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| The Ferris Wheel from our trip to Chicago two years ago. |
Summer is fast approaching now and we are starting to plot out our mini-vacation plans. One thing on the agenda (and it usually is), is Chicago. It's not really a long drive for us and there's always so much to do. One of my very first blog posts ever was about a trip we took to Navy Pier. We won't be going there this time around because there are so many things to see and do that we haven't yet, but it was an awesome place to visit. We skipped it last year too, because we had something else we wanted to see, but maybe next year we'll go back. It is a place worth visiting more than once.
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| The two youngest acting goofy in the gift shop (again, a picture from two years ago). |
Tops on the agenda for me is the Art Institute of Chicago. On their website they mentioned having both Seurat and Boucher paintings, but aside from the fabulous paintings they promise, they also have a lot of other categories of art that I would like to see. It's hard to know how much time to plan for museums, some you are in and out of fairly quickly, and others you could be in all day and still not have enough time. If anyone has been to the Art Institute of Chicago and has some insight on how long it takes to have a good visit, I would love to hear it.
The location of the museum is prime, with several other big area attractions close by, but again I'm not quite sure how much time we'll spend in the museum, so we'll play the rest of that day by ear. Hubby is coming along this trip, and he usually does not. In fact, this will be the first time he and I have been to Chicago together (we've both been separately or with one of the kiddos). Strange that we haven't been together because we usually do most things as a family. That will make this trip extra nice. He wants to go for the pizza. He's been to Chicago many times, but has never had the pizza (say what??!!). I had pizza my first time in.
Sorry to the Chicago pizza lovers though...I'm more of a NYC pizza lover. My husband is a deep dish man, so I'm guessing he'll like the pizza there.
Another place I want to see is the Willis Tower. It used to be called the Sears Tower, and was once the tallest building in the US. Hubby says he's not interested in going, but the rest of us really, really want to go, and it is my educated guess hubby will 'tag along' and end up loving it, or we may have to get a hotel close by so we can mosey on over while he's relaxing (sleeping in). ;) He gets nervous if he's up too high, the rest of us just love it. Take a look at the sky deck online, it's exciting!
My favorite things about Chicago:
- So much to see and do!!
- The beautiful scenery on the water
- Awesome shopping
- Delicious dining!
- Culture galore
- The Bean! I love the bean!
My least favorite things about Chicago:
- The price of parking (ack!)
- The super busy traffic if I'm lost (and I always get lost)
Have you been to Chicago? If so, do you love it?
Yay for mini-vacations! I'm so ready to go on our trip to San Antonio.
ReplyDeleteWe haven't made our way to Texas yet, but you make it sound nice there. :)
DeleteWe went there last year. We went on a train. I had many posts on our trip.
ReplyDeleteWoohoo! I'm going to look them up at some point this week, thanks for the FYI.
DeleteI live in a burb of Chicago.
ReplyDeleteThe gas in the Chicago Cook county is one of the most expensive of the area.
What you might do is get a hotel room outside of the city and take a train into the city. Walking is always the best way to see the city.
If possible then take the water taxi to the Pier and it is a great way of seeing the architecture of the city as well.
See the different neighborhoods and there are always fests this time of year.
Shedd Aquarium. field Museum.
lincoln Park Zoo. the cruise line architecture tour. North Ave beach.
Home Run inn Pizza. giordano pizza. SuperDawg
Great tips! And Giordano's I've heard several times, I think we're going to have to give it a go. :)
DeleteMany thanks for your note!
Visiting Chicago is on my someday list.
ReplyDeleteHappy Tuesday, Rosey!
Same happy Tuesday wishes to ya! :)
DeleteI absolutely heart Chicago. My husband and I went for a friends wedding and a NASCAR race. It is one of the coolest cities I know and I can't wait to take Reagan there!
ReplyDeleteThe aquarium is still my favorite by far!
¤´¨)
¸.•*´
(¸¤ Lanaya | xoxo
www.raising-reagan.com
We saw a domino spotted frog at the aquarium once, and Belugas!!! I like the aquarium too. :)
DeleteOh how fun, I'd love to go, I have blog friends that way, in fact I'd love to tour northern America visiting all my bloggy friends there :)
ReplyDeleteDon't forget Michigan if you head this way. I think meeting up would be fun. :)
DeleteI haven't been to Chicago in YEARS....decades even but one of these days I'm going to get the Great Scot there. Love the aquarium!
ReplyDeleteI like Chicago, and we live close enough to go but I still don't think we get there enough! Time and money are always getting in my way for things. ;)
Deleteart museum and pizza...when do we go?
ReplyDeleteSummer vacation of course. What better place to play than Chicago. :)
DeleteI've never been to Chicago, but definitely want to some day! Living in Massachusetts, we have so much so close that we never really leave the area unless it's to go to Disney or CA.
ReplyDeleteThey have so much to do. I love Chicago! I've never been over your way, but we'd love to go.
DeleteI love Chicago! There is always so much to do - and I have a daughter living there. It's definitely one of my favorite destinations.
ReplyDeleteOhh, nice having a daughter there!! :)
DeleteI have been through Chicago but never really stopped to enjoy the City.
ReplyDeleteIf you like big cities, I highly recommend Chicago. One of my all-time faves!!
DeleteDO IT!!! And take your blog readers with you!! :)
ReplyDeleteI don't have enough seat belts in the car... too many kids. But I do recommend taking the trip if you're close enough to go (and even if you're not). :)
DeleteI have never been, but would love to! Isn't planning these half the fun?! We are doing the same now too. ;-)
ReplyDelete-Jamie
ChatterBlossom
My husband LOVES the planning part. I just want to go go go!! :)
DeleteChicago is a great city, well worth a trip multiple times
ReplyDeleteI know and our visits are always so short!
DeleteNever been but would like to one day
ReplyDeleteBusy, pretty, fun, and full of great shopping and food. :)
DeleteIt's my absolute favorite city. I used to live in the suburbs and I miss the area a lot. Good call on the Art Museum; it's phenomenal! I still think of the Willis Tower as the Sears Tower. I just can't call it Willis! I hope you have a super fun time when you go. :)
ReplyDeleteI struggle with the Willis/Sears thing too. ;)
DeleteOh I have never been to Chicago, but have heard wonderful things. I hope you all enjoy when you go!! :)
ReplyDeleteThanks, Janine. :)
DeleteNever been there, maybe one day when I can afford to leave y apartment lol
ReplyDeleteWe're lucky enough to be able to drive on over. :)
DeleteWell planning a vacation is indeed fun. I was near Chicago but we didn't go. I avoid the big cities whenever possible. Not my cup of tea.
ReplyDeleteHave a fabulous day. ☺
Sandee, I love the big cities so! We're living in a rural spot now though, and I like that too. :)
DeleteWe will be in Chicago later this summer as well, but only for a day on our drive across. Hoping to hit the Shedd Aquarium this time. Last time we were there, we skipped it because it was so expensive, but this time I know beforehand and can save up.
ReplyDeleteWe went there once and it was a free day (it wasn't summer though, not sure if that makes a difference) so no one was charged admission. Worth checking into, just in case. :)
DeleteNo I haven't been but thanks for sharing more on what I can do there when I do get to visit! We are going on a trip real soon too and I'm so excited!
ReplyDeleteAi @ Sakura Haruka
Trips are easily one of the best parts of summer. Have fun on yours, whatever season it is when you go. :)
DeleteYes, very nice wheel of fortune, I would visit Chicago!
ReplyDeleteWe got stuck up there, haha, probably because we were scared to get on it and that's Murphy's Law. :)
DeleteI've never been to Chicago, but it sounds like a great place to visit with plenty to do. We go to Maine every year and just hang out at the beach - which is very relaxing for sure.
ReplyDeleteWe have never been to Maine, but I would love it, I'm sure. I know someone who lives there and she said there was a moose in her yard once! LOL I would be scared and in awe at the same time. ;)
DeleteChicago is only about a 2 1/2 hour drive from here, so we go once or twice a year, and every time my husband gets off the plane at O'Hare, he brings me home deep dish pizza. Tell your hubby to get Giordano's Pizza. Our favorite is on Rush Street, but they are all yummy lol.
ReplyDeleteI like Navy Pier, but think it is a little overrated. I do like the firework show they put on at night though. Have you been to Lincoln Park Zoo? It's FREE! Though if you can't find parking on the street it's about $17 for parking, which I find reasonable since the zoo is fabulous and you aren't paying for admission anyway.
The Shedd Aquarium is awesome. However, don't go on Free Admission Day. They only have about 1/2 of it open then and it's a madhouse there!
I don't care what they want to call it, it will ALWAYS be Sears Tower to us. I think it's quite fun to ride up in the elevator! It goes really fast lol. I haven't been since they put the skydeck on though. We were also thinking about going there this summer and finally doing it!
There it is, Giordano's again, lol. Seems to be a fave amongst family and friends. I think that's def. going to have to be where we go to get our pizza.
DeleteI didn't know the zoo was free! We won't have time this trip (it's fast and full already), but I'm keeping that in mind for later because I know the kids would like it there (and me too). Thanks for the FYI.
I've never been to Chicago, but our younger son went to college at the Illinois Institute of Technology, and he loved the area. (Except for all the times his S-10 got broken into.) Now, our son was born and raised in Georgia, mind you, so when he was offered a full scholarship, I told him it got COLD up there. He swore he loved cold weather, to which I replied, he'd never SEEN cold weather. His first year up there was one of the mildest winters on record, but the second was one of the coldest. In the middle of an especially vicious cold snap, he called me, and I figured he'd present me with the opportunity to say, "I told ya so." (Not that I ever WOULD, of course... HA!) But, no! He was excited. He said something along the lines of, "It is so NEAT! As soon as I step outside, I can feel the hair in my nose freeze!" Go figure. Turned out he really DOES love cold weather. (Which doesn't explain why he and his family live in Orlando now!)
ReplyDeleteEnjoy your mini-vacation! Sounds like a lot of fun.
And I love year-round warm and moved from Florida to Michigan, lolol!! I've been to Chicago in the winter and it's DOWNRIGHT cold. It was so windy once when my son and I went that we were walking backwards to get from place to place, lol!! I totally realize how it got its nickname of 'The Windy City.' :)
DeleteThis is one city that the kids and I haven't been to yet. (My husband travels a lot and probably has been to every city. LOL) Unfortunately, we're heading south this year to Mississippi, Atlanta, and Tenn. Long vacation. Though, I must get to the Windy City, plus try their pizza. Have yet to try New York's pizza and we've been many times. Always seem like we're full when we think of the famous pizza there.
ReplyDeleteSharon
http://makeitorfixit.com
I've gone to NYC JUST for the pizza...well, and to see the city too. John's Pizzeria is my fave, mm hmm mm. :)
DeleteYour vacation sounds really fun!
Fun shots , love the Ferris wheel !
ReplyDeleteThanks for "visiting." Enjoy ^_^
Thanks, Carol. The little one LOVED being up there.
DeleteI haven't been to Chicago but it looks and sounds fun! We will be spending a week up in Tallahassee this summer over July 4th with my older son--I look so forward to seeing him!
ReplyDeleteDoesn't matter where the oldest kids are, that instantly becomes our favorite visiting spot, I know. :)
DeleteI've been to Chicago a couple times and I love it! I went for the first time in college with an investment class and got to visit the CBOE. It was so exciting. I went a few years later with some friends and had a great time. So much to see and do!
ReplyDeleteI bet visiting there was fun and busy!! I could go to Chicago 50 times and still be happy, I think. :)
DeleteHi Rosey,
ReplyDeleteI've been wanting to go to Chicago for several summers also. We've been wanting to go to Taste of Chicago, which happens July 10-14 this year, but the drawback is the crowd. I'm with you, though, museums, historical architecture and food. I am so there! Have fun (if you go.)
Sincerely,
Karina
I just looked up Taste of Chicago. Looks like it's a huge deal...30 live bands. :) We went to Navy Pier once at the same time Lalapalooza was going on and the crowds/traffic were huge. My GPS didn't like a blocked off road and I got so entirely lost, lol. Good thing the kids are used to that already. ;)
DeleteI've been twice, it's a great city :) Have a fun trip!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Ann. :)
DeleteNever been to Chicago, but there's a lot to see and do there. I saw a TV show on the making of the skydeck platform which should be quite interesting!
ReplyDeleteI think that would be an interesting show to watch too.
DeleteHave a fantastic time!!! I have never been!
ReplyDeleteIf you get the chance, it's an awesome city to visit.
DeleteHow about a cruise on Lake Michigan?
ReplyDeleteI would so love to go on a cruise of Lake Michigan. In addition to the beautiful water scenery, I've heard the architecture views alone are worth it.
Deletechicago looks and sounds like so much fun! steve and i always talk about visiting one day. so great that you've already been there - i always love vacationing at places i've been to before...it's more relaxing and you know what to see and do. :)
ReplyDeletehope you have a wonderful wednesday, rosey! xoxox
I like that someplace so fun is so close of a drive, but still far enough away to make it special. :)
DeleteI've never been to Chicago, but it's on my list of places to visit one day. I've heard such great things about it!
ReplyDeleteI love Chicago. :)
DeleteGino's East has the best deep dish spinach pizza. I think I gain 5 pounds just thinking about it. I lived in Chicago most of my life and it is an awesome city. Been in Atlanta now for over a decade and it doesn't even compare! We're thinking of a long weekend trip up to Chicago in October. My parents downsized into a condo downtown and we'd get to stay at a hotel and really enjoy the city!
ReplyDeleteAtlanta's got the same crazy traffic! ;) I would like Spinach Pizza, but I'd be the only one in the family, so I have to save that for a girl's day. Happy to have the tip!
DeleteI've been to Chicago once with a high school trip. (There were only 2 students and the teacher, his friend and his son...small group!) We went to a couple museums and then the 'Sears Tower' (as it was called at the time.) I don't remember a whole lot, but would definitely love to go back!!
ReplyDeleteThat was a nice size for a school trip (for you and the teacher!).
DeleteI've been to Chicago for a girls weekend. It was so wonderful in a million ways. The pizza was the BOMB. I had it twice. You've gotta get popcorn too. I can't remember the name of the place its around the Magnificent Mile shopping area. I am sure if you google it you'll find it. Prepared for a line where you'll say, "This sure is a long line for popcorn." We were on foot for most of the time, so I didn't have to drive. We took a taxi once when we were dressed up and going a little too far to tip toe in heels.
ReplyDeleteIs that where you got the red boots you blogged about?? I am trying to remember, and I think it is!
DeleteI've always wanted to see Chicago - and Boston and have not been to either - sounds like so much fun!!!
ReplyDeletePizza?
New York? ( although Manhattan is my favorite city in North America )
I'm not so crazy about it - Montreal pizza has spoiled me forever I'm afraid -
BUT - I just love Gray's Papaya hot dogs - I get cravings for them all the time lol.
Someone mentioned going to Maine every summer above - Rosey - it's just gorgeous
( we used to go to the beaches a lot as kids - because it's a close drive ) you have to go one of these years - it's charming ( almost of a different era ) and rustically beautiful -
XOX
I'd like to go to Maine. And Boston. And Montreal. I didn't know Montreal had great pizza!
DeleteGirl you could be on the Tourist Board for Chicago :) I love how you describe it all. Makes me want to visit when I did not want to before.
ReplyDeleteI hope the trip comes together nicely and you get your fill for your vacation.
Hubs just told me last night about something he is planning. I want to be excited, but I'd be more excited if it was our money saved up and not a CC.
Can't wait to see all your photos!
I hear you on the CC. I'm doing so good this year, but summer's coming so I've got to buck up my resolve. It's sooo easy to spend in the summer!
DeleteHave yourself a whale of a time in Chicago Rosey! I will be looking out for the pictures and posts about your trip.
ReplyDeleteI'm really looking forward to the trip, even if it's just going to be a short one. :)
Deletei would love to go to chicago.
ReplyDeletei went once, years ago.. but i was by myself, so it wasn't as much fun as i had wished for...
Not too sure I'd enjoy it without a kid or hubby with me. Maybe... but prolly not. ;)
DeleteI spent a semester over at Northwestern U. and I fell in love with Chicago. I would love to have lived there, but family duties call. It was the best Fourth of July I can ever remember, and there were so many bars/pubs that I fell in love with, especially this one Irish pub. But the Mexican food...eh, it fell a little flat. :)
ReplyDeleteI bet it would be great to spend the 4th there, and I bet college in Chicago would be fun too.
Deletemini breaks are the best!!!!!Thank you for sharing at the hop xo
ReplyDeleteThank you for the visit. :)
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