Summer In the (Chi) City

I admit it. I'm spoiled. My idea of a beach involves pristine, pearly sand and sun-dappled, turquoise waves. That means Chicago beaches do not qualify. But we were tormented with a cool, dreary summer over the last three months so when a hot, 88-degree, day popped up I had to grab it. I gathered up my best friend who's the ultimate Bajan beach bunny, packed up the kids and headed to Montrose beach. If the water looks murky in the photo above, that's because it is. I typically don't venture out into the Chicago side of Lake Michigan because the toxic levels rival only Chernobyl. But I was dragged out by my gang of bossy kids. My expression reflects the joy I felt in wading in the arctic cold lake.




My toes, painted a neon banana yellow, managed to thaw once I was permitted to lounge under the sun.


The lounging didn't last very long as I discovered the range of food offered at the beach. After enjoying my favorite coco paleta, I was covered in streams of coconut drippings but I wasn't about to go back into that water. Especially after I spied the creative, portable taco stand created by the vendor above. He served up the best sizzling steak tacos, so tasty that my persnickety pre-teen downed 8 of them.



Then there was the cotton candy. Who doesn't love sugar on a hot, sticky day? I also spied sno cones, fruit bowls, popcorn, churros and corn on the cob. We had lugged sandwiches and corn on the cob for our lunch, not realizing that a day at the beach equals a non-stop picnic.


We lingered until the sun went down. Then we strolled home, stopping to revel in this wildflower preserve across the street from the beach. It's not St.Lucia but on that rare cloudless day, Montrose Beach supplied enough to create a fun day in the Chicago sun.