Honeymoon in Chicago!!!

In exactly five months time I will be a married lady of one day and will be winging my way to the Windy City for my honeymoon!  We have already worked out quite a few things to do there...an Al Capone tour, a Blues Brothers Tour, going up the Sears Tower, going to see the Cubs and the White Sox, going to an MLS game, and I've checked out some brew pubs (of course!).  But we need more!

If anyone has any tips for our week there, I would be massively grateful if you could please let me know.  I should point out that, despite the sport/beer focus, we are both keen on galleries, museums, the theatre etc, and would welcome any input on the cultural and historical side of Chicago.  Also welcome would be any tips on good restaurants and bars.

You've five months, people, to make the Vicky/Dan honeymoon a week to remember!

 


Vicky

If you're into that kind of thing, Art Istitute of Chicago is not to be missed.

Also, make sure to eat the genuine chicago deep dish pizza at least twice.

 Vicky i hope to be going there at the end of March , if and its a big, if i do go ,i'll let you
know some good sites to see ,Btw like the sound of the Al Capone tour ,   and of course congaratulations on your forthcoming Nuptials , Dan is a very lucky guy.

Vicky,

Chicago (just outside of it) has one of the best zoos in the country! Brookfield Zoo is awesome if you're into that sort of thing. Very beautiful, lush and entertaining for strolling and romantic hand-holding.

http://www.czs.org/czs/Brookfield/Zoo-Home

Btw, does this mean you'll get to see your long-lost Brother? Toronto's just a hop, skip and a jump as the crow flies.

Chicago is where I'm from! You will love the city. It's gorgeous with its lakefront setting that is all protected from development by the park district. And the city is clean. Everyone who came to visit me whether from a different part of the US or from the UK would always comment on how clean it is.

For me all of the museums are something not to be missed. You can buy a city pass which has a one time entry for those on the museum circuit ... the Field Museum (natural history), the Museum of Science & Industry, the Shedd Aquarium (really cool!), the Adler Planetarium and your choice of the Hancock observatory deck or the Sears Tower. It really is a good value for money. And just fyi, the Art Institute is free admission on Tuesdays. Actually, every day entrance into one of the city museums is free and you can find that info on various websites. There is also a nice city zoo on the north side in Lincoln Park. (Lincoln Park Zoo, clever, eh?)

And of course there is the shopping on the Magnifecent Mile of Michigan Avenue.

You will have a great time and it will be a beautiful time of the year! It will be a fab honeymoon for sure! And congratulations on your upcoming wedding!

Btw, does this mean you'll get to see your long-lost Brother? Toronto's just a hop, skip and a jump as the crow flies.

He's not that long-lost...we saw him last March!  But yeah, that was the original plan, but as he is now coming over for the wedding we don't have to go.  Though I guess if we can get easyjet-priced tickets we could pop up there!

Vicky

I loooooove Chicago, it's my favorite US city!  Definitely do the art institute, especially if you like paintings.  I'd also recommend the Architecture Foundation's riverboat tour, it's a great way to see the city and learn it's history.  You can take a tour of the old city library, which is now the cultural center, it's a beautiful art deco building, and the tour is really detailed.  Milennium Park I'd say is also a must-see. 

For restaurants, try Lou Malnati's for the best Chicago-style pizza, and there's a great little place called Crofton-on-Wells that has a nice romantic atmosphere and great food.  I also like Topolobampo because it's outside-the-ordinary Mexican, and Harry Caray's for the atmosphere--if you go to an afternoon Cubs game, go there for dinner that night. 

When my BF and I were in Chicago last March, we did a Segway tour and it was so much fun. You feel like an idiot at first, but when you get it down, its a reallly great way to see a lot of the city without killing your feet.  We used this guy http://stevessegwaytours.com/default.aspx and he was fantastic.  Just a word of warning though: you forget how cold you get when your body isnt moving! Bundle up as it will most likely be cold in March!

I did the Al Capone tour with a friend a few years ago and it was pretty fun.

Also, Hancock vs Sears Tower - I would suggest the Hancock Tower.  I have done both and I think you get much better views there.

Have a wonderful time!

Chicago's great - we went there on our Honeymoon and to get my visa!  

There's a good water tour (river & lake) right next to the UK Consulate (Wrigley Building), you get a great skyline view of Chicago from the lake!  It was only about $20pp (about 4 years ago), but it was really good.

I've not tried it, but there's a Double Decker tour of Chicago, just in case you get homesick for the big reds.  

Good luck Vicky!

Am I mistaken or is 5 months from today in June?

duh Teletabby.. no you are not mistaken.  I saw Whiteknight's post and made up the March part... in that case - totally do the Segway thing, Vicky.  You wont freeze to death as I did

Well I am from Chicago and lived there for 30 or so years so if you need any help with places to stay, see or stay away from just send me a message and I will be glad to help.

If you are going in 5 months, the weather should be good so you need to go down the Magnificent Mile and do some shopping, see the old water tower (one of the only things to survive the fire) and go up the Hancock (better than the Sears Tower imo).  Also you would be really close to Ditka's which is a nice restaurant owned by former Bears player and Coach Mike Ditka.  If you go for lunch it is very reasonably priced.

Besides that area, I would HIGHLY recommend one of the River tours...especially the Architectural tour.  Well worth it and it is a great way to see the city.

Art Institute is a must, and if you want a nice evening there are free movies shown outdoors in Grant park.

Public transportation is good so you can get around fairly easily.  There are free trolly's (though I heard they may be stopping those) that run around the city to all the main tourist attractions.

Send me a message if you need more advice and what not.

Gotta agree about both the Art Institute and the pizza! Two of my favorite things about Chicago.

Thanks guys, keep 'em coming!

I am DREAMING of Chicago pizza!!!

 


Vicky

You might like Navy Pier

http://www.navypier.com/things2do/things_home.html

There's a bit of everything there...dining, shopping, rides, cruises, and entertainment, and fireworks.

Nightlife....check out Rush Street.

http://www.rushanddivision.com/clubs.html

Thanks.

I should say that, generally, I hate shopping, but this sounds like a lot more!

Vicky