I'll be traveling to Chicago in May on business, and my wife is coming along. We'll be staying at the Hyatt Regency.

Question: What's near the Hyatt that my wife might want to do in the daytime? She's pretty much interested in everything, except sports. Especially looking for museums, exhibits, etc. Also, anyone have any comments about the Hyatt and what to do in Chicago in general? Thanks.

Which Hyatt? There are 3 Hyatt Regencys in Chicago. 1) Hyatt Regency O'Hare near airport and 2) Hyatt on Wacker and 3) Hyatt Regency McCormick Place (both downtown but opposite sides. The one on Wacker is probably the most centrally located and you could walkj to Michigan Avenue shopping and entertainment as well as House of Blues. The one at McCormick place is closer to museums but these two are a 10 min. cab ride apart. If stayingat O'Hare. that is another story, you are nowhere near downtwon and you are talking about a $30 cab ride to get there or an hour on the El train. There really isn't much out by O'Hare unless there is something going on at the Rosemont Horizon Convention center.

Good question re which Hyatt Regency. However, the only info I have at this point identifies the hotel as the "Hyatt Regency Chicago." Will try to get more detail, but that's all I have for now.

OK, did a Web search and apparently it's the Hyatt on Wacker Drive. Thanks for helping to clear that up. Now, any suggestions?

If your wife likes to stroll, she will be a short walk from the Marshall Fields store in the Chicago Loop, about a 15-minute walk (straight south down Michigan Avenue) to the Art Institute; and within about five minutes of Michigan Avenue at the River, which is the start of a wonderful northbound amble down the Magnificent Mile (with Nordstrom's less than 10 minutes away). Also on that stretch of Michigan Avenue is the Terra Museum of American Art - a very pleasant, do-able museum. Chicago's other fine museums (the biggies being: Field Museum of Natural History, Shedd Aquarium, Adler Planetarium, Museum of Science and Industry, Chicago Historial Society) will all be a cabride away. Chicago has a slick city magazine (called....Chicago). I'm sure they have a website - that should give you some more ideas. Oh, and if the weather is nice, there are tour boats on the river, including one deveoted to Chicago architecture. (There also are guided architectural walks in the Loop, another option for her).

Try metromix.com

Good tips so far. Thanks, folks. Looking forward to my first visit to the Windy City. (Maybe I'll sneak off to a Cubs game while my wife is at a museum.)

Good site for information:
http://www.chicago.il.org/