Heading to Chicago for mid-Oct. Sunday afternoon until Tues. afternoon.

Sunday night's plan is to visit an Irish Pub. Monday I have open to do anything below and I want to get around quick without waiting on bus schedules.

With a bike I could see more, I thought and faster. Are there places to park and lock it up as I would like to visit the Shedd aquarium, Field Museum, Art Institute.
I would like to see Grant Park area and N. Lake Shore Dr if I felt like biking that far.

What is feasible?

Is it safe to walk or ride a rented bike in Chicago? (Area of Lake Shore Dr. to State St. from E. Grand Ave. to W. Cermak Rd.)
In general - will the weather be rainy about mid-Oct.?

Horse carriage ride through Lincoln Park - Cost is ?

I would prefer visiting the sights rather than shopping. Have been reading all the topics for the most recent posts.
Any advisement or comment?

Riding bikes in Chicago is great and they have the wonderful bike/jogging path along the lake. There are places to lock your bike.

We do get around most of the time using the buses. They run very frequently so you would not have to wait very long.

The fall is a beautiful time to visit but who knows if it will rain. The fall is not the rainy season though.

This will be a peon to biking, but I should note first that the #10 bus runs every 20 minutes or so and will get you to the Shedd and Field Museums; Art Institute is on many bus lines, so if you are stuck with public transport, you won't lose too much time.

BUT Biking is great in Chicago -- you can get a bike map from the City of Chicago at http://tinyurl.com/gkg3g (it's a cityofchicago.org site with too long a URL to post).
Lots more information is at the Chicago Bike Program website which is http://egov.cityofchicago.org/city/w...eEnumValue=127, or http://tinyurl.com/gcyph. There are places to lock bikes, places to rent bikes, but yes, it can be "brisk" and wet in October, just come with weather gear.

Shedd, Field and Art Institute are at the edges of Grant Park, and just south of the new Millenium Park, very much worth a visit in good weather. Navy Pier, 0.75 mi (est.) further north, is fun to bike to. If you are very ambitious (and want to stay outdoors rather than visit the museums), you can go right along the lake 7 or so miles south to the Museum of Science and Industry, then bike around Hyde Park, Kenwood and the University of Chicago. Or, you can even put your bike on the rack on the front of a Number 6 bus and get down to MSI that way, then bike back.

Not only is the lakefront beautiful, but Chicago's FLAT - great for biking! Have a great time.

Where will you be staying? That will be a big factor in determining on what will be the easiest way to get around.

The Number 10 bus runs only on weekends. If you're trying to go from any of the hotels around North Michigan Avenue or the Loop to the Museum Campus, take the Number 146 bus. It runs south on Michigan Avenue to the river, then down State Street and past the Chicago Hilton before finishing its run at the Adler Planetarium. For bus schedules and more info, check www.transitchicago.com.

Thanks for the tips.

Hotel is near the Midway Airport. On Sunday eve - does a bus line run from Midway to W. Addison & Kennedy Expressway area? (Looks like the orange to blue line is our best option.) How do transfers work? Are they free or a fare for each leg of the trip?

On Tuesday morn, if I head to Lake Shore Dr. area again, how much time should I allow to return back to Midway Airport in time to wait at the gate by 2:30 pm.

If you're at the Midway Hotel Center, there is a shuttle to Midway, but I don't know if it goes to the train station. It's a bit of a hike to get through the terminal, though, if that's the only place it will let you off. The Cicero Ave. bus should also run until late. Check

www.transitchicago.com

for full details on bus service. The EL is really the only practical way to get to the north side, then you can catch a bus to your destiantion.

There are no more transfers if you're paying cash. Buy a prepaid transit card at the station. You'll get a discount on your fare and you can still use it to transfer. It'll deduct .25 on your next trip, and your third is free, within two hours of paying the base fare. On your last day, I would head for the EL by noon. That will get you to the terminal between 12:30 to 1:00.

To clarify just a bit on flamingomonkey's advice -

I don't know how transfers between bus and el work, but you can ride the el for as long and far as you like, as long as you don't leave the turnstile area of the station. So, anywhere on the el map (at the website postd above) that shows more than one line at a station, or a transfer, you can change lines for free for any length of time. Once you exit the turnstiles, though, you have to pay to get back on.

The transit passes are decent deals, though, if you use the bus or el a lot. There's also price info on that website. Regardless of whether you use pass or buy trips individually, it's a great system that is easy to use and very affordable!

If I may clarify another my points, there are two types of prepaid transit cards. You can buy visitors passes or weekly passes, which give you unlimited rides for a set time for a set price. Or you can buy a "Chicago Card", which is a reloadable card, good forever, more or less. You can put as much money as you want on the card, and it will be deducted whenever you pay a fare. If you run low, you can refill it at an EL station vending machine. There's also an automatic refill option, but that's really only useful for locals. Any of these cards will give you a discount over the cash price, and the ability to transfer from bus to bus, bus to El, or El to bus. El to El (or subway) transfers are free at select stations. Check out a CTA map to see where train transfer points are. If you're paying cash, you have to now pay a full fare every time you board a new service (except at the train transfer points)