A Report on a Quick Trip to Chicago!
 

(part 1 of 4) <BR> <BR>My best friend and I decided to take a quick trip to Chicago to get away for a few days of fun. We only could go for one night because our respective spring break weeks are opposite of each other, so we only shared a weekend, but a great one. <BR> <BR>We left early Saturday morning from (rural) Wisconsin for the big city. We arrived into Chicago around 10:00 and got a metered parking space on (I believe) Columbus Ave. 25 cents for a half-hour, maximum of four hours – perfect amount of time for us. We ate our picnic lunch in Grant Park right by the lakefront and then headed across the street to the Art Institute of Chicago. <BR> <BR>What a wonderful place the institute was! We really weren’t sure what kinds of art they would have, but our luck could not have been better. We both love impressionism and there were at least 18 Monet works, including Waterlillies and Iris! For two art lovers from a small town in WI, we were in heaven! They also had on display, American Gothic and Van Gogh’s The Bedroom. All around a great afternoon! <BR>

(part 2 of 4) <BR> <BR>After we left the gallery we headed to our youth hostel. We stayed at the J. Ira and Nicki Harris Family Hostel (www.hichicago.org) in downtown Chicago. We couldn’t have chosen a better spot. It was better than the college dorm I lived in my freshman year! It cost $25 per night, which is a steal compared to any sort of decent hotel room. They provided linens and a towel and everything was super clean and nice. They also have a tourism desk staffed by volunteer assistants, which proved very helpful for us. One tip: bring a padlock if you wish because there were lockers available for those who wanted to lock up their stuff. We didn’t bring one, which I suppose might make some cringe, but we didn’t have much as we were only going for one night. <BR> <BR>As for parking our car, there was a garage kitty-corner from the hostel that we left the car in. It cost us $22 for up to 24 hours. They also said it would cost an additional $5 if we took the car out anytime and brought it back. <BR> <BR>After we settled in we needed to decide where we were going for dinner. We chose to take the city bus “29 State” down to Navy Pier and pick something there. We ate at this really neat BBQ place, Joe’s Bee-Bop Café. They had a live Jazz band, named Bopology. Cheesey name, but great music. We didn’t have reservations, and the wait was about 20 minutes (on a Saturday night – better than Madison!) and the table we got was directly in front of the Jazz Band! Again, another perfect thing! <BR>

(part 3 of 4) <BR>After we ate, we walked around the Navy Pier area. It had been raining so we just stayed inside. We didn’t stay too long because most of the shops were pretty “tacky-touristy”, so we headed to the bus stop to go back to the hostel. <BR> <BR>Funny to us: When we took the bus down to the Pier, neither one of us had change for the bus. We didn’t figure it was a big deal; we thought the bus driver could give change, but it was and he didn’t. The bus is $1.50 per person each way. We ended up losing two bucks because neither of us had the exact change. Oh well, live and learn! I’m sure the bus driver was just rolling his eyes at the two of us! <BR> <BR>Sunday morning we got up and headed down Roosevelt St. by foot to this Maxwell Street outdoor market. We heard about if from the youth hostel and thought it might be cool to check out. Well, it wasn’t. People were selling things like rusted bolts and rolls of duct tape. We walked through it for about 25 minutes and decided we were hungry and left. We walked another block on Roosevelt to this cute little restaurant, Eppel’s. We had breakfast that was good and pretty cheap. I had a three-egg omelet w/ mushrooms and cheese, hash browns, toast and hot chocolate for under six bucks! <BR>

(part 4 of 4) <BR>By this time it was about 9:30am, so we walked back to the hostel packed our bags, checked out and picked up the car at the garage. We headed over to the Museum of Science and Industry for the rest of the day. Parking is right there and it wasn’t a bad price - $7.50 for the day. My friend is a member of some science association so we got into the museum for free, which was cool. Otherwise, I think it would have cost us 8 bucks each, but if a person wanted to see the IMAX film it would have been an additional charge. <BR> <BR>A lot of the exhibits are geared to a younger crowd, but still interesting to us. My friend liked the virtual reality demonstration best. Each person gets to actually use this virtual reality machine –pretty neato, as I have never used one before. Also, there is this new internet exhibit that only opened two weeks ago that was also pretty fun. My personal favorite was the AIDS and heart exhibits, as they were interesting and hands-on. The museum also has a demonstration of a flight simulation with a 737 plane that was cool to see, if not a bit childish. There wasn’t any waiting at all except for the three most popular ones – the coal mine, the fairy doll house, and the submarine show. We passed on all three, as none of them especially interested us. <BR> <BR>After we left we grabbed I-90 and headed back home to Wisconsin. Overall, a wonderful, if not quick weekend away! I have been reading Fodor’s for a long time now and it makes me happy that I might be able to contribute back! If anyone has questions, feel free to post! Thanks for reading this! <BR>

Thanks for the post. The tip re: bus fair was a nice reminder. We are headed to Chi-town in May. I had planned to go to the Maxwell street market (read about it in a book of things to do w/ children). Yours is not a glowing recommendation, but I wonder whether anyone else has an opinion. By the way, did you do any shopping or any other walking other than Navy pier and Maxwell?

About the Maxwell St. fair, I would think that there would be much better things to do with children than take them there. People selling economy size bottles of Downy from their vans just doesn't cut it as a good time for me - at any age. :) But everyone has their own thing.... <BR> <BR>When we were at the Pier we saw the Chicgo children's museum and that looked super interesting and neat for a child - probably the best thing inside the actual navy pier building. <BR> <BR>About shopping, I did do some, pretty much inside the museums that we were in. The art institute has a great gift shop that I picked up a few things for friends and the like. Also, at the science and industry museum their gift shop had tons and tons of things for kids. The most popular children's toy I noticed was the bubbles. They are made out of some sort of plastic liquid, so it is easier to "catch" them than if using soap bubbles. <BR> <BR>Have fun in May! <BR>Becca

Great trip report Becca. Thanks for posting. <BR> <BR>Could you tell me a little more about the hostel. Was it $25 each for a room for the two of you or were you in separate rooms? Are single available? <BR> <BR>Did you have to join a hostel organization or can anyone (even those of us who don't quite count as "youth") stay there? <BR> <BR>Were the lockers available the size of high school book lockers (~12" wide by 5' tall) or more of square in shape that could hold a suitcase? <BR> <BR>Your report has sparked an interest in visiting Chicago now knowing I don't have to spend a fortune on a hotel room.

I would strongly recommend against anything on Maxwell Street. It is a very unsavory and dangerous location; especially for young children and out of towners.

About the hostel, the price was $25 per person. We were in a room with six other people. It might sound bad or uncomfortable, but it really wasn't at all! We are not members of hostelling international, but if you were I think the price is three dollars less. There were options available - private rooms with baths, but I think those rooms were around $35. Personally I don't think the extra money would be worth it. I lived in a dorm for a year in college, so I am semi-used to community living - sharing a bathroom, sleeping in a bunk bed. If you were really nervous about that or wanted more privacy, then the single could be an option. <BR> <BR>The hostel also had lots of other amenities. Full size kitchen with fridge to store food in, nice meeting rooms and an internet cafe. Also, as I mentioned the tourism desk was quite helpful. I believe anyone can stay there, regardless of age. In my room there was an older lady there who was in Chicago for work trainging and wanted to save money by staying at a hostel. I would stay there again for sure! <BR> <BR>The lockers were wider than a school locker for sure and were about 3/4 the length of a regular high school locker. I think they were designed to hold a hike pack easily. Each person needs to furnish their own padlock. <BR> <BR>About the Maxwell St. fair, I'm not exactly sure if it actually took place on a Maxwell Street. I know in my area we have a "Maxwell St." fair every year and it doesn't take place on an actual maxwell street. The road it was on intersected with Roosevelt and was near a Walgreen's. <BR> <BR>It didn't seem overly dangerous to me, more just full of questionable characters. I kept wondering where the vendors would find one television or one huge case of whatever they were selling. Personally, I wouldn't suggest it to anyone because there are just so many really great things to do! <BR> <BR>I'm glad my post sparked an interest! <BR> <BR>

Becca - <BR>Thanks for the great report. Nice details and I really enjoyed reading your experiences. <BR> <BR>Karen - I've stayed at a few hostels and find them a wonderful way to vacation at expensive tourist areas very cheaply. For a number of years I was a single parent and stayed at them with friends - some brought children along but most of us were over 40 yo without children with us. You don't need to belong to IYH, membership only saves you a couple of bucks a night, and you don't have to be a youth either. The hostels I have visited had seperate bunk rooms for males & females. Some had smaller rooms and some did not. The web site for IYH and a phone call can clear it all up. <BR> <BR>Staying at hostels enabled me to spend a few weekends every summer at beach area on Nantucket and also Truo on Cape Cod in MA at only $13.00 per night. A great rate for the budget traveler. The community kitchen was an added bonus for preparing/eating breakfasts, making lunches and sometimes a pasta feed at night. The downside of most hostels is that you have to leave between 10 a.m. and 5 p.m. and they have an 11:00 p.m. curfew. <BR> <BR>We always just took bikes to Nantucket and one time just as we were leaving for the day - the skies opened up to an awful downpour that didn't stop. Some in our group cycled to town and took a van tour of the island/visited the museums and shopped but we just kept biking in the rain. Eventually it did stop and we had something to laugh about later. <BR> <BR>So I encourage you to consider them as a way to make your travel $$ go further.

It's quite beyond me why guide books continue to write up Maxwell St. as a place for tourists to visit. I can just imagine the visitor from Europe thinking they are going to find a flea market like they have in Europe and finding guys selling hot car radios and used tires from the back of their van. <BR> <BR>And I can't think of a worse place to take your kids!!! Take them instead to see one of the wonderful museums or on a lake cruise or to Navy Pier or to a Cubs game or the Lincoln Park Zoo. <BR> <BR>Karen, the hostel in Chicago is fairly new, probably less than 6 months old, and it got glowing reviews in the local papers. It's supposed to be one of the nicest in the country. The location is good too. <BR> <BR>Thanks for the great trip report Becca!

I repeat do NOT go to the "flea market" on Maxwell Street. I have never been and don't plan to go. I tell you this sincerely. My husband is police officer for the city of Chicago and knows all the areas, this is not a safe one! This merchandise they are selling is hot usually taken off the back of truck somewhere on its wayy to a retailer. The area is run down, there are no good local restaurants or anything in that area. Its not the projects (Robert Taylor homs just below and east of Komiskey Park where White Sox play)but it is very questionable. I can't even believe this would bee in a tourist guidebook. With all the great things to do in chicago, museums, aquarium, planetarium, Navy Pier, Lincoln Park and Zoo, Wrigley Field, Michigan Avenue shopping, why go here!?!!

Becca, thanks for your very interesting trip report. It was very informative, lucid and detailed. Other posters here could take a lesson from you (me, too, probably)!

Becca, wonderful report on the Windy City ... really great details and advice. And I will use it for my next trip. Many thanks, and ciao. L

Do you hear that popping noise? That would be my ego! Thanks so much for all of the nice compliments! I really appreciate it! :) <BR> <BR>Kris, about the hostel being new, you are completely correct. 150 years ago it was a glass factory and the organization completely gutted it and redid the whole thing. My mom was working at a convention and one of the reps from a different youth hostel was there. She mentioned to him that I was going to this hostel in Chicago and he said that he considers that one to be one of the top ones in the whole world! <BR> <BR> Wow, I had no idea the neighborhood was so bad where the flea market was. Funny that the youth hostel would direct us to a place with such a bad reputation....

Sorry didn't mean to scare you so much about Maxwwell street. This isn't a place you where would get robbed at gunpoint in broad daylight though highly likely at night. The area is more just dirty unsavory, rundown, and plenty of pickpockets during day. Still not a place i would want to go to nd yes much of the merchandise for sale is stolen.