Take Your Marriage to New Heights!

There are times when all you need to do is go up. Chicago is home to many skyscrapers, in fact, the first skyscraper was built right here in Chicago 130 years ago!  Chicago is now known for its skyscrapers and today there are 116!

The Willis Tower is a cultural landmark in our city. At one point it was the tallest building in the world, now it’s the tallest building in North America at 110 floors!  My Grandma was living in Chicago while it was under construction and she remembers the never-ending hole they dug for the foundation, you couldn’t even see all the way to the bottom!  The Willis Tower is a office building as well as an iconic tourist attraction.  On the 103^rd floor there is a Skydeck with a breathtaking view of the city, it costs $22 per person.

I proposed this date idea to my wife, it sounded like a great place to go out on date and help my wife conquer her fear of heights!  My wife really hates heights and she has a hard time conquering this fear. I have different fears, but heights are not one of them.  When I proposed this date night to her she didn’t want to do it, even just the idea of taking the elevator up 103 stories left her feeling apprehensive. I tried my best on convince her but she was not having it.  I backed off as I remembered a marriage tip about taking a break from a discussion if you cannot come to a conclusion. We tabled the discussion and we both went about our business for the rest of the night.

The next day when I got home from work my wife brought up the topic again! She said that she appreciated the fact that I was trying to help her. I offered a compromise; we could just go downtown and walk around and look at the buildings from the ground.  My wife said she was willing to face her fears with me by her side and said she would like to go inside.  By the end of the date my wife was very grateful that I pushed her to do this. She had faced a fear and I really feel that we grew closer as a couple and improved our marriage on this great date!

Exploring Historical Neighborhoods of Chicago

Do you know what neighborhood you live in? You might know the name of it but do you really KNOW it? Chicago has rich a historical history and you don’t even need to go to a museum to enjoy it. You can visit many historical neighborhoods and imagine yourself there.

BlueIsland, IL is one of those neighborhoods with a great historical district.  I recommend going south of 127^th street before you reach Vermont to some beautiful houses. On Western Ave. there are historical buildings with many small businesses to wander through. My wife and I enjoyed our time walking and looking at the beautiful houses and shops. We talked about how it might have looked originally and how much it’s changed.

Along our route there were many houses with plaques that we stopped and read. Out of all of the beautiful houses we was the Charles Young House was by far our favorite. It was built in 1886 as a hotel. Blue Island used to be about a day’s travel for people heading to Chicago on foot. When we learned this we imaged that people would stay in this hotel for a night or two before they made their way north to Chicago. I would also recommend visiting the Robert Krueger House, built in 1913 and the Arthur Seyfarth House, built in 1929.

Walking and talking with my wife was a great experience. Not only did we feel more connected to each other but it was good exercise!  We got to meet other people out walking their dogs, going to the store, or other fellow explorers. I would highly recommend going out for a walk in a historical district to anyone who wants to get to know where we came from. Get out there before the winter comes!