A Christkindlventure

It's the most wander-full time of the year + travel planning here we come!

Two weeks ago - and I’m trying to figure out how it’s already been two weeks - I went on a Christkindlventure with two good friends. I met Lori and Shelly through my work as a travel writer, and they both live in Sheboygan County, Wisconsin. That means I only get to see them a couple of times a year, but even so, they’ve quickly become two of my favorite people.

The three of us decided to go on a little adventure. It began with an overnight in Chicago and a visit to the Christkindlmarket. Now, I’ve been writing about Christmas in Chicago for 22 years, so I was tickled red and green to show the city off in all its finery. We were like a trio of teenagers, giggling over small plates at Quartino, drooling over prosciutto and cheese at Eataly, and sipping on Glühwein in Daley Plaza while a pigeon dined on fried dough.

We gazed at Palmer House Hilton’s gorgeous lobby, and I then took them to Cindy’s Rooftop, where we ordered craft cocktails and drank them on the open patio, marveling at the wonders below us. The holiday tree, the ice skating rink, Cloud Gate, and in the distance, the blue of Lake Michigan after the sun has set.

The view from Cindy’s Rooftop

After a nightcap at Crushed by Giants, we were in our jammies by 7pm and dining on fresh fruit from Jewel and our prosciutto and cheese.

Thirty-one year old me, the one who moved to a high rise in downtown Chicago, would have been aghast that I’d passed by all those wonderful restaurants, even skipping the cocktail bar in our hotel, to retire that early. Fifty-four year old me thought it was perfect.

The next day we drove to Carmel, Indiana. It was another trip down memory lane, of sorts. Carmel has changed so much since I went to high school there, the only thing I recognized was the music store where I used to buy reeds and sheet music. And my brother. He lives there now and met us at the Carmel Christkindlmarkt (no “e”).

We made up for the early night by having a later dinner at HC Tavern and Grille, and it was delicious. Borrowing a page from our small plates lunch at Quartino, we opted to share everything: escargot, shaved brussels sprouts salad, roasted beets, steak Diane, and wild mushroom and truffle oil flatbread. As we dined, we all admitted we preferred Carmel’s market. It was bigger, with an ice skating rink in the middle. It didn’t hurt that the Indianapolis Children’s Choir was performing when we’d arrived.

Although we’d originally planned to come home the next day, we decided that was silly. Instead, we got another room in downtown Chicago and took advantage of a free day at the Art Institute of Chicago. As an Illinois resident, I was able to reserve tickets for the three of us.

It was another early night, this time spent partially at the hotel bar and partially back in the room, once again in our jammies, followed by a wonderful breakfast the next morning at Sunny Side Up. We strolled to the historic Water Tower before checking out and going our separate ways, me to the train station and them to I-90.

The reason it’s hard to believe that it’s already been two weeks is because this experience was so delightful, so filled with love, so embracing and fulfilling that the effects are still with me.

A true Christmas gift.

And speaking of gifts (I know. Rotten segue.)... January begins my favorite season: Travel and Adventure Show season! I’ll be speaking and exhibiting in Atlanta, Chicago, and Los Angeles, and over the next few weeks I’ll have codes for free tickets for my subscribers. I’ll send them via e-mail, and I’ll probably send the Atlanta code by this weekend.

If you’re not subscribed, here’s your chance:

And while you’re at it, I’m doing something new! I’m now offering a free copy of my book, Planning Your Perfect Road Trip, to paid subscribers. If you become a Founding Member, you’ll get the entire Midwest Adventures bundle in paperback! Plus there will be exclusive content and surprises throughout the year.

Gift memberships are also available.

The next two weeks, Wanderlust Weekly will go out on Tuesdays because of the holidays. After that I’ll be posting every Wednesday with travel stories, tips, and inspiration.

Until then,

Love and Wanderlust,

Theresa Goodrich