I don't know what it was about Chicago that had me talking like a 1920's gangster, but I loved it!
I also adored this incredible City By The Lake, with its big shoulders and all.
Here are some of the highlights of my first trip to Chi-Town with my darling friend, Butters:
Art and Architecture...
The Art Institute of Chicago is a must for all the art obsessed. It's $25 USD per adult ticket but you could easily spend half a day there, soaking in all of the centuries of art they have on display.
If that's too steep on your pocket book, check out Millennium Park, the home of "The Bean!", which is actually Anish Kapoor's
Cloud Gate sculpture. It's a fascinating piece in front of the city's skyline of buildings that reflects everything; people, the city, the sky, your dreams, aspirations, et cetera. It is among many other sculptures in the park that are free to snap numerous selfies with. Across the street from the iconic bean sits
Chicago's Cultural Center that houses rotating modern art alongside Keith Haring's The Chicago Mural which is as grandiose as the city its named for.
www.cityofchicago.org
THEN there's the architecture. I mean, the city is just breathtaking to walk through. The birthplace of the skyscraper boasts The Willis Tower (also known as The Sears Tower), The Chicago Board of Trade (an Art Deco masterpiece!), The Merchandise Mart (this massive building has its own zip code, or postal code for Canadian readers) and the neo-gothic Tribune Tower on Michigan Ave. No matter where you look, you will view a building to reflect the diverse and dense architectural history of Chicago.
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| The Tribune Tower |
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| Look, kids! It's the BEEEEAAAANNNNN! |
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Careful crossing The Chicago River...
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Eat, Shop and Stuff, See....
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| We stayed at Dana Hotel and Spa. The staff were incredible and it's located right around the corner of Whole Foods, which made for an easy and healthy destination for breakfast each day. www.danahotelandspa.com |
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| Get your taco fix at Fat Baby Tacos, located at 109 W Hubbard Street. Watch out for those electric green Margaritas! Food is amazing, even though the service was a little slow. |
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| I get a tattoo every time I travel. It's the best souvenir that you don't need to claim and doesn't clutter your life when you get home. Here, Butters and I get our nicknames immortalized into our flesh. www.tattoofactory.com |
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| We walked everywhere and just like Toronto, Chicago is a city of neighbourhoods. West Town was filled with excellent coffee shops, small art galleries , indie shops and restaurants. |
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| Annoyance Theatre in Boystown. |
Drag, Chicago-Style, See...
Boystown in Chicago is filled with tons to see and do; drag shows and dancing with a cheap drink in hand is tops.
To Drink, Scarlet, which is home to $1 Vodka Sodas. That's not a typo, that's their happy hour pricing. I just can't. ONE DOLLAR
To Dance, Roscoe's had us tearing up the dance-floor for hours. This is where you burn off all the calories of your trip. Roscoe's has drag shows, but not on the night we went. Sooooooo off to the next place.....
To Drag, Berlin Nightclub. There is a cover, but it's aaaammmmaaazzzing. Be prepared, lots of small bills to both queens and bartenders every chance you get. They should call this place the house of death drops. Seems to be every queen's move here. LOVE!
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| Check out the videos on my Instagram account, posted in March 2018. My handle: miss_mew77 |
Fly, Walk or Take the L Train...
If you can, AVOID O'Hare International Airport like it contains the plague. It takes at least an hour to transit to downtown from this boisterous hub.
Midway airport is ideal, which is also connected to the transit but will only take half an hour give or take five minutes. The city itself is very walkable and you can cover a lot of ground if you are prepared for all weather conditions. (They call it the windy city for a reason and it's much colder for that reason so bring a jacket or a sweater and in colder months, all the layers you own).
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Butters (L) and Pants (R), our nicknames, on the L. It's a fast and cheap way around the city.
-xo
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