Chicago Trip Report!
Sep 14th, 2004, 06:30 PM
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Chicago Trip Report!
Here?s my long overdue trip report from our recent vacation to Chicago!
We decided to take a taxi from O?Hare to the Renaissance Hotel located on W. Wacker Drive because we just had too much luggage to navigate the train. It was a quick ride into the city at an approximate cost of $35.00 plus tip.
Our pre-assigned room was not ready so we checked in our luggage and immediately headed to Giordano?s for starters and deep dish pizza. We had never seen or eaten pizza quite like that before and we enjoyed it very much! Afterwards, we wandered around getting a feel for the area and landed in Millennium Park (loved the Family Portrait exhibit). Lots of picture taking. Loved the ?bean?, unique water fountain (lots of little kiddies running and playing in the water), and the design of the Jay Pritzker Pavilion.
We were very happy with our accommodations at the Renaissance which overlooked the river. It was fun to watch the boats and kayakers go along the river (the kids wanted to kayak but we couldn?t find where to rent them) and we had a great view of the Wrigley Building. We had club level access which was great for breakfast and drinks as well as for our carb loading, marathon training son.
Sunday, after a quick bite from Starbucks, we headed early to Wrigley Field. We bought our tickets on EBay for the only game available during our stay and it was *Hat Day*! We were # 2 in line at our gate; the stadium opened two hours prior to the game. Our sons watched batting practice (hoping to get an autograph but that didn?t happen). Fans get a 10% discount on food during the first hour after the gates open ? which was nice (I don?t think they do that in NY but we are never there that early either). They should really *fix* that stadium though!
We are huge museum buffs so we decided to get the City Pass which allowed us entry into each of the following museums as well as one special exhibit to the Shedd Aquarium, Adler Planetarium, Field Museum, The Art Institute of Chicago, The Museum of Science and Industry, and the Hancock Observatory (watched an incredible sunset). The cost for an adult ticket was $49 and we were able to avoid the long ticket lines. The day we chose to go to the Art Institute was especially crowded ? it was free day - so we left and returned another day! The Art Institute was our *favorite* but the two paintings my kids wanted to see were on loan to other museums so of course, we bought prints to ease their disappointment!! The bonus with getting the City Pass is that there is a coupon in the booklet which you can redeem at Navy Pier for a booklet that provides all sorts of discounts (ice cream, bikes, etc) and we were able to utilize and save.
The Chicago Architecture Foundation river cruise was absolutely fantastic! Our docent was a native Chicagoan and very knowledgeable. Has anyone else ever smelled that delicious chocolate aroma while on the cruise? Where?s it coming from? (after the cruise I wanted to ask our docent but there was a long line of questioners waiting)
We also took a sunset lake cruise run by Wendella Boats. We actually went out into the *harbor*. Seeing the skyline lit up was awe inspiring! The only problem with this cruise was a large of group of passengers enjoyed their drinks a little too much and were heckling the guide (no doubt they did not *pay* for their own tickets, so they didn?t really care). Some of the tour information was the same but there were some additional tidbits such as Oprah no longer lives in the same building as Sammy Sosa.
Chicago is a great walking city and we DID plenty of walking! While the son, who is training for the marathon ran his miles, the rest of us walked from the hotel to Navy Pier. On our way we saw the water cannon go off ? very cool! There are 3 levels to Wacker Drive and we ended up on all but one, purely by accident (well, poor map reading skills)!
Other trip highlights included:
* Sears Tower Skydeck (another incredible sunset!).
* Second City (Doors Open on the Right).
*Rented one of those quad cycles for an hour (at Navy Pier and rode (on a slanted path?fun) to the Oak Street Beach. Put our feet in the water!
*At Millennium Park we enjoyed a fabulous concert, picnic dinner (from Park Grill) and of course, wine! We would have loved to linger, as many did, but it was off to see Buckingham Fountain for an outstanding water show!
*Photography is a hobby of the kids so we roamed and wandered around taking photos of every unique building imaginable. Stained glass, interesting lobbies, and unusual artifacts on the exterior of the Tribune Tower?too many to name ? just all wonderful.
*Lots of window shopping. Back to school shopping at Marshall Fields (received discount coupons from welcome desk) and the guys drooled over the display of Trek bicycles for at least two hours!
*There was a fabulous farmers market that we strolled though. I can still *kick myself* for not buying the orchids ? only 2 for $15 ? what a buy!
This was not a real *dining* trip because the *runner* son gets very picky on when he eats his meals as well as what he eats when training. We did enjoy
*Joes Stone Crab (had a great time)
*The Berghoff (sauerbraten pretty good)
*The Corner Bakery ? great sandwiches & pretzel bread?yum. *Park Café ? lunch
*Picnic dinner from Park Café and Whole Foods
*Nick and Tony?s (just okay)
*Adobo (great guacamole and good food but the music was way TOO LOUD!)
*Gelato at Lil Appetito
*A variety of ballpark food ? Chicago hotdogs are terrific!
*?.And of course who can resist a little club level fare whilst on vacation!
Our all-time favorite Chicago treats were pretzel bread (brought home plenty to enjoy), Frango mints, and Garretts caramel popcorn ? easily a 30 minute wait but well worth it!!
We used the free trolley often and *tipped* the informative drivers. We took a ride on the El *just for fun*
I feel like I am leaving so much out. We did so much and were completely exhausted at the end of each day from taking in so much of this wonderful city. Thanks to everyone who helped me plan this trip, especially Chicgal. Chicago should be grateful to you for sharing you knowledge in such a kind way!
We decided to take a taxi from O?Hare to the Renaissance Hotel located on W. Wacker Drive because we just had too much luggage to navigate the train. It was a quick ride into the city at an approximate cost of $35.00 plus tip.
Our pre-assigned room was not ready so we checked in our luggage and immediately headed to Giordano?s for starters and deep dish pizza. We had never seen or eaten pizza quite like that before and we enjoyed it very much! Afterwards, we wandered around getting a feel for the area and landed in Millennium Park (loved the Family Portrait exhibit). Lots of picture taking. Loved the ?bean?, unique water fountain (lots of little kiddies running and playing in the water), and the design of the Jay Pritzker Pavilion.
We were very happy with our accommodations at the Renaissance which overlooked the river. It was fun to watch the boats and kayakers go along the river (the kids wanted to kayak but we couldn?t find where to rent them) and we had a great view of the Wrigley Building. We had club level access which was great for breakfast and drinks as well as for our carb loading, marathon training son.
Sunday, after a quick bite from Starbucks, we headed early to Wrigley Field. We bought our tickets on EBay for the only game available during our stay and it was *Hat Day*! We were # 2 in line at our gate; the stadium opened two hours prior to the game. Our sons watched batting practice (hoping to get an autograph but that didn?t happen). Fans get a 10% discount on food during the first hour after the gates open ? which was nice (I don?t think they do that in NY but we are never there that early either). They should really *fix* that stadium though!
We are huge museum buffs so we decided to get the City Pass which allowed us entry into each of the following museums as well as one special exhibit to the Shedd Aquarium, Adler Planetarium, Field Museum, The Art Institute of Chicago, The Museum of Science and Industry, and the Hancock Observatory (watched an incredible sunset). The cost for an adult ticket was $49 and we were able to avoid the long ticket lines. The day we chose to go to the Art Institute was especially crowded ? it was free day - so we left and returned another day! The Art Institute was our *favorite* but the two paintings my kids wanted to see were on loan to other museums so of course, we bought prints to ease their disappointment!! The bonus with getting the City Pass is that there is a coupon in the booklet which you can redeem at Navy Pier for a booklet that provides all sorts of discounts (ice cream, bikes, etc) and we were able to utilize and save.
The Chicago Architecture Foundation river cruise was absolutely fantastic! Our docent was a native Chicagoan and very knowledgeable. Has anyone else ever smelled that delicious chocolate aroma while on the cruise? Where?s it coming from? (after the cruise I wanted to ask our docent but there was a long line of questioners waiting)
We also took a sunset lake cruise run by Wendella Boats. We actually went out into the *harbor*. Seeing the skyline lit up was awe inspiring! The only problem with this cruise was a large of group of passengers enjoyed their drinks a little too much and were heckling the guide (no doubt they did not *pay* for their own tickets, so they didn?t really care). Some of the tour information was the same but there were some additional tidbits such as Oprah no longer lives in the same building as Sammy Sosa.
Chicago is a great walking city and we DID plenty of walking! While the son, who is training for the marathon ran his miles, the rest of us walked from the hotel to Navy Pier. On our way we saw the water cannon go off ? very cool! There are 3 levels to Wacker Drive and we ended up on all but one, purely by accident (well, poor map reading skills)!
Other trip highlights included:
* Sears Tower Skydeck (another incredible sunset!).
* Second City (Doors Open on the Right).
*Rented one of those quad cycles for an hour (at Navy Pier and rode (on a slanted path?fun) to the Oak Street Beach. Put our feet in the water!
*At Millennium Park we enjoyed a fabulous concert, picnic dinner (from Park Grill) and of course, wine! We would have loved to linger, as many did, but it was off to see Buckingham Fountain for an outstanding water show!
*Photography is a hobby of the kids so we roamed and wandered around taking photos of every unique building imaginable. Stained glass, interesting lobbies, and unusual artifacts on the exterior of the Tribune Tower?too many to name ? just all wonderful.
*Lots of window shopping. Back to school shopping at Marshall Fields (received discount coupons from welcome desk) and the guys drooled over the display of Trek bicycles for at least two hours!
*There was a fabulous farmers market that we strolled though. I can still *kick myself* for not buying the orchids ? only 2 for $15 ? what a buy!
This was not a real *dining* trip because the *runner* son gets very picky on when he eats his meals as well as what he eats when training. We did enjoy
*Joes Stone Crab (had a great time)
*The Berghoff (sauerbraten pretty good)
*The Corner Bakery ? great sandwiches & pretzel bread?yum. *Park Café ? lunch
*Picnic dinner from Park Café and Whole Foods
*Nick and Tony?s (just okay)
*Adobo (great guacamole and good food but the music was way TOO LOUD!)
*Gelato at Lil Appetito
*A variety of ballpark food ? Chicago hotdogs are terrific!
*?.And of course who can resist a little club level fare whilst on vacation!
Our all-time favorite Chicago treats were pretzel bread (brought home plenty to enjoy), Frango mints, and Garretts caramel popcorn ? easily a 30 minute wait but well worth it!!
We used the free trolley often and *tipped* the informative drivers. We took a ride on the El *just for fun*
I feel like I am leaving so much out. We did so much and were completely exhausted at the end of each day from taking in so much of this wonderful city. Thanks to everyone who helped me plan this trip, especially Chicgal. Chicago should be grateful to you for sharing you knowledge in such a kind way!
Sep 15th, 2004, 04:36 AM
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A good and enthusiastic report. Glad you had such a good time in Chgo, our favorite long weekend getaway. You covered much of the same attractions in a couple of days that we have done in several years!
Sep 15th, 2004, 04:49 AM
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As a former Chicagoan (born and raised), I am going to bet you have seen and experienced more of that town than most of its citizens! Congratulations! So glad you had a great time. Chicago's infamously bad weather must have cooperated.
Sep 15th, 2004, 05:44 AM
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I'm so glad you enjoyed our city, sounds like you packed an awful lot into a short visit 
Did you go to both the Sears Tower and the Hancock with your City Pass? Which did you like better?
The chocolate smell from the river is Blommer's Chocolate. Someone at work stopped and got some of the chocolate from their outlet store, trust me, it smells better than it tastes! It's no where near as good as Fannie May (there should be stores opening back up in October but it will no longer be made locally)or Frangos. But Blommer's packages up the cocoa beans for mulch which we get every year so our garden smells like Cocoa Puffs.
Did you go to both the Sears Tower and the Hancock with your City Pass? Which did you like better?
The chocolate smell from the river is Blommer's Chocolate. Someone at work stopped and got some of the chocolate from their outlet store, trust me, it smells better than it tastes! It's no where near as good as Fannie May (there should be stores opening back up in October but it will no longer be made locally)or Frangos. But Blommer's packages up the cocoa beans for mulch which we get every year so our garden smells like Cocoa Puffs.
Sep 15th, 2004, 11:16 AM
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We had the most incredible weather - nice and cool, perfect for being *on the move* 
Of course, Chicgal, we wore our hats with Chicago pride
Kristi, the City Pass was only good for the Hancock building. But, of course, the guys wanted to see the Hancock building in the cityscape so that meant a visit to the Sears Tower. I think we all thought the observatory in the Hancock was nicer but views from both buildings do give a *different* perspective as well as fabulous sunsets!
Just a note about City Pass and museum re-entry...
When I purchased the Passes, I asked if your were allowed to leave and re-enter the museums (figuring we might want to take a break and return), and the clerk replied "yes", but that wasn't exactly the case. The Hancock Observatory was the exception - you could return later on the same day for an additional fee of $4. If we actually had the energy to return, we would have gone for drinks but we were just too *exhausted* to do this! Next time, for sure
We would certainly return to Chicago for future visits. Maybe we'll come back one day soon to watch the Chicago Marathon
Of course, Chicgal, we wore our hats with Chicago pride
Kristi, the City Pass was only good for the Hancock building. But, of course, the guys wanted to see the Hancock building in the cityscape so that meant a visit to the Sears Tower. I think we all thought the observatory in the Hancock was nicer but views from both buildings do give a *different* perspective as well as fabulous sunsets!
Just a note about City Pass and museum re-entry...
When I purchased the Passes, I asked if your were allowed to leave and re-enter the museums (figuring we might want to take a break and return), and the clerk replied "yes", but that wasn't exactly the case. The Hancock Observatory was the exception - you could return later on the same day for an additional fee of $4. If we actually had the energy to return, we would have gone for drinks but we were just too *exhausted* to do this! Next time, for sure
We would certainly return to Chicago for future visits. Maybe we'll come back one day soon to watch the Chicago Marathon
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