Nancy03

Can someone help me out with the logistics of Chicago. We will be staying at the Burnham hotel for Labor Day weekend. I thought it might be fun to rent a bike from Millenium Park from Saturday am (taking the lakefront tour at 10 up through Lincoln Park, Grant Park etc). this should give us a good layout of the area. Then keeping the bike until Monday so we can bike to the different museums during our stay, including biking down to the Buckingham Fountain at night and over to the shoreline to watch the fireworks from the Navy Pier.

Is this doable? Is the park lit and safe at night for riding. I see the parks (Millenium/Grant/Buckingham Fountain) close at 11 pm.

Will we have trouble parking the bikes?

When we were in NYC we loved riding through Central Park and stopping at all the different places. It made for such a fun, active time and got us around much quicker than walking.

Thanks!!

flamingomonkey

Mayor Daley is a biking fanatic. That combined with the flat topograpy means that Chicago is a great biking city. You shouldn't have any trouble parking your bikes, but don't just use a simple chaiin lock. Try to find something more theft resistant. I also wouldn't reccomend leaviing your bikes out overnight. You should seriously consider bringing them into your room. As for the parks being safe after dark, well, kind of sort of. The sun won't set until 8 or a little after. I would probably try to be out of the parks by 9 or whenever the crowds start to thin out. I wouldn't venture into the parks at 11, regardless of how late they're open, unless there's a big crowd.

Racy

As a portion of the multimillion-dollar madness that is millenium park, Daley had constructed a bike depository--complete with bike parking, showers, etc. I imagine that's where rentals take place as well? Otherwise, it's a better alternative to a hotel room for bike parking. You might want to call the bike rental to see if they rent U-locks, or bring yours from home.

I would plan to keep the bikes there, and perhaps rent by the day as opposed to by the weekend. My biggest concern about biking after dark is that rental bikes might not come with the lights necessary to make this riding safe. Note that Buckingham Fountain is walkable from your hotel, and with a holiday crowd, that might be just as fast as biking! The CPD is pretty effective in shooing everyone from the park at closing, even (or especially) with special events, so I wouldn't count on much late-night touring.

And Navy Pier can be difficult to navigate on foot (just TRY to hustle down to the Shakespeare theatre to get there before showtime) so you might not want to bike there, either. In my experience, large numbers of small children don't always make for enjoyable biking--I'd bring a u-lock and secure the bike close to the entrance to the pier if you decide to check it out.

HTH,
Racy

exiledprincess

Nancy03, check with the Hotel Burnham concierge on your issue. Might be that they can arrange all for you plus have an area where the bikes can be stored overnight.

I agree that you should just walk over to Buckingham Fountain at night. (Stop off at Millennium Park for the concert beforehand on the way over.) There will be larger crowds with it being the unofficial end of summer weekend-not great for biking. Another plus is that the fountains at Millennium Park are much more impressive at night.

By the way, once you are at Buckingham Fountain, you just need to cross Lake Shore Drive (at the light) and you are at Monroe Harbor where you can see the fireworks. I'm just mentioning this in case you thought it was a distance away. I truly would try to avoid Navy Pier on the Saturday of the Labor Day holiday weekend.

Have fun!

Nancy03

Thanks for all of your help. It's hard to really get the actual scale of the parks and city by looking at a map. I was planning on renting bikes ove night because the bike rental closes at 6 pm and to get back there just to fill out paperwork again the next day and possibly wait in line again - I'd like to avoid - but I'll give them a call. The rental is right there at Millenium Park.

Nancy03

We didn't plan on walking out onto the Navy Pier.

Nancy03

Didn't mean to be short on my last entry - this trip is a surprise to my husband for our anniversary and he was coming into the room.

Anyway....We will be arriving in Chicago on Friday around 2pm. By the time we get to our hotel and settle in, there won't be much time left in the day. We will have all of Saturday and Sunday to do stuff and want to see a few museums, the parks and a play. I don't think we will have any enough time to walk around Navy Pier, but if so, we'll take a stroll out there.

We've been to NYC many times but never been to Chicago so I am looking forward to seeing what it has to offer.

exiledprincess

Nancy03, it appears that you are not only coming on the Labor Day weekend but on the weekend of our Jazz Festival at Grant Park as well. (That is, if I'm reading the calendar correctly.)

So there will be many, many, many people about then. Just wanted to mention this to you to plan accordingly, in case you don't want to be in the thick of things. (Buckingham Fountain will be somewhat away from the heaviest festival crowds at the Petrillo Bandshell.)

Since the Jazz Festival is running, there doesn't appear to be any concerts at Millennium Park that weekend. Sorry for the previous suggestion - I didn't realize that this was the Jazz Fest weekend at first.

What I'd recommend for you: If you meant you were going to be at the Hotel Burnham at 2:00 pm (and not O'Hare), if you have any interest in taking the Chicago Architecture Foundation River Cruise, I'd try to catch the 3:00 pm one on Friday afternoon. I know--it will be a little rushed after getting to the hotel, but then you will have basically two hours to sit back and relax from your trip, enjoying the view. If this is interesting to you, get the tickets in advance.

Then after the cruise, you could either go down to the Jazz Festival (if you like crowds), take in that play you mentioned (if so, how about "Wicked" at the Oriental?--it's only 1 block north of your hotel) or up Michigan Avenue to the John Hancock for those drinks you mentioned in the other post.

It sounds like you already have Saturday pretty much planned. However, you might want to try to get over to the Art Institute between your morning tour and evening jaunts on the bikes. Might be a nice respite, especially if the weather is very warm and humid, as some Labor Day weekends tend to be.

On Sunday morning, you could ride over to the Museum Campus to the Shedd and Field (try to be at the Shedd just as it opens and do that first, though, the lines get very long there). I truly recommend you have your tickets or pass purchased beforehand to avoid those same lines. By the way, there is a spectacular view of the skyline from the north terrace beside the Shedd. Excellent photo op!

Whatever you decide to do, I'm sure you'll have a wonderful time here!

P.S. The Millennium Park bike tour into the neighborhoods looks pretty good, too, in case you have any interest.

Nancy03

Exiled Princess: I really have nothing quite planned yet. My goals are to do the following (not in any order):

1) Go to 2 museums (one each day so we don't have to rush. - Art Institute and Science (the one with the body works looks interesting but haven't researched it much yet) I have to read up more on this so I know what parts of the museums to make sure we don't miss. We probably can't see it all.....
2) Do some type of city tour (either by trolley, bike, etc just to get a feel for the area
3) Take a trip out on the water (either river, lake or both) I would kind of like to see the city at night from out on the lake, but not sure if we can fit it in.
4) See a play or show (looks like Second City is dark in Sept)
5) Have some nice relaxing dinners with nice surroundings.
6) Have a drink in the John Hancock Bar at night and see the city lights.
7) See the light/water show at the Buckingham Fountain.

I'd like to do the tour on the first afternoon if possible so we know where everything is. But we arrive at Midway at 1:50 so I'm not sure. It would be great if we could have a limo pick us up and take us on a little private tour right from the airport, but still looking into that option.

Right now I'm thinking:

Friday - city tour, light dinner (maybe at Atwood) and play (looking at both "Wicked" and "I love you, you're perfect, Now change") If I decide on the second play we might rather do this on the same day as dinner at North Pond?

Saturday - morning bike trip, afternoon museum, nice dinner and Buckingham fountain

Sunday - museum, lake or boat trip, dinner close to JH building, drinks later and maybe Chocolate at the Pen then back to room.

Monday - chill - Leave at 2 pm

exiledprincess

Nancy03, with a 1:50 pm ETA into Midway, take the Orange Line into the Loop (fastest and cheapest way here). Figure that you won't be able to do anything until about 3:30 pm, considering check-in and whatnot.

Too late that day for the CAF River Cruise, but please try to take it - maybe Monday morning? Also, don't try to see any of the museums that late on Friday. You won't have time.

Also, the Museum of Science and Industry is HUGE so I would recommend you go on Sunday, as Saturday is booked and you have a short day on Monday.

To see the town on Friday pm at little or no cost: You can take the Green Line free trolley out to the Museum Campus - pick it up at the NW corner of Washington/State (right across from your hotel) - it will go past Millennium Park, the Art Institute and then out to the Museum Campus (where the Field, Shedd and Adler Planetarium are). You can either get off there or take it back.

If you take the Green Line back, it goes WB past the Sears Tower and the train stations, then makes a loop back to Washington/State where you started. Get off there, cross the street and take the Red Line free trolley, which goes NB up State Street to the Water Tower and Pumping Station on N. Michigan Avenue. Get off there and then walk 1 block NB on Michigan to the John Hancock building for drinks in the Signature Lounge. You will have seen practically all of the major sights in the downtown area by then.

If you do not take the Green Line back from Museum Campus: at the Shedd Aquarium, take the harbor taxi over to Navy Pier (for your view of the skyline from the lake). Walk back towards the Magnificient Mile on the Pier and pick up the Blue Line free trolley to Michigan Avenue. You have to walk up a flight of stairs and you are on the Magnificient Mile at Grand - walk north on Michigan Avenue - the John Hancock Building is only 1/2 mile (4 blocks) north from that point. If you look back south from Grand/Michigan Avenue, you will see the Chicago River, the Wrigley Building and the Tribune Tower.

The free trolleys run approximately every 20 minutes until 6pm so you have about 2.5 hours for this, if you wish to try it. Remember, there are CTA buses which go to each area, so you are not stranded if you wish to take some time after 6 pm.

Then later on Friday: dinner or maybe a performance of Wicked? That will be a very full day!

Hope this information helps.

P.S. Labor Day weekends tend to be hot/humid. Plan on something not too strenuous during the hottest part of the day - maybe an afternoon matinee?

Nancy03

Can you give me a feel of what the Jazz Festival will be like?

JJ5

If you do go to the Museum of Sc.& Industry, the big news is that the U2 is back.

They just spent 25 million on redoing the German U2 submarine INSIDE the Museum and it has been placed within an interactive / tech. format during the tour. NOT like the old tour.

Many older Chicagoans remember climbing all over in these narrow, narrow spaces when it was outside. This is quite different. So now there is another must do at that Museum. So many things to see, so little time.

Seems there may be tickets for this venue as well, just as there are for the coal mine etc.