Chicago is our Kind of Town.

About two weeks ago, I posted a blog about a surprise trip that Ava and I took together to Chicago with the help of our friends at Homewood Suites by Hilton. It’s part of a #TravelMANager #DadTime campaign to showcase some great fathers (and a few friends) spending some one-on-one time with their kids. After having next to nothing to do with film or video in the last six years (other than writing) since I left the entertainment industry – I’m still regaining my footing, but it feels great to revisit the amazing time we shared together.

Sure, it’s taken me forever to edit it, as I shot over five hours of footage (because I didn’t want to miss anything lol) and have been trying to whittle it down to something you’ll watch.

My little girl is growing up fast and we had many conversations in our travels about things that she saw and experienced – homelessness, street performers, pollution (not shown, but while on the beach there was a volunteer group picking up trash), coin-operated newspaper stands and a sense of community in one of the largest cities in the country…

On the second night, after the Cubs game, we cleaned up and went to a fancy dinner at Ditka’s and the guy that sat across from us? The Chicago crooner, John Vincent, who sang the National Anthem at the park earlier that afternoon…wow…

I hope you hung in there, we loved this city and can’t wait to go back!

EDITOR’S NOTE: Please check out www.mencanplantravel.com for more fun stories from others dads in cities across the U.S.!