Aug 30 – Sept 3, 2018
“I give you Chicago. It is not London and Harvard. It is not Paris and buttermilk. It is American in every chitling and sparerib. It is alive from snout to tail.” – H. L. Mencken
Chicago is a big city know for its architecture and deep dish pizza. Although we had much other amazing food here. It has a number of wonderful attractions, things to do and see while visiting. And let me tell you we packed it in, rain or shine!
Seeing as how Chicago has a great public transportation system and we were staying in the city, we did not rent a car here and we wanted to stay somewhere centrally located. We settled on Virgin Hotels Chicago, it was central, reasonably priced and had a cool vibe. It also had a great rooftop bar, Cerise which has a beautiful view of the city surrounding you. Which is were we went straight away. We met some locals who insisted they show us the lay of the land that evening. So we jumped on the L train and headed to Federales. This was a fabulous restaurant experience. ICE Shots are Key!!! We proceeded to have dinner, hang out with locals, and throw ICE shots at the bell. Next they took us to a quieter spot. So we found ourselves at SoHo House, this little hotel gem was exquisite and the bartender looked like he was straight out of GQ.
Now in order to take in the city and all its glory with an added architecture and history lesson to boot we jumped on the Chicago Architecture River Cruise, it’s not all day and worth the $50 bucks. Chicago is full of different architecture and many famous buildings and landmarks. You of course have to visit The Willis Tower (formally Sears Tower), be prepared for a line and it will take hours, but it is defiantly worth it. 360 degree views as far as the eye can see and wonderful photo opportunities if you aren’t too scared of heights. Next we made our way over to Millennium Park to check out The Bean and of course get some photos. In a city this old and established you know it has some skeletons in the closet. So we had to do a ghost tour. However, at the last min the clouds decided to empty and create a true Midwest downpour, maybe next time.
The following day we took on the city with the rain and explored a big chunk on foot. We ran back by The Bean, past Buckingham Fountain, went to The Field Museum to FREE SUE! Who was currently locked in a small construction room. We went to Navy Pier, rode the Farris Wheel and had lunch at Harry Carey’s. Our day didn’t end there we got cleaned up and went out to London House for a cocktail before dinner. This rooftop spot has breathtaking views of the Chicago river and city scape. We went to dinner at Tortoise Supper Club, this place has all the feels of Red Tracton’s (If you are from San Diego you know where I’m talking about) It even has a Red Room. This meal was 5 star and don’t forget the Peanut Butter Pie when you go. Our waiter directed us to THE BEST DISCO BAR you will ever experience!
You have to check out the historic Wrigley Field built in 1914 and grab a bite at Murphy’s while your in town. Take in the darling neighborhood of Lakeview and wander the shops of Southport Ave. If you need another great dinner recommendation I would say Somerset is a wonderful choice, lovely spot and phenomenal food. Lastly, you can’t have a full authentic Chicago adventure without fitting in some live jazz music. And where better to do that then The Green Mill. This place goes way back. Fun Fact – Al Capone had a table here that allowed him to see the front and back door. If anything went down he would quickly escape through a tunnel below his table.
“You can go a long way with a smile. You can go a lot further with a smile and a gun.” – Al Capone
