The best birthday I ever had was 8 years ago today when I married my best friend and became Mrs. Jager. We make our own path together with daily adventures, road trips, and life experiences so that we’ll always have stories to share. This past weekend was one of those “memories in the making” when Derek surprised me with plans for a day trip in Chicago. It was a day spent doing our favorite things: exploring, birding, and trying out new restaurants as foodies.

We got into the Chicagoland area the night before so that we could wake up bright and early to visit the Montrose Bird Sanctuary. Our main objective was to catch a glimpse of the rare shorebirds that are visiting Chicago’s beaches. In 2019, a pair of migratory birds known as Piping Plovers began nesting on Montrose public beach. The birds were aptly named Monty and Rose and returned yet again in 2020 to raise their chicks. Nearly extinct from the Great Lakes in the 1990’s, the Piping Plover population dropped to just 13 birds due to habitat deterioration, predators, and nest disturbance. With conservation efforts, this population is now back up to approximately 70 Piping Plovers. At 7:00 am on a Saturday morning, we got to see two of them.

Piping Plovers need space to survive, reproduce, nest, and raise their chicks so the Chicago Park District marked off the trails and surrounding area where two endangered birds decided to migrate and nest. Volunteers camped out behind the open enclosure protecting the nest along with a fence for birders like us to view from a distance. This was our first time ever seeing these shorebirds so it was exciting to document them for our Life List! Meet the 2024 Montrose Plover couple: Imani (male born at Montrose Beach in 2021) and Searocket (female who was released on the beach as a chick last summer). The pair are nesting on an egg and are waiting for it to hatch sometime next month.

After observing the plovers, we explored trails lined with wildflowers in the Montrose Dunes. Bank swallows swooped in and out of their sand burrows, each with their own little hideout to tuck their head into.

We heard a fluttering of melodic activity as we approached the Purple Martin birdhouses to see our migratory visitors from South America. Purple Martins travel in flocks and settle in woodpecker holes in the western U.S. but where we live these dark blue-purple birds benefit from miniature neighborhoods built by human friends. We took our time strolling the trails of Montrose Bird Sanctuary finding a couple more exciting finds including the Spotted Sandpiper and the Semipalmated Sandpiper. These teeny tiny birds liked playing “catch me if you can” while darting to and fro in front of us like a Mission Impossible! It was a breezy, picturesque morning in the calm hours before the storm.

As our stomachs began to rumble, so too did the skies until the occasional raindrop plopping on our heads became a full on shower. We took nature’s cue to transition into brunch and headed over to Lula Cafe in Logan Square. This small storefront restaurant is a casual, yet sophisticated spot that always has a waitlist. We put our names in and passed the time at City Lit Bookstore next door until it was time to eat.

Of course lunch was delicious, did you look at these photos? This massive breakfast burrito could have fed us both and a lake perch scramble was something I never knew I wanted but was so glad that I ordered. Since this was a special occasion, we gave in to the dessert menu with a chai tea latte and carrot cake decorated with edible flowers and berry jam. I think my favorite part of these experience was being seated in the little window nook where we could watch the city as the rain drenched the earth.

So much to do with so little time in our afternoon agenda that we couldn’t sip tea all day and wait for the rain to stop! We made our way to Bloch Chicago for Derek to be fitted for tap shoes so that he can join in my dance journey. We’ve attended so many dance performances together over the years that Derek finally decided that he is ready to learn tap dance! I will teach him all the basics at home until he’s ready for group classes. Tap has always been one of my favorite genres growing up as a dancer combining my love for musicality and movement so I am over the moon in excitement to share this pastime with him. More to come from our happy feet! Stomp, double pullback, step, brush, hop, slam! (Shave and a Haircut)

With a few hours to spare before our anniversary dinner, we took a walk on the 606 Trail. Formally an old railroad called the Bloomingdale Line that was built after the Great Chicago Fire, the train traffic on Bloomingdale slowed over the years with a growing realization for the community to develop more green space. This beautiful rail-to-trail was transformed in 2013 with a balcony view of the Logan Square neighborhood. The birch trees, sculptures, and flowers lining this lighted path create a wonderful place in the city to walk, jog, or bike. At this point in the day it was a downpour but we kept singing in the rain until our rain jackets and jeans were soaking!

We finally decided that we were going to need an umbrella if we were going to continue the day’s adventures outdoors. So after a local Target stop, we drove down to Hyde Park to see the 57th Street Art Fair just around the corner from the University of Chicago.

Ahh, much better! It was great to see artists from across the nation and ask questions about their work. We couldn’t help but get a ceramic vase with beautiful carvings and also support a local artist from Project Onward by taking home one of their prints. It was exciting for us to learn about this non-profit organization called Project Onward for adult artists with disabilities. The artists-in-residence have access to studio space, materials, and are given professional guidance on selling their work at exhibitions in the community, breaking down the stigma of mental illness and developmental disabilities. I wish we would have had more time at the art fair but it was time to change out of our damp clothes.

The finale of our Birthday/Anniversary Celebration was a dinner to delight in at Virtue Restaurant. Our reservation wasn’t until 8:30pm due to the evening being completely booked- with good reason. Virtue is owned by chef, Erick Williams, who was a winner of the James Beard award and continues to command a constant buzz in the press including another story just published today! The restaurant has a warm atmosphere that makes you feel at home. We sat comfortably in wooden bucket armchairs admiring the woven baskets above our heads that adorn the ceiling next to majestic glass domes that light the room filled with artwork made by Black artists. Everything is thoughtfully placed, just so, in collaboration with each other to share a culture of hospitality and flavor. The evening felt fancy and special as we savored gumbo soup and took in our surroundings.

I had salmon with sweet peas for the main course and Derek had roasted chicken and potatoes. We shared a ration of mac and cheese (as it should be) that had several flavors of cheese that we had to take home with us. Just when I thought I couldn’t eat anymore, Derek surprised me with a slice of chocolate peanut butter pie with a hand-written birthday message in chocolate sauce. Ok, I guess there’s always room for dessert! It was the kind of day that only comes once in awhile but we made it last from sunup to sundown! Here’s to another year of partnership in our married life. ♥