MI - Chicago Trip - 2 days, $300?
 

Hi all, new to the forums!

My kids and I are making a trip to Chicago in a few weeks. My youngest is moving to live with his dad for a while, and we are meeting in Chicago at Union Station (his dad is taking a train there from another state).

I'm not crazy about meeting in Chicago, because everything is so expensive there, and my funds for this trip are pretty limited. I wanted to make it at least an overnight trip, so we could do a little sight-seeing. I've found a very nice hotel in the city for $89, but I'm open to traveling outside the city to get one for less, if necessary.

We have considered driving to Chicago, but have also considered taking a train. However, I haven't purchased the train tickets yet, and it appears that as the travel date gets closer, they're getting MORE expensive, not less - definitely not like the discount hotel sites work!

So at this point, here's what we'd like to do: drive to Chicago, visit Shedd Aquarium (we're going on one of their free days), visit Chinatown (going to eat at Joy Yee Noodle Shop), and possibly visit the Field Museum, though that isn't free on the day we're going to be there.

I'm figuring $100-$150 for gas, $55-$90 for the hotel room (depending on where we stay) and the rest for food & such. I plan on reserving $40 for transit passes so we can utilize public transit and just park our van for the day (which I realize also costs money).

Does this sound do-able? Does anyone have any ideas for free or very low cost things to do? I'm really hoping to keep the cost down around $300 for this trip.

Where are you driving from?

You're hotel budget is questionable at best especially when you add in taxes / fees / parking if you drive. What hotel is $89? That may be your best deal. Hopefully someone can help you here. This is tourist season.

What hotel have you found for $89? I can't imagine getting a room for any less than that, that would be clean and safe.
You have to allow for food, other than eatting at McDonald's and other fast food places, that would up your budget quite a bit. Chinatown is worth a quick visit, but really not a lot to do there. The Art Institute has free evenings on Thursday & Friday in the Summer, from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. That is definitely worth going to. Millenium Park is free and a must!

Hi tchoiniere -

I was able to get a room at The Central Loop hotel for $89 a night via roomrate.com. I do know of hotels outside the city that are $55 to $70 a night, but they are about 20 miles outside the city, and are nothing fancy, just a clean, decent room for the night.

We are driving from Michigan, as indicated in my subject "MI to Chicago...."

Thanks for the tips, isabellasu! We'll definitely check out Millenium Park.

If the Central Loop is the same hotel as Club Quarters, I had a friend who stayed there, we took her to the hotel. It is in a safe area and is nice. Is there a reason you want to go to Chinatown? It's a bit out of the way from your hotel and the museum campus. You probably wouldn't need a transit pass if you & the kids like to walk, walking to Chinatown would be too far.

My older son wants to check out Chinatown, so I said we'd make a quick trip over there. I guess we'll see when we get there how much time we actually end up spending there.

My son lives in a Western suburb so I'm not as familiar with the downtown. For those of you who are more knowledgeable, would pizza be a good fairly reasonable food option for Suebee?....can't beat the Chicago style pizza!....or maybe red hots sold by street vendors.

Pizza with sodas would be a good choice, they could enjoy a sit down restaurant and pizza, something more Chicago than fast food. They could probably dine for under $40 if they get one large pizza and sodas. Pizzeria Uno or Due, Gino's are the ones that I think of when I think Chicago style pizza. The Rock & Roll McDonald's would be fun, also Portillo's.

I saw an episode on Man vs. Food about Gino's....looked so yummy! And, you're right, isabellasu, Portillo's would be a good choice.

I would absolutely take the train to downtown Chicago. Parking is $40+. As tchoiniere pointed out, taxes and fees are quite high downtown. That being said - I would definitely stay downtown and not out in the suburbs. You'll still be stuck paying for expensive parking downtown. Yes - the train gets more expensive as the seats sell out - so book now. I used to find kids tickets were discounted.
If I had a quick trip with my kids on a budget, I would go for Shedd Aquarium on free day (actually, I wouldn't because of the awful crowds on a free day - but you mentioned you wanted to go - so good luck!). I would not try to fit in the Field Museum if doing Shedd. Although wonderful - for the price - you don't want to short-change yourself. If you can hit the Art Institute on a free day - absolutely wonderful to show the kids for an hour or two. It's huge - so just visit a small area. You can easily spend a couple of hours at Millineum Park - there are the fountains, "The Bean", outdoor space, probably some type of live music somewhere along the way, etc.
I can't speak about Chinatown - not familiar.
Depending upon the ages of your kids - you may just want to go to one of the many Corner Bakeries for bagels/fruit/sandwiches for dinner -and then splurge on ice cream later. There is a place downtown I"ve heard about for breakfast that serves you donuts while you wait, and I think give you Milk Duds when you leave? Someone on Fodors will know the name. That might be a place to go for a big breakfast - and tie everyone over until you get out of the city for your next meal. Also - check out MidwestLiving.com. I just saw a link that provided several free things to do in Illinois - and the Chicago Cultural Center was mentioned as giving free tours. Good luck and have a great time!

Is it Lou Mitchell's that gives the free Mild Duds?
Just walking around the area you will be staying is free and so much to see, all the buildings, window shopping, people watching. You can walk to the lakefront. When at Shedd you can spend time outside, they have the most amazing view of the skyline. Hopefully you will have good weather. You can park at Millenium Park, I think they have 24 hour parking and it's not as expensive as other garages.

These are all great tips, thank you so much! I'm looking forward to the trip, and welcome any other info anyone can give me.

Suebee,

Depending on the ages of your kids, I'd suggest spending the day downtown. In addition to the Shedd and the Art Institute, plan a walk north on Michigan Ave. Stop for an hour or so in Millenium Park and keep heading north. Great shopping including Nike, Apple and Garmin stores that keep guys happy, too. Head to Oak Street Beach for great people watching and continue north to North Ave beach if you can. On the way back, consider a stop at Navy Pier. Kids like the monster Ferris Wheel and again great people watching.

You should post the exact days you'll be in Chicago. There are some wonderful posters who will find free stuff to do. Also, be sure to check the festival schedule. Taste of Chicago usually happens late in June. It can be a little crazy, but fun, too.

Other possibilities include Buckingham Fountain and Grant Park, walking through the City to see the magnificant public art (Picasso, Chagall and many, many more), a bus ride to the Lincoln Park Zoo which is wonderful and free. Gold Coast Dogs for a great Chicago classic meal.

Have Fun,

Kevin

Kevin - thanks!

We'll be in Chicago June 19, possibly staying over into the 20th. It means hiring a house-sitter to take care of the house & dog, but it's worth it!

The kids are 11 and 17, so they're ok with walking a fair distance.

SueB,

Since you will be before Taste, you can get great hotel rates on Priceline. It looks like 4* properties are going for only $60 a night. So, you might be able to save a few $ and stay at a great hotel with a pool. Use biddingfortravel.com to familiarize yourself with priceline bidding if you are new to it. Don't get scared off by the minimum guarantee of a room that only sleeps two. I have more than 100 priceline stays and have always gotten the number of beds needed for our family.

You might want to consider going to the Cubs game on the afternoon of the 19th when they host the Indians. Tickets on craigslist or outside the park should be available at reasonable prices. You could grab lunch at the Cubby Bear and get to Wrigley in time for batting practice. It is also fun to ride the El to/from the game.

Have fun whatever you decide,

Kevin

Chicago is an awesome city--you will have a great time!

I agree w/ PP to give Priceline a try, but do your research first.

When you look at the cost of train tickets, make sure and check to see if they are still doing the discount when you travel with children; last time we took a train trip, each adult could take two kids (17 and under) for half-price. Amtrak also gives discounts for AAA members; if you aren't already, it might be worth joining as a basic membership for one person is quite reasonable. Having a car in downtown Chicago costs more than it's worth.

Thanks again, Kevin -

Things change day to day with this trip, it seems! We originally planned to take an Amtrak train to Chicago, but it's looking like driving myself will be cheaper and a little easier to control as far as our scheduling goes. I've always liked traveling on a flexible schedule, so once we drop my younger son off to his dad, it will be just my older son and myself, so we can kind of do what we want.

Still not sure if we're doing this all in one day or two days. I have a daughter living in Normal, IL, which is 2 hrs from Chicago, so I'm considering dropping down there for a few hours to see her before heading home. We can always grab a cheap motel on the way home as well, if it gets too late. That whole scenario has developed into another set of travel plans.

I've read about the Taste of Chicago thing - sounds like a lot of fun! It's neat that they have something like that over there - where I live, a "taste" of our little country town would include a pizza from the local restaurant (the only one in town), a bag of chips from the convenience store/gas station and a siz-pack from the grocery! LOL

Suebeehoney70, I'm really surprised that you calculate it will be cheaper for you to drive into Chicago than take public transportation, especially with the cost of gas skyrocketing now.

How much have you figured for the cost of the overnight parking? You must understand that overnight parking in downtown Chicago will run you anywhere from $24-50 and that's (probably) with no in/out privileges.

You mentioned above that you will be driving a van. You'll have to check if the van meets the parking facilities' requirements, as they all have height, length and weight restrictions. If the van doesn't, you'll have to find an alternative parking option somewhere. I don't imagine it will be any cheaper than the range mentioned above, though.

How are you driving in? Vans and pickups are prohibited from driving on Lake Shore Drive (U.S. #41) in Chicago.

Since you live in MI, have you looked into the cost for taking the South Shore and South Bend Railroad in from the South Bend Regional Airport? The long-term parking there is only $7-8 per 24 hour period. The South Shore's rates are much cheaper than Amtrak and they have the family fare plan if you take an offpeak train during the weekdays and on weekends. It takes a little more than a 2.5 hour ride each way from the South Bend Airport into downtown Chicago. You can look at the NICTD website for their times and fares. (Please keep in mind that South Bend is on a different time zone than Chicago and the timetables reflect that.)

Of course, that wouldn't allow you to visit your daughter, and I think you could be underestimating the driving time in Chicago traffic over a weekend.

Also, you need to take into account how the taxes will affect the total bill for the hotel. For example, a room for $89/nt. will probably total somewhere around $115 when taxes are included.

The Taste of Chicago is not running when you are here on June 19. However, there is a free concert by the Grant Park Symphony ("From 1909: Burnham's Plan and Rachmaninoff's 3rd") at the Frank Gehry-designed Jay Pritzker Pavilion at Millennium Park between 6:30-8:00 p.m.

I wish that I had better things to report in this reply, but I know you are on a very limited budget and I think that this would be important to you to know.

On your budget, I wouldn't even consider a Cubs game. Tickets alone would be most of your budget.

For the time you'll be downtown, what you have planned and on a walk from Millenium Park -and then North on Michigan Ave. with a break away with the kids to enter one of the skyscrappers and go up to see a few views(John Hancock!)- that will just about take all your time- if you are going to get the Shedd and things you mentioned "in", especially if you are going to take the el to Chinatown and back.

If you walk up Michigan Ave to Water Tower Place, I have found that the grandkids of your kids' ages like to eat in the the Water Tower Place's circle of fast food type choices in the huge food court there.

There are lots of threads here on deep dish pizza and lots of disagreements too on peoples' favorites.

www.metromix.com If you read about price levels for different downtown venues- restaurants here- it might help.

If I stay downtown I always use Priceline for hotel room. I have never paid over $99- not even on Venetian Night Weekend. But this late, the best deals may be gone already. I always book at least 3 to 5 months out and it works for me.

Downtown is not cheap, anyway you look at it. Bring bottled water or anything you absolutely cannot live without drinkwise- with you.

If you can leave your car at home. DO IT. It will save you money regardless of where you go and what you do- once you are even close to the downtown area. Some hotels are up to $40 a day to park, without the taxes. Parking for a ball game alone is either $23 or $28. And a beer at the game, most is up to the $10 mark. EACH!

Observe so much on your walk. For instance, just North of the Michigan Ave bridge- just after you have walked over the Chicago River- walking North- you will hit a building that has incorporated parts of other historical buildings in its stone walls. You can see pieces of the Berlin Wall, the pyramids, the Colosseum, etc. etc. placed right in the pattern. See if you can find more than 15 or 20 "pieces"!

Watch the action on the river- etc. etc.

Take a walk out to the Swissotel- go up and view the curve of the lake South from that vantage.

Or hit Navy Pier and just people watch or see the free stained glass or whatever happens to be there. (That is rather touristy but kids seem to like it.)

Have a good time.

BTW, I LOVE MICHIGAN. I'm going the other way, myself. I have a place on a lake near Marcellus.

JJ5 & Exiled Princess covered most of my thoughts.

I regularly took 2 children from WI to Chicago on a very limited budget.Priceline, southshore train, brings snacks & drinks, eat at the WaterTower Place Food Court,Corner Bakery & pizza, do lots of walking and gawking-all are great suggestions that worked for us.

A car in the city is a real challenge which I try to avoid when possible.Hotel parking is just too high$40-48 a night. The southshore line puts you right in the Loop.

For Priceline read biddingfortravel.com very thoroughly.(You want North Michigan Av or Millenium Park areas ONLY)
The Hyatt Regency, a 4 star in Millenium Park area has been going for $60 a night lately.

There are other posts on this board on how to use Priceline. We've enjoyed nice hotels in Chicago
Have a wonderful time!

Wow, great tips, thank you so much to EVERYONE! I'm going to check out the other train line mentioned by exiledprincess - thanks so much! I had no idea there was another train line available. Even if it means a drive to South Bend, it might be worth it.

I'm leaning more towards the train once again, as it seems they're starting to run specials on the fares this week and next, which wasn't the case in my last post - the price was going up, not down, which wasn't good for my budget! But it seems now that they're running a special on Amtrak, I'm either going to go that route or the South Bend train mentioned by princess.

JJ5 - I'm going to have to start posting in the Michigan forum. I've traveled all over our great state and have knowledge of nice (AND FREE OR LOW COST) attractions that are great for families. I also know which expensive ones to avoid! Marcellus is quite a bit south of us, down south of Kalamazoo, right? You should head north sometime if you get the chance - there's so much to see up there!

I'll update this thread once we get things decided, which will be within the next week. But of course, all advice and tips are welcome!

Just my two cents. The Central Loop hotel you mention is just a few blocks away from where I work, and it's definitely a nice place in a good loop location. And that rate? Grab it. It's extremely cheap for a hotel in downtown Chicago. Easy to walk anywhere in the loop/n michigan avenue area from that location as well.

Ditto the remarks about parking overnight. You will pay thru the nose. I live here and I avoid it at all costs. The South Shore train from South Bend is a very good solution and definitely worth looking into. It drops you off right near Millenium Park and is only a blocks away from the hotel. With kids casual dining is just fine, I'm sure. Michigan Ave near the Art Institute has lots of places that are cheap and have sidwalk dining at this time of year. There's usually a city sponsored trolley that takes you all over the city. The City of Chicago website can give you some idea about transporation and can also give you an idea about what's cookin' in the city during your stay. Have fun!

For those of you in the know, I just thought of another idea....would a boat cruise on the river be an option or is it too expensive?

It's worth it, but I don't know if affordable, RSTravelers on this budget and in this timeframe.

The one that goes down the River is truly a different look at Chicago.

Don't do the Amtrack. Do the South Shore. I have heard the Amtrack time and problem record is problematic, to say the least. I, myself, out of 3 trips taken on that line in the last 10 years, was at least 3 or 4 hours stuck or delayed twice. One time it because someone in Englewood and East area had thrown a huge sofa on the railroad track. If you are only coming for a short period of time- don't mess with Amtrack, IMHO.

Yes, I'm just South of Paw Paw too. Someday I will be roaming far North into MI- and I hope it won't be long.

If you are going to the Shedd- there is a white table cloth restaurant called Soundings that overlooks the water- and is extremely reasonable as far as downtown restaurants run. More reasonable than some of the faster food, downtown. They gave my little grandsons extra goodies while lunch was being prepared too, once. Better for a large lunch- than for dinner.

CAF- Chicago Architectural Foundation has a website to check out river cruise- if interested.

JJ5, I thought it might not be doable for Suebee at this time. Something I really want to do with DS the next time we go downtown. Speaking of MI, DH spent a week last June seeing a bit of Traverse City, but he especially enjoyed Saugutuck & Holland.

Quick comment....you can take the Chicago Water Taxi to/from Chinatown. Check it out: http://www.chicagowatertaxi.com. This is a more modest way of seeing Chicago from the river, which is really neat.

Thanks everyone for the tips on the water tours - I think that's something we'll tackle at another time, since our budget is limited and we also have limited time.

So far, here's what I've come up with:

-drive to South Bend, IN to catch the commuter train at the airport
-trip to Shedd Aquarium and possibly the Field Museum, or just a nice walking tour of the neighborhood
-we're meeting up at Union Station around 3 pm for my son to go with his dad (allowing time for tearful goodbyes -he wants to try living with his dad for a while...so this trip is a rough one)
-older son and I will have some time to ourselves to get checked into the hotel and grab dinner, possibly do a little more exploring before enjoying a quiet night at the hotel
-thinking of doing more exploring the next day.

I'd really like to make this at least an overnight trip, so we have time to explore a little. I could do it all in one day, but it would be a very long day!

Thank you all again for the tips, keep them coming! I'm finding lots of valuable info here. I'm sure it's helping others as well!

If you are staying over on June 19th, then you should take advantage of free admission to the Art Institute from 5 p.n to 9 p.m. Some of the most famous Impressionist paintings in the world are there, plus the newly opened modern wing. It's very near your hotel and right next to Millenium Park, which would be fun to do at night after the Art Institute. Both of these activities would be free and both are top attractions in Chicago.

Thanks isabellasu - I think we're definitely going to hit Millenium Park, not sure about the art museum - my older son's tastes run more towards cooking, so he wants to check out some of the various neighborhoods and restaurants. Not to eat in all of them, mind you, just to do a little walking to check them out. We're going to take advantage of the public transportation to get where we want to go!

Suebeehoney, If you son's tastes run more towards cooking, you might want to eat dinner at a Greek Restaurant in Greek town. We have walked many times from the waterfront (near the Shedd) to the Partheon which is about 12-14 blocks, a healthy walk but do-able, but I don't know the location of your hotel. Their Greek food is very good! http://www.theparthenon.com/restaurant-main.htm

Also, I have traveled on a budget many times and would always throw a bag of bagels and a sm jar of peanut butter in my bag. Kids ALWAYS want to snack at night and often that would be our breakfast.

I also agree on using Priceline for a good price, just be sure you bid on the right location.

Have fun and I wish you sunny weather for all that walking!

ps Forgot to tell you that the Pantheon has very reasonable prices for Chicago. Pull up their menu on their website and check them out.

Great, thanks CD! I'll take a look at that. Definitely considering the Water Taxi mentioned above as well.

Wow, what a day of research...and it continues.

Found some neat restaurants that I think we can squeeze into our budget - Joy Yee Noodle Shop is still on our list, but looking at Lou Mitchell's for breakfast (that's the one that gives out the Milk Duds, as someone was asking earlier in this thread).

I'm thinking we may narrow our trip down to just an overnighter, instead of 2 nights. That will save us money, so we're looking at the 19th-20th, and utilizing the South Shore train. The drive to South Bend to the station shouldn't be too expensive, provided the gas prices don't jump dramatically in the next 2 weeks. (Fingers crossed here.)

I was thinking of another idea as well - are there any open air markets in Chicago that we could go to, that would be open on Friday/Saturday? Just thought it might be something else we could take in.

Thanks!

Ok, here's what I've come up with so far, utilizing the great advice given by everyone on here!

Gas: $50

South Shore train tickets to & from Chicago: $45-ish
(3 adults, 1 child going to Chicago, 2 adults returning - and Amtrak was $150-$180, not including gas to get to the station, which is 60 miles away!)

CTA Day-Pass Cards: $34 (for transportation between hotel, Union Station, etc - (2) 3-day passes & (1) 1-day Fun Pass)

Hotel: $60-$100 (give or take a little, hoping to get a good deal closer to the travel date. I already have reservations but they can be canceled at no charge.)

Shedd Aquarium admission: FREE on June 19 (Community Day, no special ID required)

Water Taxi ride: $6 (for 3 one-way trips - still not sure we'll do this, but it's a possibility)

The rest can go for meals, etc. I know this puts me pretty close to the $300 mark, but I'm hoping we can get a hotel room for much less than the $100 I have budgeted, which will leave us some extra. I'm actually hoping to have closer to $400 or $500 for this trip, but $300 is the very least I will have to work with.

Any other ideas, given this tentative schedule, are most welcome!

Actually, I think that your South Shore tickets will be slightly more*. Did you check to see if you are eligible for the family fare rate? It's $10.75 each way for adults, I believe = $21.50 x 2 = $43.00 plus $10.75 = $53.75. Your 11 year-old would ride free if you are taking an off-peak train on the 19th - meaning that the train arrives in Chicago *after* 9:30 a.m. (You need only pick up the 8:48 a.m. departure, arriving at 10:15 a.m.) But keep in mind that you will have to include the $7-8 for overnight parking at the South Bend Airport. Even so, it is substantially less than Amtrak and you have more train options.

BTW, there is no drink or food service on the South Shore, so you might want to eat breakfast before leaving.

On the CTA passes, you should know that children 7-11 cost only $1 per ride (reduced fare) every day. So it might actually be less expensive for you to only get day passes for the adults in your group.

Suggestions:

1) When you first get into the city, go directly to your hotel, check in and/or (at least) drop off your bags - so you aren't lugging them around with you. Most hotels have a luggage holding room.

2) As soon as you come up the steps from Millennium Station (where the terminus of the South Shore is - and which is, BTW, right underneath Millennium Park) at the Randolph exit, you'll be right at the foot of the steps of the Chicago Cultural Center. The Chicago Cultural Center is a great place for taking in free exhibits and performances. It has a visitor's center where you can get coupons and information. It's where the free Instagreeter program originates, in case you'd like to go into one of the neighborhoods for a visit.

3) The Shedd Aquarium has free *general* admission - but the special exhibits are extra, albeit at a discounted rate. It is definitely worth the extra money, if you can afford it.

4) If you have the time after visiting the Shedd Aquarium, I really suggest a nice walk back to S. Michigan Avenue. This will be somewhat more than a mile, but maybe you'd like to stretch your legs after that train journey earlier. You start out at the terrace of the Shedd, which has a fantastic views of the city skyline (so take your camera), the lake and Navy Pier. Then you walk north, along Monroe Harbor for several blocks. To your left, you will then see the Buckingham Fountain, which just underwent a many multi-million dollar renovation. You can't miss this fountain because it is one of the largest in the western hemisphere.

You need to cross Lake Shore Drive westwardly to get to it. Do so only at a traffic light and be careful even then! - either before the fountain or after and then backtrack a little. Every hour on the top of the hour from 8:00 a.m., there is a water display at the Fountain; and at night (until 11:00 p.m.) there is a light show, which is quite lovely. It also has a really great photo op for you with the skyline in the background of the fountain.

After you are done there, to your right, you will see steps leading down into one of the rose gardens of Grant Park. Just go down those steps and then continue towards the northwest. You will probably see the steel ribbons of the Frank Gehry-designed Jay Pritzker Pavilion at Millennium Park over the treetops as you approach it. If you don't though, you need only walk northwest and you cannot miss Millennium Park. (In fact, if you walk to the west to Michigan Avenue - then north, you'll walk right past the Art Institute to get to Millennium Park.)

Along this route on S. Michigan Avenue, you will see the historic Santa Fe (aka Transportation) Building, across Michigan Avenue from the Art Institute. This is where the Chicago Architecture Foundation has their main location. Go inside, if you can. You'll see a listing of all the architectural walks that can be taken. They are pretty inexpensive (most in the $10 range) - and you can see a listing of them on their website.

If your budget doesn't allow that, here are a free couple of things you can do. A) Go to the Chicago Loop Alliance's website. There you will find the three "Loop the Loop" walking tours. These are free downloadable (to your computer or MP3 device) walking tours of the Loop. B) Go to the website for Millennium Park. It also has a free downloadable walking tour.

You have probably heard that Chicago is one truly bike-able (is that a word?) city. On the 19th is Mayor Daley's Bike to Work Rally, being held at Daley Plaza. There will be special events all day 7:00 a.m. - 7:00 p.m. in celebration of this. See http://www.explorechicago.org/city/e...ey_s_bike.html for more details.

5) Make sure you go to the Art Institute on their free evening. You will be glad you did, even despite the crowds.

6) The Shoreline River Taxi has a boarding area right across the Chicago River from Union Station - by the Sears Tower. Either take the River Taxi to Union Station (if your hotel is closer to Michigan Avenue) or from Union Station back to Michigan Avenue.

7) If you are looking for something free to do in the evening, the free SummerDance series will be happening. Go to the City of Chicago's website for more details.

I'm sure that you won't have any problems finding things to do for free (or low cost) during your visit here. Have a lot of fun!

P.S. Here's some information on the SummerDance series. http://www.explorechicago.org/city/e...mmerDance.html

Thank you SO much, exiledprincess! Great info. I was looking at the discounted rates for the South Shore train, maybe I miscalculated them. Thanks for the tip on the CTA rates for kids - you're right, it's probably cheaper for my youngest to just pay the fare instead of using a card. He'll only be with us for the first day, and then only until late afternoon.

I'm thinking we're going to do cheap eats as much as possible, so Lou Mitchell's for breakfast/brunch and one meal at Joy Yee - and the rest we'll just fill in as we go.

I think we can definitely do this for $300 or so, if we're careful. I plan on coming back and posting a trip report and letting you all know how this all worked out!

Just an update, as we come closer to our travel date.

We are going to make this a day trip instead of a 2-day or overnighter, simply because it will be easier on our budget. We will do what sightseeing we can in the day's time that we're there, and head back that night.

We are either going to drive to South Bend, IN and take the commuter train or drive straight into Chicago and park at the Union Station garage for the day. Leaning more towards the commuter train, but luggage may be an issue there. My son will have 2 large duffel bags to take with him. They meet Amtrak's carry-on requirements, but not so sure if they'll work for the commuter train. Going to check into that.

Shedd Aquarium is still on our list of things to see, but only the general admission, since the day we're going is a free day. Looking at Adler Planetarium and Millenium Park as well. Meeting my son's dad at Union Station at 3 p.m., so that's about all we'll be able to squeeze in, probably. Maybe a water taxi ride somewhere in there.

SueBee,

The planetarium is nowhere near as cool a museum as the Art Institute. The collection of battlegear and armaments through the ages is enough to keep any teen age boy busy for at least an hour. Then, you can expose him to the magnificent paintings. It is truly world class experience.

Have fun,

Kevin