Chicago
I am wanting to take a trip to Chicago. I have a friend whose birthday is coming up in July and we've always talked about going to Chicago. Now, she is the type of person who does not like to fly or drive in the city so i will pretty much just have to book it and give it to her. We are going to take the train from Kirksville and stay for a weekend! However, i have NEVER been to Chicago and know absolutely NOTHING about it so i am reaching out to my blog world for some help. Where do we want to stay(michigan ave?), what do we want to do? How do we get everywhere? It will probably be me and her and one other friend from work. Please Help!!!
posted by Sam at 10:11 AM
4 Comments:
Hey, that sounds awesome! I would definitely be willing to help you out. I've been a few times and have sent student groups to Chicago. I have brochures, travel guides, etc... We'll talk!
yeah! that'd be great! have you ever been there?
the train from kirksville will probably be late -- just expect that and take something to read. also, the people on the train when you get on it will have been sitting (in their own filth) since about Flagstaff, Arizona, so be prepared to ask people to stop louching over a whole row of seats so you two can actually sit together.
i'm not trying to be debbie-downer here, but the reality is that Amtrak has a monopoly on the dying system of train-travel in the US, so the standards are.... low. and the Southwest Chief (which you will be getting on) may be sub par. BUT... enjoy it. trains are nice and it's fun to watch the scenery fly by and gawk at other passengers :)
so... CHI-TOWN: sweet! i was here twelve separate times between January and April this year and 10 of those were via Amtrak, so i was definitely used to Union Station there.
the ART INSTITUTE is very close to Union Station, so i highly recommend it. You basically walk out of the "front doors" of Union Station, walk left until you hit Adams (i think--check this) and then take it all the way down until you run into the A.I. **if you're wondering what's at the A.I. to see, check out my friend dave's blog -- he was there recently and posted pictures of a few of the very famous pieces they house: http://www.xanga.com/davemay (scroll down until you see artwork).
on your way to the A.I., you'll pass a little restaurant on your right called the Russian Teahouse (or something very close to that) -- it is lovely and you should go in for a muffin or something. also on the way is a restaurant called Elephant and Castle -- i LOVE this place. go in and order fish and chips w/ a pint of Strongbow for me, okay? YUM.
you may also want to go down to Navy Pier -- there's a lot of good shopping and i believe it's relatively close to the Field Museum (where they have the T-Rex bones and other SWEET stuff... like mummies) and the Aquarium. the admission to both of this can be a bit pricey, but it may be worth it. i, for one, REALLY liked the Field Museum.
speaking of shopping: the Magnificent Mile (the northern section of Michigan Ave.) has LOTS of nice stores, just to visit and try on shoes!
the Sears Tower is a popular destination for tourists, it seems - that's also really close to Union Station. you can take some sweet pictures from the top -- that sucker is stinking high!
to get around, since cabbing-it can be rather expensive, i'd recommend the taking the El (the subway system) -- get a map of it online and see if it can help you get from place to place.
i've never booked hotels in Chicago, so i can't comment on that. however, i KNOW there are some nice HOSTELS there -- don't cringe. seriously. it will save you a load of cash, esp. since all you'll really do in your hotel is sleep -- who needs 5-star sleeping arrangements, anyway?? :)
sooooo.... look up tourist guides of Chicago online to get maps. i found a couple to get you started:
http://www.aviewoncities.com/chicago.htm
http://www.chicagocitytourist.com/
i love this city and i hope you enjoy it thoroughly!
p.s. DEFINITELY check out concert dates and showtimes, too -- you might get to see some sweet performances while you're there!!
p.s. call me if you have ANY questions at all... i'd love to help you plan your routes!
:)
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