It was a perfect 75 degrees in downtown Chicago today, complete with a beaming sun and comforting breeze. It was definitely a beach day.

I made plans to meet up with some friends at Oak Street Beach for the afternoon, so I knew I had to get a workout in beforehand.  On a day when you’re rocking a bikini you definitely have to have the confidence and endorphins in your body that only come from a good workout. 

Crazy enough, I’m still sore from Monday’s bootcamp workout, so I took it pretty easy and didn’t work the muscles that were still sore.

I spy with my little eye….one of the only people working out in the gym!  I went on the elliptical for 45 minutes, alternating resistance every 5-10 minutes to keep it challenging.

Followed by the best and greatest ab workout of the past 30 years:

Oh 8 minute abs, you’ll never go out of style.

I got showered and ready to go, but of course didn’t miss breakfast.

1 cup Kashi GoLean Crunch, 1 banana, 1.5 cups almond milk

I had to walk from my boyfriend’s apartment to the beach where my friends were.  I say “had to” like it was a tough walk, but really it looked something like this:

Tough view, I know.

Well, besides getting burned (I’ll never learn) and being surrounded by a camp full of 11 year olds with iPhones (crazy), it was a gorgeous day at the beach.

After about 3 hours Megan and I got antsy, so we decided to leave and take a walk down Michigan Avenue.  Since Megan just moved back she hasn’t explored Chicago in awhile and it’s just so nice to stroll down the main streets, taking in the shops, sights, and everyday happenings of the city.

Hint: walk in, get free sample, walk out. Day=made

One of the most interesting things happening this weekend in Chicago is the Windy City Rubber Duck Derby. It’s an event where people can “adopt” a rubber duck and watch as it is placed in the Chicago River and competes against other quacks in a floating race to the finish line.  The event benefits the Special Olympics, and I think it’s just one of the coolest ideas. Plus all the banners around town to “Adopt a Duck!” were too cute.

We grabbed a late lunch before I had to catch the train home.

I had a Nicoise Salad! It totally reminded me of my time studying abroad in Paris.  It was made up of tuna with capers, green beans, hard-boiled eggs, a few small roasted potatoes, tomatoes, and butter lettuce dressed with a Dijon vinaigrette.  Baguette on the side, of course 🙂  This was so refreshing and filling at the same time (and worth it, even though it was a very expensive middle-of-the-day meal).

I had just a few minutes to spare before I had to head to Union Station to catch the train home, but Megan and I knew we wanted to take a picture at The Bean for fun on such a sunny day.  The Bean, aka Cloud Gate (but you’ll never hear a Chicagoan call it that), is essentially a sculpture that sits in the middle of one of the biggest parks in Chicago (Millennium Park).  It won a design competition about a decade ago, and while some people said it wasn’t possible to construct and wouldn’t be popular anyway, it has become a Chicago sensation.

I mean, come on! It’s just so unique.  There’s nothing in the world quite like seeing a reflection of yourself.

Oh, and did I mention it’s Tourist Central? It’s always jam-packed with people trying to Instagram their reflection or come up with the coolest new pose to do in front of it with their friends. We just had to sneak a quick, cute picture in.  And I’m glad we did! It was the perfect ending to a long, fun day.

The train ride was longgggggggggg (and I almost got away without paying but my Honest Abe ways got the best of me).  It was made better by this (surprisingly) delicious iced coffee from Corner Bakery.

Caffeine is appropriate no matter the hour.

I hope you all felt the sunshine in your cities today too! It finally feels like summer 🙂