1st time in chicago
 

any suggestions of where to stay or what to do in january?

It's really hard to know how to advise without more information... Are you traveling alone or with a group? Business or pleasure trip? Age & interests?

Also, how long will you be there? What's your hotel budget and what amenities do you want?

You really need to do some preliminary leg work. Check some guide books out of your library or look at the Chicago Visitors & Convention Bureau site. You'll be able to ask better questions and get more complete information.

Why are you going if you don't know what to do there? Is it for business and you want to add some pleasure activities?

I am traveling alone just for pleasure. I am interested in architecture

http://www.architecture.org/tour_view.aspx?TourID=8
The boat tour is wonderful, but won't be in service in January. There are lots of other interesdting tours listed, though.

Don't know if you've done a topic search on this forum yet, but here's the link to one of the best posts on Chicago (IMHO) which I believe will be helpful to you: http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...;tid=34959031?

You might want to consider staying at the Palmer House Hilton, a State Street institution dating back to the early 1900's that still maintains much of the visual ambience from that bygone era. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palmer_House#History

Another option would be the Hotel Burnham which has been rather recently transformed. Originally known as the Reliance Building, it was predecessor to the modern skyscraper designed by Daniel Burnham of the 1893 Chicago World's Fair fame. http://www.burnhamhotel.com/bur_history.html

Both hotels are located in the Chicago Loop, easily accessible from either airport via the Blue or Orange lines. Location is also good for the Art Museum, Museum Campus, Millennium Park, etc.

Make sure you have winter boots with thick rubber soles, hat, scarf, gloves, and long wool coat.

You'll be warm and dry and can walk around and look at lots of things. I think the honeycomb buildings are cool.

Have a drink at the top of the John Hancock building. Have Sunday Brunch at The Drake Hotel.

Get a good guidebook and map and find the buildings you want to see.

If you decide to go, be sure to make a reservation for Sunday Brunch at The Drake. It can get pretty darn busy.

And be sure to document the persons name that takes your reservation! Though we love it dearly, we have had 2 different instances where we made the reservation and when we arrived it was not listed.

If you have an interest in architecture, you cannot miss the Frank Lloyd Wright Home and Studio in Oak Park. Oak Park can be reached in about 20 minutes via the CTA Green Line.

Wright's Robie House in Hyde Park on the campus of the University of Chicago is also an interesting tour and a restoration in progress. It can also be reached via public transportation.

Another giant of architecture in Chicago is Mies Van der Rohe. A fascinating place to visit is his Farnsworth House in Plano, IL. Built as a weekend home for Dr. Edith Farnsworth, it is a glass house set on the banks of the Fox River. The personal story behind this structure is a pretty juicy, too. You will need a car to get to Plano.

Downtown: Be sure to go into the Chicago Board of Trade building at LaSalle and Jackson. This art deco masterpiece was recently spruced up. They have a visitors center on the first floor, but you can no longer observe the trading floor.

I don't know if anyone else has written about this program, but see www.chicagogreeter.com. Since you will be traveling solo, you may want a local volunteer to show you around.

Thank you all so much for the information and the other sites you referred me to. I cannot wait to go.