tower. Since I’m not a fan of heights, I opted to just drop everyone off and wait until they were done.
We had another event to get to, mid-morning… so the timing was a little rushed. Everyone had to get in, up to the top, and back down again in a pretty short window.
Paige, at the top of the world.
Audrey, chillaxing.
Sebastian, hovering over the city.
Despite the tight window, we made it over to our second destination. With enough time for a brief photo shoot.
Our event was the “Bunker” scenario, at Fox in a Box – an escape room in Chicago. Liz and I have done a few escape rooms, and always found them a fun time.
We opted against hints, and really got down to the wire. We missed one critical clue earlier on in the game, but were able to figure things out with just enough time to spare.
Two minutes, thirty seven seconds to spare, to be precise.
Wish I could share some photos of the space/puzzle, but that would potentially ruin it for future players.
Suffice it to say, we had a really great time at Fox in a Box, and would definitely recommend them as a place to visit. We’ll definitely be back.
I was so proud of our accomplishment, I took a photo of the clock.
Walking to lunch, we stopped for photos along the way.
Something about the Kluczynski Federal Building made for a good location.
Audrey, posing in front of Calder’s Flamingo.
For lunch, we decided that Revival Food Hall would offer a little for everyone.
I forget who it was, but someone was definitely eating ketchup straight.
I took this photo to document just how messy Sebastian was, in his process of eating a burger.
After lunch, we headed to Logan Square and hit up a bookstore and a comic book store. On the way there, we tried pointing out a few highlights of the city… but everyone was on their phone. Because of course they were.
En route, we had A-Ha’s “Take On Me” playing. And I captured this private moment, showing how everyone loves A-Ha’s “Take On Me”:
Fast forward a bit to Redline VR. We got there a bit early, and were killing some time before our booths became available. Of course, this meant it was time for another photo shoot.
Sebastian, looking at the world.
First time with Richie’s Plank Experience.
Audrey, checking things out.
Liz, taking a spin.
A fun close-up.
We got two separate areas, so that the kids could trade off and maximize their time. Paige played a lot of VR Volleyball and got really competitive. To where I think she crashed into the plants on the border of the space, and got a light warning from the owner.
Up north, for an early dinner at San Soo Gab San. We figured the kids had never had Korean BBQ, and opted to give them another new experience.
Audrey, taking over the tongs.
Sebastian, serving folks up.
He’s a natural at cooking.
Lots of amazing side dishes, along with our chicken and beef.
After dinner, we stopped for a bit of ice cream (as a final treat). Then, we drove the kids back to Valpo (where they were staying with Bob and Julie).
A very long, a very fun, a very event-filled day. As I was saying – we did all the things.
Some of the cards, from our time at Fox in a Box. As part of the process, we had to come up with aliases, new names for our “mission.”
We each got to pick our names, and unbeknownst to us… our gamemaster drew pictures of each of us, and also gave us roles/titles.
I was “Agent X,” and was eventually labeled the commander of the team.
Liz was Agent Ann, and was our “Cryptologist.”
Paige was Agent Carmen Leone, the Cartographer.
Audrey was Agent Selena, our Timekeeper.
In a move that is as puzzling as it is on-brand, Sebastian was Agent Eugene Tequaveon (the Explosives Specialist).
I have no idea why Sebastian had an alias at the ready. Specifically, a first and last name, at the ready. He was disturbingly specific, when asked about an alias. I was partly impressed, and partly concerned.
What a whirlwind day with the Ford kids. It was a blast hanging out with them, and Liz and I enjoyed our time sprinting them around from place to place.
We hoped they liked our slice of Chicago, and their time with us. We had a blast, and look forward to seeing them again soon.
Related:
Christiana Lakehouse, Day 2
Playing Games with the Fords
Take On Me Via Augmented Reality
Korean BBQ, Kirin Beer, and Daytime Talk Shows
Babysitting Paige
I’m sad to report that San Soo Gab San isn’t what I remember. The space is a bit different, and they are very much in a rush to get folks in/out.
I’d say about 30 minutes into our meal, we started getting pressure from the servers to finish up, pack our food, and leave our table. While there were other folks waiting to be seated, we didn’t see other tables (who arrived later than us) get pressured to leave.
It was so bad – I doubt we’ll be going back, any time soon. The food was delicious and fun, but the service we received was so rude, and they were so overt about pushing us out the door – probably not going back.
avoision (July 7, 2022 at 11:08 pm)