My girlfriend and I are flying into Chicago and staying at the Holiday Inn Express in Downtown next week until Sunday. We are probably going to use public transportation and maybe one or two taxi trips. For the Chicago's natives and frequent travelers, what places would you recommend others to try or do? I am leaning for the City Pass but am only interested in a 2 of the attractions (Aquarium and Skydeck) on the packet. Any advices on how to go about this city and where to stay away from?
Places that we may be interested (comments are appreciated):
1. Botanical Garden 2. Millenium Park 3. Navy Pier
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Chicago Museuma of Industry and Science is really amazing. It is on the Go Card as well. The bus syetem is very easy to manage and will take you everywhere. Don't forget to do a little shopping on Michigan Ave as well. Navy pier is touristy, but the ferris wheel gives you a fun view of the city and the mini-Cirque du Soleil show is fun and cheap. The best way to see the city IMHO is the architectual boat tour. Ask @ any hotel or check it out online. Really worth the money!
Willis Tower is a great place to view the city. Navy Pier is a bit touristy, but very beautiful at night. Millenium and Grant Parks are amazing to walk through. The Art Institute of Chicago was free on Friday while I was there, if you're art enthusiasts you'll really love it. The shops along Michigan Ave and at the Water Tower are great for shopping. A little more north of the city is Old Town Chicago and Lincoln Park Zoo, it's a nice little escape from being downtown, but not that far at all (just a short bus ride down Michigan Ave). There are so many exciting things to see and do around Chicago, and you don't have to break your bank doing them. Considering you are only interested in two of the attractions, the Go Pass really wouldn't be advantageous to you.
do you mind if i ask why that hotel? my wife and i are going to chicago next fall and the prices we saw quoted on the Holiday Inn express site for rooms were right up there with actual 4 or 5 star hotels in the area. which we though was really strange.
shimmeringtrance said:do you mind if i ask why that hotel? my wife and i are going to chicago next fall and the prices we saw quoted on the Holiday Inn express site for rooms were right up there with actual 4 or 5 star hotels in the area. which we though was really strange.
We bought the last minute package from Travelocity and it was included. The rating is higher a few available.
Every place I've visited in the world I always try to experience food the area is known for.
That being said I say go for:
Deep dish pizza - You can grab it at the original Pizzeria UNO or Lou Malnati's. I'm from the NYC area where we also have great pizza but deep dish is a not bad and worth trying.
Chicago hot dogs - The touristy areas generally don't have much in hot dog offerings so you'll have to go out of your way a bit. Portillo's has great hot dogs. If you're out late, you might want to check out the Weiner Circle which is an experience unto itself.
Besides hot dogs and deep dish pizza, Chicago is also known for Italian beef.
Since you are downtown: If you like museums you can go to the Chicago Art Museum on Michigan Ave. Good collection of French impressionism. Also Chicago is known for good regional theater. Hot Tix locations in downtown Chicago for 1/2 price tickets.
Invest in the current Time Out Chicago magazine when you arrive and you'll have a ton of information on events and activities for the weekend. If you have any interest in art at all, the Art Institute of Chicago is incredible. Millenium Park (across the street from the Art Institute) is a must see. I find Navy Pier to be quite touristy but the view from the ferris wheel on a clear day is great.
If you visit Millenium Park, you're not too far from Gold Coast dogs on Wabash. Not a fancy place at all, but great Chicago hot dogs. Order a char dog, and don't ask for catsup.
If you walk by a Garrett's popcorn shop and the lines aren't too long, try some of the cheese/caramel corn mix. The best!
You can also check out the Hot Tix center (about a half block from Millenium Park) for tickets to some of the incredible theater productions in Chicago.
John Hancock's Signature Room at the 95 floor has a lunch buffet on weekday for $18 with a great view of the city. You would pay about the same price or more at the Michigan Ave area anyway. If you have young girls in your family, check out the American Girl Store also on Michigan Ave. My daughter like the place when she was younger.
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