What you have to see depends on your interests. There's the Art Institute, Field Museum (natural history), Shedd Aquarium, theatre, architecture tours, Grant and Millennium Parks, baseball, outdoor activities and many other things. Do some research on www.choosechicago.com or www.explorechicago.org. Most tourist attractions are in a relatively small area and easily reachable by foot or public transit.

The two main shopping districts are the Magnificent Mile and The Loop. The Mag Mile is on Michigan Avenue north of the river and The Loop is mainly along State and Wabash Streets south of the river.

When you arrive, you should park your car and walk or take public transit. Traffic is heavy and parking is expensive. One of the cheapest garages is under Millennium Park at about $30 per day. Check www.millenniumgarages.com.

You don't say where in Michigan you're traveling from, but you may want to look into taking Amtrak into the city.

For transit info, check www.transitchicago.com. The trains and buses will take you to most places if you don't want to walk. You can purchase day passes that allow unlimited rides on all CTA trains and buses. A 1-day pass is $5.75 and a 3-day pass is $14. The CTA site also has a trip planner and info on how to track buses and trains with a smart phone.

Hotel rates vary greatly depending on events in the city. If you're coming during a large convention, rates will be higher. You can try one of the bidding sites such as Priceline or Hotwire. As an alternative, there is a hostel in The Loop that's close to transit and most sights. Check www.hichicago.com.

For restaurants, concerts, theatre and other events, check www.chicagoreader.com or www.chicagomag.com. You can search for restaurants by cuisine, price or neighborhood.