Chicago and Toronto mid-June
 

We will be flying from PDX to ORD and out of YYZ on the way back. We haven't been to either city before and are excited to see what they have to offer. We have a total of 9 days including traveling, and don't know where to split our time. Should we do 5 days in Chicago + 4 in Toronto, 6+3, etc? Also what are a couple of highlights for both cities that are must sees, we already plan on visiting the Frank Lloyd Wright house in Chicago, as we are a big fan of him. Also see Willis and JH Towers. In Toronto, the CN Tower and Niagara falls. Is there anything else we should include.

* and BTW we haven't purchased our airline tickets between Chicago and Toronto yet.

Instead of spending about $25 per adult to get to Willis observatory why not consider http://www.signatureroom.com/TheSignatureLounge

The right up is free and you can have lunch/dinner or just a drink for about the same money.

Same views as you sit and relax.

Something to consider.

I suggest doing 4 days in both cities. The day in between will be wasted on flying, etc.....

Toronto is a wonderful city as well.

Chicago is a notch better IMHO.

Visit the ethnic neighborhoods and sample some wonderful food and experience a "foreign" feeling. Polish, German, Mexican, Chinese, etc.....

Get a multi day public transportation pass from http://www.transitchicago.com/travel...e_quicklinks=1

It will get you just about everywhere by either bus or train.

Toronto weather is great in mid June.

Will you have a car?

One of your options could be to fly from Chicago to Buffalo (saving on airfare)... Rent a car in Buf and stop to see Wright's Darwin Martin house. It is one of seven wright designed projects in Buffalo. They are also offering a full day special bus tour of all the Wright sites on June 14.

www.darwinmartinhouse.org

Then stop at the Falls and Niagara on the Lake on your way to Toronto...

Many of the Buffalo car rentals allow drop off in Toronto...

@SuperMom unfortunately we will not have a car

@garyt22 I just check airfares and it is more expensive to fly to Buffalo than to Toronto, and that is before a rental car. It would also cut out our already limited time in Toronto.

Garyt22's idea is terrific if you can get the car drop at the Toronto airport.

I would spend the evening that you travel from Chicago-Buffalo in Niagara, perhaps in Niagara on the Lake (if it is not a weekend because on Fridays and Saturdays in Shaw Festival season most places have a 2 night minimum stay policy). You could enjoy dinner and a tasting at an area winery before you head to Toronto the next day.

You don't say when you are coming, but the Toronto Islands are a nice respite from downtown in the summer if you care to take a ferry from the foot of Bay Street and then walk and explore or rent bikes. Nice place to have a picnic.

The Royal Ontario Museum, the Bata Shoe Museum, the Gardiner Museum (ceramics) and the Art Gallery of Ontario are all highlights of Toronto and located downtown.

When you are in Toronto, you may enjoy the Yorkville area for shops and cafes, the Queen Street West area, Chinatown and Kensington Market (try Seven Lives Tacos if you go here) and the Ossington strip from Dundas to Queen for some great dining options.

When you decide your plan and want details, you can post on the Canada forum and you will hopefully get lots of great responses.

Oops just read your response re: Buffalo.

As it seems you want to visit Niagara anyway, I may be inclined to spend an evening. It is one and a half hours from Toronto, depending on traffic, which can be terrible - so at least 3 hours of your day and probably more back and forth. Would you be taking a bus from Toronto to Niagara then?

@jamierin Yes we planned on taking the tour with Chariots of Fire tour group, which seems like an all day thing leaving at 7:30 am and getting to also see Niagara-on-the-Lake. And I forgot to put it in the main paragraph, but will be visiting in mid-June.

You might want to explore the website of the Chicago Architecture Foundation--
http://www.architecture.org/

In addition to its excellent river cruise, they offer walking tours and bus tours, several of which focus on the work of FLW. Look at the benefits of membership--May be of interest to you if only for a visit of a few days. Their headquarters is very convenient to the Art Institute (another highlight!).

We plan on staying in Yorkville. Also good recommendation on Seven Lives, we also planned on eating at Lai Wah Heen.

@k_marie I was actually just looking at that same rive cruise! We will probably be doing the architecture cruise.

Any interest in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland?
The other way that I know of to get from Chicago to Toronto involves the Amtrak Lake Shore Limited to Buffalo and the later Maple Leaf from Buffalo to Toronto. Are you going to try to see Niagara Falls?
Would you believe I saw the only FLW house in Oregon today?
It is the Gordon house which was moved 35 miles to its present location at the Oregon Garden in Silverton OR.

Cleveland is very out of the way especially with 9 days. Same reason for not taking the train, much longer than a flight would be. And yes we are seeing Niagara Falls. Glad you saw the Gordon House, I've yet to see it.

The Chicago area has more than one Frank Lloyd Wright building. The home and studio and some other buildings are in Oak Park. The Robie House is in Hyde Park
http://www.flwright.org/

The Art Institute has an amazing collection.

"The Robie House is in Hyde Park"

If you go there, try to coordinate and also go to the Oriental Museum nearby. It is a gem. The Smart art museum is also worth a quick tour.

(Smart art museum is also on the campus of Univ. of Chicago, i.e. in walking distance from the Robie/Oriental)

When we lived in Chicago, we always took out of town guests on the Chicago Architecture Foundation's Chicago River Cruise and to the Art Institute. I also recommend that you walk along the lakefront trails and also the ones on the Chicago River.

The other way from Chicago to Toronto is via Detroit crossing the border into Windsor and from there to Toronto.
Anything you want to see in Detroit?