Self-planned Chicago Vacation
 

I'm headed to the Windy City August 25th-29th, with my step-mom in tow. Our flight on the 29th heads back around 10am, so making any plans for that day is a bust, but we do arrive early on Monday and plan to check our bags.

So far this is what I have planned:
Tuesday/26th: Watch Grease in Grant Park.
Wednesday/27th: Check out the fireworks at Navy Pier.

Monday we should arrive in Chicago around 6:45, we are unsure how long it will take to get our luggage. We have currently booked a shuttle for to and from the hotel, would it be easier/cheaper to take a cab or ride the train? We are unfamiliar with Chicago so any help regarding the route to take if on the train would be most helpful. We planned on purchasing the visitor 5-day pass so we can ride the train anytime, does the pass also include the city buses too?

As you can see we have plenty of room for suggestions and a lot left to plan. We are women and love to eat & shop so suggestions on the best experience to be had in either of those categories would also be appreciated.

We loved Marshall Fields! Depending on where you are staying you should be able to walk to some shopping.

The art museum is nice...

Do a search for posts by JJ5 and ExiledPrincess. They're both from Chicago and have given much good advice to tourists.

Into which airport are you flying and to which hotel are you traveling?

If you're arriving at 6:45 am, the L is by far the quickest way into The Loop. A shuttle van or taxi will probably sit for a while in traffic.

The L will take about an hour and cost $2 (or less). You can purchase visitor passes that allow unlimited rides on all CTA trains and buses for 24-hours from its first use. A 2-day pass is $9 and a 3-day pass is $12. There are vending machines at both airports that accept cash and plastic.

To reach the train, follow the signs from baggage claim. For maps and transit info check www.transitchicago.com.

We are arriving at O'Hare & staying at The Whitehall. Also, I put in a request for a Chicago Greeter a couple months ago, and haven't heard back. Has anyone else done this, what's the average response time?

Thanks for advice on the L, I went ahead and purchased the 5 day visitors pass, I just hope we can learn to navigate it easily.

Look under my user name for a post on chicago for my trip. There is a lot of great advice on Chicago.

To reach your hotel, You'll take the Blue Line from ORD to Jackson. Follow the signs and transfer to the Red Line toward Howard. Exit the Red Line at Chicago Avenue and head north on State Street 3 blocks (the cathedral will be behind you). Turn right on Delaware the the Whitehall is 2 blocks ahead.

As for other activities, the possibilities are endless depending on your intests. <i>Wicked</i>, <i>Jersey Boys</i>, <i>Blue Man Group</i> and <i>Shout</i> are among the shows currently playing in town. Check www.chicagoplays.com for other listings.

Then there's the Art Institute, Adler Planetarium, Shedd Aquarium, Field Museum (Natural History), Museum of Science &amp; Industry, Notebaert Nature Museum, Lincoln Park Zoo and Conservatory, Chicago History Museum and Museum of Contemporary Art. All are easily reached on foot or via public transit. The Lincoln Park Zoo and Conservatory are free.

You can check for other events while you're here at www.metromix.com. It also has a section where you can search for restaurants by price, cuisine or neighborhood.