Francisbags meets USA: A trip full of positive emotions
After a 10-hour flight Francis arrives with her family, more precisely with her mother, her
sister and the neighbor’s son in the US. First stop: Chicago - The windy city. Windy city,
because some freezing breezes blow off Lake Michigan and trough the city’s streets. And in deed, it is windy and cold.
Arrived in Chicago
A highlight of Chicago was for sure the John Hancock Center and its nice view. On top of the skyscraper, you really can see everything. And you do not even have to wait for long if you decide to go for lunch there as well. Another highlight was the “Andy’s Jazz Club”. Because, if you’re in one of the major centers for music in the midwestern United States, you must go to listen “Chicago blues”, “Chicago style jazz” and its soul music, don’t you? For “Andy’s Jazz Club” you pay a small entrance fee, but the music, drinks and ambience there are well worth it. But the real cool thing about Chicago is, that you don’t get only to hear the music in the bars and clubs, but also are able to enjoy soul and jazz in the streets and parks of Chicago.
Maxime bag positioned in front of one of the views from the Hancock Center
Did you know that its because of former mayor Daley that the city is also called “Green
Chicago”? His idea of a city of the future was an ecological city: A lot of green spaces were created and trees planted. And of course, there are a lot more on the “must see” list when you are going to Chicago: One of it fur sure the Cloud Gate. There are a lot of tourists there, but the bean is just a very interesting sculpture, with reflections that are different from every angle. All in all, the three days in Chicago were well spent. And what Francis really enjoyed besides all the “must does” was that she and her mother found the time to do a beauty day together.
Francis and her mother on their beauty day
Chicago
Francis positions the Starlight bag.
From Chicago, Francis and her family took a flight to Reno, a city 35km away from Lake
Tahoe. There they would spend four days with Francis’ cousin Werner. Werner lives in Reno with his wife Esther, his daughter Malea and dog Piter. The couple opened a new coffee there called “Café Züri” or also “Zuri Coffee” (Instagram: @zuricoffee, #zuricoffee). You should absolutely try the spinach puffs and the almond croissants, they are de-li-cious! The food is excellent.
In Züri Coffee in Reno with Francis mother, the neighbors son, Francis,
Francis sister, Werner and Esther.
Visit @zuricoffe
The delicious spinach puffs
Werner and Esther have found the time to show them around a bit. What’s better than
having local guides? One of the stops was a small gold mining town in Virginia which was
very lovely and interesting. Also the Lake Tahoe was on the list of the activities – and was
really enjoyable! After showing the group around, Werner took them to his house and
cooked for them.
The historic Virginia city
Werner with his family Esther, Malea and dog Piter
Enjoying Lake Tahoe
Time flies by, and the last stop on the agenda was San Diego. Once arrived in San Diego, the four got their car and drove to La Jolla. Once again, locals are waiting for the group: Francis cousin Alexandra and her husband Mike are living there. Never the less, the four travelers rested in hotel “La Valencia” – and it’s absolutely recommendable! From La Jolla, they carried out various day trips as for example to Seaport Village, Salk Institute or Torrey pines. The days were rounded off with nice and cozy dinners together. Once Mike invited them for some self-made Spaghetti Bolognese, and another time they went eating at a Mexican restaurant (Tio Leos). In the eyes of Francis, the best of the Mexican food is the Guacamole.
On the way to La Jolla
Hotel La Valencia in La Jolla
Salk Institute