8 Chicago Attractions you MUST see! {Downloadable Itinerary included}

CHICAGO, IL

7/18/2015

My father in-law's side of the family hosted a reunion in his home town of Peoria, IL {click here to read about that} so we decided to make a vacation out of it and hit up Chicago beforehand, and Guys... Chi- town rocks! The restaurants were amazing, the architecture was beautiful & historical, the weather {for us} was amazing, and there were so many sites to see, and did I mention the food? Seriously, I want to go back just to eat!

**travel "Fun":**

Day 1 started out with me waking up an hour late *insert state of panic here* but we still managed to get to the airport at 6:20 am giving us plenty of time to catch our 7:15 am flight, but unfortunately United's computers had a different plan. There was a glitch in their system which caused us to sit in the plane, with no air circulation, on the runway,without alcohol for 2.5 hrs! Cody was the first in line for Group 2 so he witnessed the employee's reactions when the computers first went down {I wish we were in Groups 4 or 5 so we could've passed the time in the airport restaurant or bar instead of watching Roadhouse on Netflix, but thank God for you Patrick Swayze for making it bearable}!

Where We STAYED:

We rented a room in a 3 floor walk up apartment from Airbnb. It was located on the top floor of the Jimmy John's building in Wicker Park. We loved this area. There are so many shops, restaurants, & bars all in walking distance. After we/Cody schlepped our luggage up the stairs we were elated to see that our host left us a bottle of wine. We weren't even 5 minutes into our trip when we hear, *KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK* "I'm here to check your smoke detectors." That doesn't sound sketchy at all, right? Well, it was totally legit, but trying to explain that we weren't the tenants but guest through airbnb to a Ukrainian man that doesn't speak English was a challenge. *Side Note: there weren't any smoke detectors

He should add, "Sounds like a tea pot when ready."

*An elevator would've made this apartment perfect*

The owner's description of the shower still makes me laugh, "The shower can be tricky. Turn the knob all the way to the right and leave it running for 5-10 minutes. The best gauge to the water temp is to check the window in the bathroom, if it is fogged up then you are good to go. Do not test the water with your hand, it is incredibly hot. Instead, once you notice the window is steamed up, turn the knob to the middle and move left or right depending on your desired temperature"

Places we Visited:

Cloud Gate {The Bean} in Millennium Park: This is that iconic sculpture that you see in movies found in Millennium Park that is shaped like a giant bean. You basically go there to make silly faces in the reflection and to watch your body morph to weird shapes. We enjoyed ourselves there and the park is gorgeous.

Navy Pier: This cute pier was able to fulfill both our obsessions, Mine with Ferris wheels & Cody's with baseball. We had a quick drink at Harry Caray's bar {& a few free shots} but we spent the majority of our time walking around the restaurant's show room marveling at the abundance of sports memorabilia {Cody took a bazillion photos}. Then it was off to ride the Ferris wheel which gave us beautiful views that served as a backdrop for our silliness, "show me tiger!"

Petrillo Music Shell: We were lucky enough to be visiting during Chicago's annual food festival, TASTE- where there were vendors upon vendors lined up serving delicious smelling food {we had just eaten a massive meal and there was no way we could fit anything more into our stomachs}. After wafting all the aroma we could handle, we headed to find our perfect grassy spot to get ready for the FREE {yes free} Weezer concert! This was a lot of fun - even though we had to cut a plastic bag to sit on which later doubled as an Umbrella due to the sudden down pour that fell upon us causing us to seek shelter & warmth because the rain brought with it arctic weather, but we made sure we didn't leave until we heard Buddy Holly! {PS: this was an excellent spot for people watching, hence the hula-hoop photo}

Tidbit: The first "big name" concert Cody & I attended together was Weezer & Foo Fighters in 2005

Shedd Aquarium: My research told us that Shedd Aquarium was a "must see," so we decided to kill the few hours we had before our flight there, but if you've been to a good Zoo & Seaworld, then you've seen this aquarium. I can 100% see the appeal but honestly I wish we skipped this. If you only have 3 days or less to see Chicago, I would not recommend doing this.

*Note: The Dolphin exhibit was closed when we were there & there weren't any performances available. Also, if you decide to watch the IMAX movie, heads up, you get thrust in the back and water gets squirted in your face like a clown's lapel flower...

The Art Institute of Chicago: This is a MUST see, I cannot stress this enough. I suggest dedicating at least 2 hrs to this museum, it's home to so many gorgeous pieces of art. We saw "American Gothic" {farmer & his wife, which is really the painter's sister & his dentist!}, Van Gogh's "Self Portrait," "Sunday Morning," {which is huge & I never noticed the monkey that is on a leash}, Roy Lichtenstein {my favorite painter after Van Gogh}, Monet, Picasso, & Bears, OH MY! {we didn't see any bears, that's a fib}. PS: We walked here from the Navy Pier which is a gorgeous 1.5 mile stole along lake Michigan- perfect photo opportunities.

Tidbit: We love Pop Art so much that we became it for our 2012 Halloween costumes

Wendella Boat Tour: We did the River & Lake Tour but I would suggest only doing the River tour. For one, it's cheaper and two, the only real benefit to the lake portion is you get to view the buildings from a different perspective and you see & hear the story about the light house.

*Note: The dock is off of Wacker Drive & there are ONE MILLION Wacker Drives causing Google Maps to have a mini break down and spin you around in circles. It took us 30 min. to travel .04 miles and we still ended up at the wrong location. Luckily the people on our tour boat were AMAZING and they agreed to hold the boat for us!!

Willis Tower / Sky Deck {formally Sears Tower}: This was a VERY cool experience. We visited at night so we could see the city lit up but I think going during the day would be more beneficial. Just know that this place is chaotic! There are no lines for the Skydeck, it's just a mob of people all trying to do, see, & photograph the same sites as you. Some people were considerate, they took their photo & marveled quickly so another group could enjoy the experience, but others weren't as nice. *If you're afraid of heights this will make your belly flip!

Wrigley Field: This is an absolute MUST. We were able to buy tickets to the Cubs VS White Sox game and we opted to sit behind the Ivy wall in the bleacher seats {a dream of Cody's} and I'm so happy we did!

Things you should know
1. Get there early {the gates open 2 hrs. before the game} so you can be there during batting practice, Cody was thrown a ball by Jason Motte! He pointed to Cody, stoked his own beard, and tossed him the ball {beard love - it pays to have one}. Cody was even able to get it signed {a glove & Sharpie would be smart to bring with you too}:

2. Use Sunscreen, or your legs will look like Cody's >
3. Only bleacher seats can access both the bleacher area and the main part of the stadium {your ticket gets scanned in & out}.
4. Beer is at least $8.50 {so grab a few beforehand} & eat a Doug’s hotdogs.
5. Uber or public transit is the way to go {I wouldn’t even attempt to find parking.}

6. Don't drink too much or you'll end up like me: *See images >>
7. First time visitors get a certificate {it's card-stock, with date, & list teams that played - we missed out due to drunkeness, story is told further down}.
8. If you state you’re a Designated Driver you'll receive a free Pepsi {you CAN bring in SOFT coolers with plastic drinks in them, but no metal}.
9. The most important tip I can give you for the bleacher seats is, Make friends with those around you! We did, and we had a better time because of it. When you leave to go to the bathroom, or for beer, etc… they save your seats; Plus I scored a pair of sunglasses {I basically took them off our new friend's face, but he allowed it.}

Aside from watching the game & meeting new friends, two major events happened. One, my favorite pair of sandals broke while I was on a beer run {flat tired}, causing me to walk back to the bleachers barefoot! Cody was able to rig them so I could wear them, but I was basically standing on a huge knot, which isn't ideal for someone intoxicated. {I did buy a new pair on our last day but I still reminisce about my fallen sandals **sigh. I'm thinking about them now**}

A question Cody and I get asked quite often is, "Do you guys ever argue?"

^ New Sandals ^

And the second event that took place in Wrigley Field's Stadium proves that's a BIG-O yes. During the last inning of the game I decided to use the bathroom. The line was massive & I didn't bring my purse or phone. Once out of the bathroom I thought I would bring back some beers. I waited in a long line and when I almost reached to the front I realized I didn't have my purse {No purse = No $$ = No Beer}. I got out of the line {remember, I'm wearing broken sandals & I'm intoxicated- not buzzed, intoxicated}. I make it back to the section we were sitting in, but no one is there. I sit there for a second, but then think, "Maybe I'm in the wrong place." so I meander around searching for clues, asking strangers if they know where I was sitting, getting further away from my actual location. By some miracle I do eventually make it back to our portion of the bleachers and I wait for Cody to find me {remember, no cell phone}. My drunk mind thinks this entire ordeal has been 15 minutes but in reality it's been almost an hour. When Cody finds me, I was elated, my hero has arrived! He did not share the same sentiment. Apparently we passed each other early on and while he's making multiple trips to the woman's bathroom & walking the perimeter, I'm walking around the bleachers having a grand ole time.

Where we Wined & Dined:

FRANCESCA'S FRONO

Our first official stop in Chicago. We had the most adorable waiter who sat us near a window so we could have the "prime people watching" spot. When we asked what to order, he told us their burgers were magical {they were}

What we ordered:

Fried pickled chicken breast: cole slaw, dill pickles, ranch & avocado on ciabatta
Forno burger: dill pickles, cheddar cheese, marinated red onions, special sauce & French fries
Burrata: strawberry mostarda, olive oil, sea salt
Goose Island beer: Sophie {local beer}

We defiantly had leftovers, which we enjoyed later on that night!

BRIDGE HOUSE TAVERN

We would fly back just to eat here again; I'm still dreaming about my onion rings

What our GROUP ordered:

Popcorn – honey, bacon, jalapeño, smoked salt
Onion Rings - Porcini aioli, grated parmesan, truffle oil
Fresh Oysters – sold by the ½ dozen, shucked to order, served with BHT cocktail sauce and chili lime mignonette East Coast $2.5 ea. – West Coast $3.5 ea
Pork Belly BLT – grilled pork belly, bacon, lettuce, tomato, bacon aioli, fried egg, sourdough ciabatta
St. BHT – Champagne, St. Germain, fresh lemon Juice
Pat: Duck Tacos: curry ranch slaw, pickled fennel, hoisin, sweet chili sauce, queso fresco / Shrimp Tacos: mango salsa, jicama, sweet chili sauce, remoulade, scallions
Kellie: BBQ pork Mac ‘n’ Cheese – cavatappi, parmesan, white cheddar, crispy shallot
Girls: Grilled Cheese Sandwiches

GLAZED & INFUSED

This was a cute walkup window around the corner from our apartment

We couldn't decided so we got a little bit of everything:

Red velvet
Vanilla bean glazed
Fruit fritter of the day
Old Fashioned {my favorite}
Raspberry Old fashioned
Cajeta fried ice cream
Praline, white chocolater & honey

GIORDANO'S

There's always a long wait, but it's oh so worth it

What we ordered:

MEAT & MORE MEAT: Pepperoni, salami, sausage & bacon
CHICAGO CLASSIC: Pepperoni, mushrooms, green peppers, & onions

Tidbit: We like this place so much that I had a pizza overnighted from Chicago for Cody's birthday in 2012

PORTILLO'S

The last restaurant we ate at, not including the airport, and it was packed!

What we ordered:

HOT DOG: With everything includes: mustard, relish, freshly chopped onions, sliced red ripe tomatoes, kosher pickle and sport peppers piled onto a perfectly steamed poppy seed bun.
CHILI CHEESE DOG: Served with onions
French Fries
Onion rings