So, we finally got around to doing that Chicago trip I’d been thinking about for ages. It all started pretty casually, just chatting about places we hadn’t seen, and Chicago kept popping up. Figured it was time to actually make it happen.
Getting the Ball Rolling
First thing I did was some basic digging. What’s actually there to do in Chicago? I knew about the tall buildings and the lake, but that was about it. Pulled up a few travel blogs, looked at some pictures, you know, the usual. Decided a good four to five days would probably cover the main stuff without feeling too rushed. Any less, and you’re just running around like a headless chicken.
Next up was figuring out when to go. We aimed for late spring. The weather seemed like it would be decent, not too hot, not freezing cold. That’s always a bit of a gamble, but it worked out okay for us. Then came the fun part: flights and a place to stay. Spent a couple of evenings comparing prices. Airlines are always a bit of a lottery, right? Eventually found some reasonable flights. For the hotel, I wanted something fairly central so we wouldn’t spend all our time on buses or trains. Found a decent spot not too far from the Magnificent Mile. It wasn’t fancy, but it was clean and convenient, which is all I really care about on these kinds of trips.
Hitting the Ground Running (Sort Of)
Alright, so we landed, got to the hotel, dumped our bags. First day is always a bit of a write-off for me with travel and all. We just took it easy, wandered around the neighborhood a bit to get our bearings, and grabbed a quick bite. Nothing too strenuous.
The next day, we properly got started. Millennium Park was high on my list. You gotta see “The Bean,” right? Cloud Gate, I think it’s officially called. Spent a good while there, taking the obligatory photos. It’s definitely an interesting piece of art. From there, we walked over to the Art Institute of Chicago. Now, I’m not a massive art connoisseur, but that place is seriously impressive. You could spend days in there. We picked a few wings we wanted to see and focused on those. My feet were definitely feeling it by the end of that day.
Boats, Buildings, and Bites
One thing everyone said we had to do was an architecture river cruise. And you know what? They were right. It was probably one of my favorite things. Cruising down the Chicago River, looking up at all those massive skyscrapers, and hearing the stories behind them – pretty cool. Gave you a real sense of the city’s history.
Of course, we did the Magnificent Mile. Lots of shops. We mostly just walked it, window-shopped a bit. It’s one of those things you just do when you’re in Chicago. We also made our way to Navy Pier. It was okay, a bit touristy for my liking, but the views of the lake and the skyline were nice. Grabbed a Ferris wheel ride, which was fun.
And the food! You can’t go to Chicago and not have deep-dish pizza. We found a classic spot – took ages for the pizza to come out, but man, it was a monster. One slice and I was pretty much done. We also tried a Chicago-style hot dog, with all the toppings. An experience, that’s for sure. My wife was braver than me with that one.
Exploring a Bit More
We had a day where we decided to check out one of the neighborhoods a bit further afield. Took the ‘L’ train, which was an experience in itself. Just wandered around, looked at the different houses, found a little local spot for lunch. It’s nice to get away from the main tourist drag sometimes and see a bit more of the ‘real’ city, if you know what I mean.
We also squeezed in a visit to the Field Museum on our last full day. Dinosaurs, ancient Egypt, all that jazz. It’s a huge place, and again, you could spend all day there. We did our best to see the highlights.
Wrapping It Up
Our last morning was pretty chill. A final breakfast, one last stroll, then off to the airport. Flying home always feels a bit blah after a good trip.
Overall, Chicago was a good time. It’s a big, bustling city with a lot to see. The architecture is genuinely stunning, and the lakefront is beautiful. We walked a ton, ate some memorable food, and saw some world-class sights. Would I go back? Yeah, probably. There’s definitely more to explore. But for a first visit, I think we did a pretty good job of hitting the main spots. It was a solid vacation, just what we needed.
