bradlin

My husband and 14 year old son will be traveling to Chicago the weekend of August 4th. They will arrive at Midway airport on Saturday morning and will be leaving the Windy City on Monday morning. They are planning on going to the Cubs vs Mets game on Sunday afternoon and would like to visit the Field Museum on Saturday afternoon. I would appreciate any information about where they should stay, other points of interest they should squeeze into their trip, and/or tips about the transportation system they should know. Thank you for your help.

bcirish

If they are coming into Midway there are several options for transportation. They can rent a car - it is easy to get around Chicago or they can take the train to the city and stay downtown and then take the train to the Cubs game which might not be a bad idea - that game is pretty crowded. For sightseeing there is a trolley which is hop on and off and it goes to the Field Museum, the aquarium, the Sears Tower, Hancock tower, the train station and several stops in the immediate downtown area. Last summer it was free - don't know what it will be this summer. There are all kinds of hotels in which to stay but it will be busy at that time so you will want to make your reservations early. If staying downtown the Crown Plaza on Wabash Ave is very handy to the elevated train and not too far from the train station coming from midway but it may be a little too business oriented and laid back for the son. I would think something along Michigan ave would be fine and you could get around without a car. If you have a car, plan on paying 20-30 a day to park the car. The Holiday Inn at Mechndise Mart has a pool and is near Ed Dubevics and Ginos East two fun a good places to eat - Ed's is a well known hamburger place and Ginos has awesome pizza and is a favorite for many in the area. I'm not sure how close the trolley goes to there but if your guys are in to walking it is not far from Michagan ave where they could pick up the trolley.

mcmckissic1

We booked the Embassy Suites-downtown lakefront for April, it looked pretty good, centrally located, good for kids and got good reviews here and on Trip Advisor. Does anyone know if the free trolley runs around town as early as April??? thanks.

Citylghts

The only trolley that runs in April is between Navy Pier and the Grand Ave Red Line station. The others run only between Memorial Day and Labor Day and during December.

mcmckissic1

So we will have to walk or catch a cab from the Embassy Suites-Lakefront to get to the aquarium, coreect?

Citylghts

Mcmckissic1, check your other post about the ES. There are instructions there how to get from Union Station to your hotel and from your hotel to the Museum Campus, which houses the Shedd Aquarium, Adler Planetarium and Field Museum, all via CTA and a visitor pass.

mcmckissic1

thanks citylights, forgot to recheck that post and see more replies, also forgot about someone giving very detailed directions!!! Sorry, thanks again.