Let me start off by saying whoever said Chicago was the city of food was definitely right. Fortunately, I stayed for a week, allowing me to eat all the desserts and food I desired. Now Chicago is a big city and it's impossible to do everything on your list, especially if you're only staying for a week. What helped me the most was grouping activities together based on their location because public transportation can add up during your day. Below are activities you can do within a day and are close in location.
Day 1
Take time to explore Millennium Park, it's a great day for taking pictures at cloud gate or exploring the Chicago Art Institute, you might even get lucky and see a concert at Jay Pritzker Pavilion. Buckingham Fountain is also just a short walk from Cloud Gate and you can stroll through the beautiful Grant Park
where there are plenty grassy spots for picnics.
Day 2
Shop till you drop on Magnificent Mile where every store you could imagine is within blocks of each other. Not too far is the famous Chicago Marquee Theatre, a perfect picture spot for your instagram. If you're afraid of heights you might want to skip this next activity but Willis Tower, or Sears Tower, is definitely something I recommend. The Sky Deck, is a glass box that overlooks the top of Chicago and gives you a unique view of the city.
Day 3
Lincoln Park Zoo is free and has just as many animals as Brookfield Zoo. They have many exhibits and some of the animals perform acts.
Day 4
The Field Museum, Shedd's Aquarium, and Adler's Planetarium are all within a 10 minute walk from each other. I recommend going to the Field Museum first, since it takes the most time to walk through and offers many things to see. The Shedd's Aquarium is the second largest building and closes earlier than the other two, so seeing all the animals can be challenging. Seeing the Planetarium closer to the evening is amazing, and on some nights people will set up their telescopes. The walk from Shedd's to Alder is beautiful, you can hear waves crashing and feel the wind coming in from the lake, it a perfect place to watch the sunset and has the best view of the skyline.
Day 5
My last day was too short, but fortunately I checked-off everything on my list. The architecture river tour was one thing that everyone kept saying I had to do. Getting there early gave us the chance to look around and walk the Pier. Depending on which tour you choose, you have the option to bring food, by ordering Giordano's deep dish pizza we had the best experience.
Things to do:
-Buy a ticket to see a show at Second City. We watched Grinning from fear to fear and the cast was amazing. The food and drinks there weren't too bad either.
-Latin Bliss is bar made for dancing, with strobe lights, fog machine and a DJ you can never go wrong.
-Sluggers Bar is across the street from Cubs Stadium, so you can expect the bar to have indoor batting cages. The first floor has a dance floor and pool tables, meanwhile, the second floor has arcade games, batting cages and pianos. On Saturdays they have special events, like dueling pianos where you can request songs for the two pianist to play.
Where to eat:
There are numerous places you'd want to try, but for me breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Therefore, my favorite place had to be Yolk, its near Lincoln Park Zoo, and you'll have to try their Lemon Blueberry Pancakes.
-J Parker: a rooftop restaurant that serves the best nachos and wings
-Chicago Brew House: a greek restaurant on the Riverwalk, I ordered the Kedzie Falafel w/ Steak
-Bulldog Ale House Food and Brew: has many brews to pair with burgers, my favorite was the Pico De Gallo
-Federales: is my favorite taco shop because they have so many choices! I tried their shrimp, fish and chicken tacos, but honestly there was no wrong choice. The tequila shot afterwards was the best part. They handed us our drink in an ice cup and gave us the chance to throw it at a bell.
-Dessert Dealer: A gelato bar that makes gelato tacos, my favorite was the Strawberry
-Toast: A breakfast spot that serves the best Nutella Stuffed French Toast
-Giordano's: is the place to go for deep dish pizza. We ordered a classic sausage pizza to go on our Architecture River Tour
Happy Adventuring!
Kelsey
Follow me at @kelseywilliams44 on instagram to see more pictures
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