exiledprincess

With all due respect to the previous poster, while I agree that SW Michigan ("Harbor Country" up to at least the Saugatuck/Douglas area) is a great get away for a laid-back type of environment, I'm not sure that the OP is looking for that. More under the title of "Must Sees" or "Must Dos".

Secondly, the South Bend and South Shore Railroad does not go to New Buffalo. It does have two stops in Michigan City (at 11th Street and then Carroll Ave.) but continues out to South Bend. AMTRAK does have a stop in New Buffalo, but really, the OP would need a rental car in that area once they get there.

Myer, the problem with the "couple of hours away by train" is that although there are some really nice options, such as the Chicago Botanic Garden, Ravinia, Evanston, Oak Park, I really wouldn't put them in the "Must See" or "Must Do" category.

However, if you had the wherewithal, you *could* consider is renting a sailboat (if you are seaworthy) or renting one with crew (if you are not) and sailing Lake Michigan north to Saugatuck or beyond. They can be rented out of Belmont Harbor, in season, and even some of the ships from Navy Pier, such as the Tall Ship Windy have longer cruises available.

JJ5

Ok, within a week, you want Myer to see Chicago and drive 6 hours to enjoy Nature and outdoor activities, when it is obvious he/she has not a clue to how weather can change, and then drive 6 hours back before journeying home. And while he/she does this to pass up some of the most interesting and unique places (Sand Dunes/Sun Coast of MI etc..etc.)in the USA?? It would be like seeing Europe in 10 days. Worse.

I give up trying to inject some kindness in the form of common sense.

Myer thinks rain is a factor?? Myer, rain can happen anytime, and it would be far more problematic, even in September, to have 30 or 40 degree changes in weather within literally hours. At my house in MI, I have seen 3 "seasons" as experienced in other parts of the country, within 1 day. It isn't really a matter of shirt sleaves or not.

When I have traveled to Northern Pennisula of MI and/or Door County and have seen a fraction or have just gotten a basic logistics of use for movement, it has taken me literally 10 days, and NOT including one moment in a city at all.

You really think you can see the must dos in Chicago in 4 days? You may not know Chicago. That's really laughable, IMHO- because it would take literally weeks, and that's just downtown as well and not the neighborhoods, by any stretch of the imagination.

I think Myer should be very specific about what she/he thinks is a must see, because some of the ideas on this thread are just to me, grandiose.

These are must sees in Chicago:

Art Institute
Handcock or Sears Tower- to the top
Board of Trade (inside)weekday
Field Museum
Shedd Aquarium/lakefront to Adler walk at a minimum/
Water Tower Place and MI Ave in total- shopping etc.
Lincoln Park area/Gold Coast
State Street icons and Millenium Park
Some Nightlife/1 live show, if at all possible
Navy Pier, possibly - tourists love it and all the little shops.
Jazz Club experience
Vintage Shopping (Oak St. etc.)experience
Printers Row (if you have any interest in books at all)
C.A.F. tour - at least one
Water feature- at least one trip out through the locks on one of the professional vendors' ships or one of the architectural tour or Chicago river boat trips.

Also for any context:
Western burbs/ Oak Park or bungalow neighborhood tour/ Brookfield Zoo/ bus ride up the Gold Coast- some city aspect related to a show maybe that is not downtown! Just some ideas that would give you a Chicago experience.

And I would not, unless I had at least 16 days to 3 weeks, even think about driving more than 3 hours from the city without knowing the logistics of such. And even that for the warmer months only, because a "2 hour" drive will take you 3 hours right now, nearly in every direction.

And if I picked one area to leave the state it would be Harbor Country in MI or a day trip to the Indiana Sand Dunes in summer. If longer, I would do the dunes North of there (Warren Dunes) or the grandpappy of all near Silver Lake on Lake MI (Mears) on the way to a 2 or 3 week trip (circle tour) that rounds lake Michigan- up to the places mentioned above. But only if you have much more time for the total.

And you would need to go by rented automobile.

exiledprincess

JJ5, the OP did, indeed, mention some places which I read to be of the caliber for which they were searching (at least, with respect to museums and scenery).

<Philadelphia Museum of Art, Prado, The Met, Louvre, d'Orsay, etc.> and <hiking in Utah>.

Sorry if you think my suggestions are "grandiose" but I am attempting to advise of things based on what the OP apparently desires.

<And while he/she does this to pass up some of the most interesting and unique places (Sand Dunes/Sun Coast of MI etc..etc.)in the USA?? It would be like seeing Europe in 10 days. Worse.>

With all due respect, I simply don't feel this is the case. In the instance of the SW Michigan locales, these are just very small towns which happen to make a substantial livelihood on being situated on Lake Michigan (Chicagoans vacation homes and tourist trade). They have some nice little shops, small art galleries, local wineries and the like. Please keep in mind, too, that if they stay overnight at these places, many of the better accommodations (historic B&Bs, inns, etc.) require at least a 2-night stay - or even 3-night on certain weekends. What would be the difference timewise in doing the Lake Michigan Circle tour - or by simply going to stay overnight at one area? Only that the OP wouldn't see nearly as much, and miss the historic ambiance of Mackinac Island and beautiful scenery of the UP!

Besides, if they went up to Mackinac Island as I had suggested, they'd pass right through these smaller towns, if they followed the lakeshore.

The OP could take the South Shore to the Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore and Indiana Dunes State Park, as mentioned above.

I might also mention going to Amish Country in/around Nappanee, IN via rental car as well, but I don't think that the OP might be interested in that, based on their notations.

Or perhaps going to a Notre Dame home football game in the late summer. They could take the South Shore over there.

Or perhaps the OP might really be interested in going to the EAA AirVenture in Oshkosh, WI. Many people find this fascinating. However, I think the OP wouldn't want to drive all that way for just the one event, even if they were.

And, with all due respect and despite that I dearly love Chicago, IMHO, I wouldn't consider a number of the items shown on your list in the "must see" or "must do" list either.

Again, not trying to be argumentative, but trying to sincerely mention items in which the OP finds desirable, based on their comments.

dmlove

I've been to Chicago a number of times for work and as a tourist. For a first trip, I think 4 days in the City would be great, and I do think you can do everything JJ listed in that amount of time unless you're actually spending a lot of time shopping, as opposed to just window-shopping. The whole Michigan Ave./Water Tower/Oak Street/Lincoln Park/Gold Coast thing is one very long afternoon unless you're stopping in a lot of stores (after all, unless someone is inviting you into their home on the Gold Coast, you're just walking and looking). The Art Institute is 3-4 hours for me, and the other museums would be the same. Some of the things she mentioned are nighttime activities - jazz club, show, so they don't "count". Personally, I would go to Oak Park, but I live in a Craftsman style house and am a fan of FLW -- 1/2 a day. Take the CAF boat tour, 2 hours. I'd skip Navy Pier altogether, waste of time in my opinion.

By the way, I LOVE Chicago (if it weren't for the winters, I might move there someday.

dmlove

I should add, if you're trying to fill a week, that's no problem either -- more shopping, leisurely lunches, more museum time, more walking tours/neighborhoods, etc.

exiledprincess

Sorry, I forgot to mention this:

<You really think you can see the must dos in Chicago in 4 days? You may not know Chicago. >

But *I* do know Chicago, JJ5. I'm a third generation Chicagoan and I have lived here 20+ years myself.

And, within all due respect, I do indeed think that you can easily see the "must dos" and "must sees" in Chicago in that period of time.

JJ5

I think, if you are a "never-been" trying to see Chicago and even begin to think you are experiencing the best Chicago essence by rushing around like mad for 4 days at the pace suggested, well, it just isn't.

And even double more so, if you are, like my German relatives, not having a context of our weather, distances, driving affability, complexity of city/suburban transit etc.

What you are suggesting, for the most part, is a Chicago view you could get by a paid tour- more easily and by rote.

They say they are completing this trip within a week, and I would strongly suggest, despite objections here, that the week would be entirely more pleasant if spend within a 50 mile radius of Chicago proper area and having a chance to enjoy and observe even a fraction of what is seen.

exiledprincess

JJ5, some people just have different ideas about how to spend vacation time and vacation dollars.

Some want the "highlights" only - and some want to experience the nuances of a destination, which take time.

To be fair, though, there aren't many people (myself included) that spend much more than a long weekend at destinations involving domestic travel. (I usually spend a little more than a week - including air travel time - when I go to a foreign locale, though.)

Some live to eat and some eat to live.

Lexma90

I, too, would suggest that about 4 or so days would be a good first visit to Chicago. (To establish my credentials, I grew up in Michigan, then lived in Chicago for about 10 years, and now live elsewhere. We go back to Chicago every year or so, mostly long weekends, to visit friends and show our kids around. And I've visited 48 of the U.S. states and traveled extensively in Europe; not to brag, but to provide points of comparison with Chicago.)

What what the OP's interests seem to be, I would say a visit to the Art Institute is a must-do. It's got the second-largest/best Impressionist collection in the world (after the Musee d'Orsay), and a good collection of other works. Oak Park and the Frank Lloyd Wright stuff are must-sees if you're interested in architecture, due to his place in American architecture. I would say the same for the architecture of downtown Chicago as a whole. The 1871 fire meant that many Chicago buildings date from the same time period, and share a lot of similarities. Also, I feel that Chicago's outdoor art in the Loop constitutes not-so-hidden treasures that few visitors are told about (the Calder and the Picasso are both much-loved).

For downtown architecture, the Chicago Architecture Foundation (http://www.architecture.org/tours.aspx) offers a number of very good walking tours; I've done a number of them in the Loop. Their boat tour is also very good (though many companies do boat tours). They also have a Frank Lloyd Wright tour.

As mentioned before, Chicago is a very walkable city. There's a series of waterfront parks that extend for miles up and down Lake Michigan. The newish Millenium Park is very interesting, too, and is a great addition to the city (Navy Pier is just a bunch of tourist shops, like those every major city seems to have nowadays.)

Also very good, but not necessarily must-sees (when compared to other sites in the entire world) are the Museum of Science and Industry, the Planetarium (a very good one, if you like them); Shedd Aquarium (also very good, if you're interested in Aquariums).

In terms of walking around, in addition to the architecture of the Loop area, there are boutique-type stores on Oak Street (off the north end of Michigan Ave., which is where many other stores are, but mostly chains). I'm biased, because I used to live in Lincoln Park, but I love to walk around Lincoln Park, visit the little stores and restaurants, and admire all the old houses. Also, the Lincoln Park Zoo is small, but it's one of the last free City zoos, and it's nice to at least walk through on a beautiful day (especially if you're already walking through the Lincoln Park neighborhood).

If you want to make a trip of about a week, the southern shore of Michigan is nice and scenic, but not wonderful or unique (IMHO). And I don't know anything about taking trains to that area. Galena is nice, too, but not something I would visit if I were a visitor from elsewhere (though a good day or weekend trip for Chicago residents).

Enjoy Chicago!

exiledprincess

For the record, I'm going to list my "must dos" and "must sees" for Chicago:

For the architecture: The Chicago Architecture Foundation's River Cruise. IMHO, simply, the best 2.5 hours you can spend in Chicago, learning about Chicago's history about the Chicago River and resulting architecture. What more can I say?

Also for the architecture:

These iconic locations in the Loop: The Rookery (designed by Daniel Burnham and John Root, lobby remodeled by Frank Lloyd Wright). The Auditorium Theatre (if you possibly can go see a performance there, it is best to see the structure in the context for which it was designed - however, the ornamentation is breathtaking). The facade of the old Carson, Pirie, Scott building (iron ornamentation by Louis Sullivan). The lobby of the Palmer House (Actually, this is the 4th Palmer House, the original was at State and Quincy and the 2nd was destroyed by the Great Chicago Fire of 1871). Have lunch - or even stay - at the Atwood Cafe - in the Hotel Burnham-, which is aka the historic Reliance Building.

Millennium Park - and, if you can go for an evening concert at the Frank Gehry-designed Jay Pritzker Pavilion, definitely do it.

And a stroll north along Astor Street in the Gold Coast.

The Art Institute. NOTE on the museums: The Field Museum does have SUE, the world's most complete T-rex skeleton, and some wonderful exhibits of Ancient Egypt and the Ancient Americas (plus their special exhibits are usually of excellent quality). The Shedd Aquarium has the Wild Reef and Oceanarium exhibits. And the Museum of Science and Industry (in addition to being one of the only structures remaining from the World's Columbian Exposition of 1893) has the U505 German WWII Submarine - the only one in existence in the US - which you can board for an additional fee. Despite these special qualities, IMHO, these are all of a lesser tier than the Art Institute.

Wrigley Field. One of the last old-time ballparks left in existence and where the scoreboard is still changed by hand. If you can, try to go on a tour of it when you are here (see the Chicago Cubs website for details) - or, better yet, try to go to a DAY game there. Take the El up to Wrigley. (Riding the El is another "must do", BTW.)

Walking on the Magnificent Mile at night after the crowds are gone.

Walking along the lakefront, and at sunrise is especially inspiring.

Go to the Green Mill for jazz, arguably the most iconic nightspot here in Chicago. Long history not the least that Al Capone frequented it and/or had a partial interest.

Or, if you prefer blues, Buddy Guys Legends has good line-ups (although you need to see where it will be located when you are here).

Experience the REAL Chicago theatre scene: The Steppenwolf, the Victory Gardens, the Goodman Theatre, to name only a few. You could always go see one of the Broadway-in-Chicago style shows such as "Jersey Boys" or "Wicked: The Musical" - and especially note theatres in which they are housed - but I recommend the former.

Go to Second City for comedy.

See the city skyline at night from the lake.

These are the "must dos" and "must sees" that immediately spring to my mind. As the previous poster indicated, it is pleasant to spend an afternoon wandering Lincoln Park, going to the zoo, etc. or visiting the other neighborhoods, but not really a "must see" or "must do" in my book.

exiledprincess

Oops! I lost my first response here and re-constructed it but omitted one other "must do".

Go up in either the John Hancock Center or the Sears Tower for the view. But I'd recommend the former - in fact, I urge you to have a (pricey) drink in the Signature Lounge on the 96th floor there - especially just before sunset, if you can.

Have fun in Chicago!

swalter518

Given a few of the exchanges here, I now remember why I don't post here often. I apologize, I mispoke, Amtrack, not the South Shore, goes directly to New Buffalo in an hour...my mistake...

JJ5

Yes, swalter518, you are so correct on your assessment- same, here.

isabellasu

Myer is a tourist on vacation and being that, I would think NOT seeing every nook & cranny that Chicago and it's neighborhoods and suburbs has to offer could easily be done in 4 days.

I hope we haven't scared Myer away from coming to Chicago or any other place they care to see in the Midwest! Being nice to each other on a message board really isn't that difficult, give it a try.

exiledprincess

Thank you, isabellasu.

JJ5

Reread this thread.

I am joking with Myer, and all the put downs are not coming there at all.

Reread other Chicago threads that I suggested from the first.

I am not at all including any nook or cranny.

And then my list is repeated, which actually makes it pretty funny.

If you can do that in 4 days, more power to you. I can't imagine how you would relax enough at any point to enjoy it. It would be better seen from a bus, probably, truthfully, if done with a glance.

And of course, this is just a plebian Chicagoian typing and not part of that exalted Europhile world traveler group, that deems USA side cities only worth a weekend, so please excuse us for our opinion.

That's exactly why swalter, sallyfowler, I and about 4 others- I could name no longer post on 90% of the Chicago question posts any longer.

A whiff of the elitist, no more like a stink!

exiledprincess

JJ5, I'm going to phrase this in the kindliest way possible.

Sometimes when people post here, their true tone could misconstrued because there is no human inflection in written words. However, the words chosen can make a lot of difference in how that entry is taken by others.

A lot of people (including myself) cannot take a longer length of time away from their jobs for traveling; or might wish to visit more than location during the course of a year, meaning that the length of time at each is shorter; or even cannot afford staying at a destination more than a few days because of costs. That doesn't make their desire to see only "highlights" or "must dos/must sees" of a particular place elitist.

I just wanted you to again review the listings here. My point was that there were some items on your list that, IMHO, didn't come under the "must dos/must sees" category - which was the OP's desire. I see at least seven items contained in your list that I didn't include in mine and at least one in mine that you didn't.

It might be that the OP wants to do or see all of these or just a few - it's up to the OP, though. But I still think that all of the items on the list which I posted can be easily done in 4 days.

dmlove

If you can do that in 4 days, more power to you. I can't imagine how you would relax enough at any point to enjoy it. It would be better seen from a bus, probably, truthfully, if done with a glance.

JJ, with all due respect, you're looking at it from the point of view of someone who lives there, not from the point of view of a tourist. I have been to Chicago 6 or 7 times, from 2 days to 10 days. I've been to museums and shows and boat tours, shopping and walking (like crazy). And as I said, I LOVE Chicago -- I think it's one of the world's great cities.

I also think, though, that a first-time tourist can easily enjoy it in 4 or 5 days. Our last trip is not indicative, we were only there two days, so didn't do any museums, but in a day and a half (the other half was a soccer game at Soldier Field) we did walk up and down Michigan Avenue and Rush Street, took a taxi from downtown to somewhere on Milwaukee Ave. (stopped for coffee at Lovely), walked the rest of the way to and around Wicker Park, walked back to downtown from Wicker Park, took the CAF river boat tour, had time for a nap, had dinner at Adobo and saw a late Second City Show, next day strolled from downtown along the lake, stopped in to see some condos we had eyed on the river cruise, walked through Millenium Park and to Lew Mitchell's for breakfast (then the soccer game). That was a fantastic 1-1/2 days. On another trip (with our kids, when they were 12 and 14), we managed the Shedd Aquarium, Art Institute, Cubs game, White Sox game, biking on the lake, Navy Pier, Taste of Chicago, Michigan Avenue and Oak Park in 4 days (I'm sure we did more -- that trip was 9 years ago). We never felt "un-relaxed" (we're big on late afternoon naps). All we felt was, "wow, we love this city, can't wait to come back".

Myer

Wow, This thread has grown.

We've been away for a couple of days and I haven't checked in.

Maybe I should write a trip report for 2 days on the west coast of Florida.

We live on the South East coast (just west of Ft Lauderdale). My daughter and son-in-law (and the baby) rented a house in Captiva for the week. We drove across Thur morning for a couple of days.

Absolutely beautiful weather, fabulous sunsets and time to relax (and not much else).

We ate at a restaurant (can't remember the name). The food was pretty good but the attitude left something...

Just returned. A 2 1/2 hour drive each way. Sunny on this side as well.

I'll go back and read the whole thread soon. From a quick scan it looks like I can plan any type of trip I want.

CAPH52

"Philadelphia Museum of Art, Prado, The Met, Louvre, d'Orsay, etc."

The Chicago Art Institute is certainly in the same league as any of those mentioned. I've been to the Orsay and enjoyed it very much. But the impressionist collection at the Art Institute comes very close, if not equal.