Chicago Day 3: St. Patrick's Day

I've always heard Chicago had some of the best St. Patty's festivities in the nation, so that fact this year's festivities (which always take place on a Saturday) actually fell on the day of St. Patrick's day (and Caitlin's birthday) made the the timing of our trip perfect.

While we did not necessarily rise and shine at the crack of dawn, many of the town's party-goers did. Bennigans was already pretty wild by the time we passed it at 10 a.m. - games, drinks, ice block shots, and lots of people.

Our first big stop was the St. Patty's Day parade. The place was packed with a sea of green.

Since we didn't stake out early, I feared we'd have no sight of even seeing the parade, but really our spots weren't so bad.

We didn't really last too long because (a) the sun was kicking, (b) 30 minutes of marching bands and trailers filled with random people was just way too much entertainment for me, and (c) we were dying for a beer. So next stop, the pub downstairs from our hotel for beer.

Yes, this green beer was heavy on the coloring and looked black, but it was refreshing all the same. The pub was a nice break, but we still had more Chicago St. Patty's adventures to explore.

En route to Wrigleyville we made a pit stop at the river that is infamously dyed green every Irish holiday.

It was definitely a sight to see.

     

After the river we hopped on the way-too ridiculously crowded subway and made our way to Wrigleyville madness. The excessive amount drunk people partying on the streets and in the bars was definitely the highlight of Wrigleyville. It no doubt trumped 6th Street on Halloween.

We even saw a guy face plant into the concrete, ouch.

But I'm sad to say boozing it up was an epic fail on our end. To fight those crowds and to wait in those lines, I would have needed much more than one or two beers already in my system. Next time I visit I will definitely be up at the crack of dawn, skip the parade, and head straight to the bar! So ending our plight in Wrigleyville, Jeff and I trailed back to our comfy bed where we took a much-needed, long nap.

To end the day we of course had to make one final food stop. Chicago dog - check. Italian beef - check. Next stop, deep dish pizza. And off to Gino's East we were.

We started with a much needed salad.

Had one last green beer.

And finished with a ham and pineapple deep dish.

While well worth the visit, Gino's left us stuffed and ready to close out our eventful Chicago St. Patrick's day.

One day left to recap. Coming soon...

If you missed Day 1, see it HERE. If you missed Day 2, see it HERE.