Life Going to Chicago. What do I need to do? Avoid? - Page 20

**BigRedChief** · 10:07 AM

Going to Chicago for a little 4 day vacation(Thrusday - Sunday) on spring break. Going to the Bulls vs. Cleveland NBA game and see Lebron, Derrick Rose, Shaq etc on Friday night. What is the can't miss "stuff" in Chicago? Avoid? opinions welcome...

Staying downtown at the Allerton hotel.

Any Planeteers want to get together?
--------------------------------------------------------------------
03/22/2010 edit to pay it forward for future chicago visitors:
Transportation:
Definitely take the trains and bus’s if you are planning to spend a lot of time downtown. We saved a fortune in cabs. Get the CTA pass and you can get on how ever many buses, trains, transfers etc that you want for how many days you purchase. http://faremedia.chicago-card.com/store/main.aspx?DepartmentId=34 Check the schedule and plan your route out:
http://www.transitchicago.com/travel_information/maps/default.aspx http://www.transitchicago.com/riding_cta/populardestinations.aspx

We arrived at 8:00 at the O’Hara airport and not taking the train would have been a disaster. They highways are parking lots that time of the day. We flew out of Midway on the way out and took a cab out there to the airport.
We really enjoyed riding the bus’s and talking to the locals. They gave us great tips on where to eat etc.

You don’t need a car. If you are driving, there is no where to park and where there is parking is very expensive and driving downtown is dangerous trying to navigate all those cabs and buses? Not for the weak of heart.

Attractions:
Get the Go Chicago card: Saved us a ton of money on admission fees but more importantly we avoided the lines at the attractions to get tickets. It was snowing and the line to get into the Field museum was over an hour and a half to just get tickets to get into the museum. The lines to get tickets are long. Get your tickets in advance.
http://www.smartdestinations.com/chicago-attractions-and-tours/_d_Chi-p1.html?pass=Chi_Prod_Go

Sears Tower: Was cool but if you have to wait an hour or two? Question the value. The ledge is really cool. Nothing between you and the street 103 stories up but some Plexiglas. It’s an experience you can’t get anywhere else in the world.

John Hancock observatory: We actually liked it better than the Sears tower because of the better ocean and beach views. They have something cool there, a skywalk 93 stories up that you can walk along that is exposed to the wind, temperatures etc 93 floors up. Just some mesh screen between you and the sky.

Science and Industry museum: We all felt that this was the best of all the museums. You have to see the U-Boat. It’s another one of those you can only experience in Chicago things.

Millennium Park: The silver bean was really cool. Seems like a real simple thing but once you get there and see it up close you understand the draw the bean has for people. Make sure you go underneath the bean and check it out. Looks like a wonderful place to watch a concert.

Shedd Aquarium: We were disappointed in this one. Maybe we are just spoiled but we thought the Aquarium in Omaha was much better.

The Field museum: Another disappointment. Sue the T-Rex was really cool but the rest of the museum left us flat. Seemed really educational for kids but for us adults we would like to have seen more exhibits than some pottery.

Chicago Bulls game: We decided to take the bus out there. Straight shot to and from downtown. Not really a bad seat in the house. The mascot seems to be pretty athletic and entertaining. Highly recommend getting one of the monster dogs.

Navy Pier: We went there and it was cold. Looks like a great place to visit in the warm weather.

Second City: We saw “Rush Limbaugh, the musical”. Barney Frank, Hillary, Dancing Ronald Reagan’s…Very funny stuff. Had a bit in there when Rush with the Royals and George Brett on a toilet with hemorrhoids. Highly recommend checking out a show there.

The Art Institute: A wonderful place to see art. So many Picasso’s, Monet’s and Van Gough’s you can’t really appreciate them fully like if some were here in KC just because of the sheer volume of masterpieces in one place. Very impressive collection. We also enjoyed seeing the American Gothic and some American art.
http://www.artic.edu/aic/

Eats:
Ginos East: Great pizza. Love the crust. We went to the one on Shapiro and it has all the walls filled with customer graffiti. Not living off its past reputation. My son thought it was the best pizza ever.

Giordanos: on Shapiro, Excellent deep dish pizza here also. Better than anything you can get in KC. Try sprinkling a little Italian herb seasoning on the pizza here.
http://www.giordanos.com/locations.html

West Egg: Breakfast by the doubletree. Reasonable prices and great food. Everything we had was good.
http://www.yelp.com/biz/west-egg-cafe-chicago-2

Yokes: Breakfast on Lake Shore drive. Best crepes we have ever had. Very good food.
http://www.yelp.com/biz/yolk-chicago-2

Quaritinos: Best meal in Chicago. Very trendy and hip place but don’t let that push you away. You order 5-6 things and share them. Ravioli, Brusheta and the Bananas foster desert were our favorites but everything we had was real flavorful and well prepared. http://www.quartinochicago.com/

Lodging:
We stayed at the Allerton hotel downtown. I would highly recommend if you are coming to Chicago and you are going to do these things listed above to stay downtown. This was a great hotel. If you can’t afford the downtown rates just take the train into the city and go from there.

Frazod · 05-20-2012, 04:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bevischief

Why are you still in town?

Are you ****ing kidding me? I'm in Naperville, 35 miles away.

**bevischief** · 05-20-2012, 04:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by frazod

Are you ****ing kidding me? I'm in Naperville, 35 miles away.

Been there many times...With all the conspiracies theories for Chicago this weekend and I would be no wear that place this weekend.

Frazod · 05-20-2012, 05:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bevischief

Been there many times...With all the conspiracies theories for Chicago this weekend and I would be no wear that place this weekend.

Well, all things considered, this is pretty mild compared to what could have happened. Of course, it's not over yet.

Office closed early Friday and is closed tomorrow, so it's just free time off for me. Nothing's going to happen where I live. And if it does, well, I'm armed to the teeth.

**bevischief** · 05-20-2012, 05:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by frazod

Well, all things considered, this is pretty mild compared to what could have happened. Of course, it's not over yet.

Office closed early Friday and is closed tomorrow, so it's just free time off for me. Nothing's going to happen where I live. And if it does, well, I'm armed to the teeth.

Keep your head down just in case... I hope nothing bad happens...

Frazod · 05-20-2012, 05:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bevischief

Keep your head down just in case... I hope nothing bad happens...

Thunderstorms blowing through the area over the next hour. That should liven things up a bit.

Thig Lyfe · 05-20-2012, 05:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by frazod

Well, all things considered, this is pretty mild compared to what could have happened. Of course, it's not over yet.

Office closed early Friday and is closed tomorrow, so it's just free time off for me. Nothing's going to happen where I live. And if it does, well, I'm armed to the teeth.

I hope you get to shoot and kill a lot of people, buddy!

**Bwana** · 05-20-2012, 05:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by frazod

Thunderstorms blowing through the area over the next hour. That should liven things up a bit.

With any luck, Mother Nature will land a few good shots of lightning, if you catch my drift?

**bevischief** · 05-20-2012, 05:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bwana

With any luck, Mother Nature will land a few good shots of lightning, if you catch my drift?

Nuke it from orbit, the only way to be sure.

**Bwana** · 05-20-2012, 05:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bevischief

Nuke it from orbit, the only way to be sure.

I well placed shot of lightning, would do it.

Here hippy........

**mikeyis4dcats.** · 05-20-2012, 05:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DanT

ClubQuarters has two downtown Chicago locations and "members" can stay at either one for under $120/night. You might belong to an organization that allows you to use them as a member. For example, I get membership privileges through either of my university alumni organizations (U of Chicago and University of Illinois). I think they sometimes allow nonmembers to use them, as well. I'd call them and check. Both Chicago locations are great. That's where I stay when I go back to visit.

http://www.clubquarters.com

we got the Wacker location on Priceline for $80/night a couple of years ago.

Dr. Johnny Fever · 05-20-2012, 05:57 PM

OK I haven't watched any news, why are there riots in Chicago? Is it because the White Sox swept the Cubs this weekend?

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/nati...icle-1.1081529

DanT · 05-20-2012, 06:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mikeyis4dcats.

we got the Wacker location on Priceline for $80/night a couple of years ago.

Yeah, I think they use some of the Internet websites to fill up rooms, especially on weekends. Did you feel like it was a good value?

DanT · 05-20-2012, 06:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dr. noonanbeermefever

OK I haven't watched any news, why are there riots in Chicago? Is it because the White Sox swept the Cubs this weekend?

NATO Summit.

Dr. Johnny Fever · 05-20-2012, 06:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DanT

NATO Summit.

Ah. Well thats' not as fun a baseball riot.

**Bwana** · 05-20-2012, 06:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dr. noonanbeermefever

Ah. Well thats' not as fun a baseball riot.

True, but what is!

01-31-2010, 11:04 AM
BigRedChief Has a particular set of skills Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: On the water Casino cash: $3259627 VARSITY	Going to Chicago. What do I need to do? Avoid? Going to Chicago for a little 4 day vacation(Thrusday - Sunday) on spring break. Going to the Bulls vs. Cleveland NBA game and see Lebron, Derrick Rose, Shaq etc on Friday night. What is the can't miss "stuff" in Chicago? Avoid? opinions welcome... Staying downtown at the Allerton hotel. Any Planeteers want to get together? -------------------------------------------------------------------- 03/22/2010 edit to pay it forward for future chicago visitors: Transportation: Definitely take the trains and bus’s if you are planning to spend a lot of time downtown. We saved a fortune in cabs. Get the CTA pass and you can get on how ever many buses, trains, transfers etc that you want for how many days you purchase. http://faremedia.chicago-card.com/store/main.aspx?DepartmentId=34 Check the schedule and plan your route out: http://www.transitchicago.com/travel_information/maps/default.aspx http://www.transitchicago.com/riding_cta/populardestinations.aspx We arrived at 8:00 at the O’Hara airport and not taking the train would have been a disaster. They highways are parking lots that time of the day. We flew out of Midway on the way out and took a cab out there to the airport. We really enjoyed riding the bus’s and talking to the locals. They gave us great tips on where to eat etc. You don’t need a car. If you are driving, there is no where to park and where there is parking is very expensive and driving downtown is dangerous trying to navigate all those cabs and buses? Not for the weak of heart. Attractions: Get the Go Chicago card: Saved us a ton of money on admission fees but more importantly we avoided the lines at the attractions to get tickets. It was snowing and the line to get into the Field museum was over an hour and a half to just get tickets to get into the museum. The lines to get tickets are long. Get your tickets in advance. http://www.smartdestinations.com/chicago-attractions-and-tours/_d_Chi-p1.html?pass=Chi_Prod_Go Sears Tower: Was cool but if you have to wait an hour or two? Question the value. The ledge is really cool. Nothing between you and the street 103 stories up but some Plexiglas. It’s an experience you can’t get anywhere else in the world. John Hancock observatory: We actually liked it better than the Sears tower because of the better ocean and beach views. They have something cool there, a skywalk 93 stories up that you can walk along that is exposed to the wind, temperatures etc 93 floors up. Just some mesh screen between you and the sky. Science and Industry museum: We all felt that this was the best of all the museums. You have to see the U-Boat. It’s another one of those you can only experience in Chicago things. Millennium Park: The silver bean was really cool. Seems like a real simple thing but once you get there and see it up close you understand the draw the bean has for people. Make sure you go underneath the bean and check it out. Looks like a wonderful place to watch a concert. Shedd Aquarium: We were disappointed in this one. Maybe we are just spoiled but we thought the Aquarium in Omaha was much better. The Field museum: Another disappointment. Sue the T-Rex was really cool but the rest of the museum left us flat. Seemed really educational for kids but for us adults we would like to have seen more exhibits than some pottery. Chicago Bulls game: We decided to take the bus out there. Straight shot to and from downtown. Not really a bad seat in the house. The mascot seems to be pretty athletic and entertaining. Highly recommend getting one of the monster dogs. Navy Pier: We went there and it was cold. Looks like a great place to visit in the warm weather. Second City: We saw “Rush Limbaugh, the musical”. Barney Frank, Hillary, Dancing Ronald Reagan’s…Very funny stuff. Had a bit in there when Rush with the Royals and George Brett on a toilet with hemorrhoids. Highly recommend checking out a show there. The Art Institute: A wonderful place to see art. So many Picasso’s, Monet’s and Van Gough’s you can’t really appreciate them fully like if some were here in KC just because of the sheer volume of masterpieces in one place. Very impressive collection. We also enjoyed seeing the American Gothic and some American art. http://www.artic.edu/aic/ Eats: Ginos East: Great pizza. Love the crust. We went to the one on Shapiro and it has all the walls filled with customer graffiti. Not living off its past reputation. My son thought it was the best pizza ever. Giordanos: on Shapiro, Excellent deep dish pizza here also. Better than anything you can get in KC. Try sprinkling a little Italian herb seasoning on the pizza here. http://www.giordanos.com/locations.html West Egg: Breakfast by the doubletree. Reasonable prices and great food. Everything we had was good. http://www.yelp.com/biz/west-egg-cafe-chicago-2 Yokes: Breakfast on Lake Shore drive. Best crepes we have ever had. Very good food. http://www.yelp.com/biz/yolk-chicago-2 Quaritinos: Best meal in Chicago. Very trendy and hip place but don’t let that push you away. You order 5-6 things and share them. Ravioli, Brusheta and the Bananas foster desert were our favorites but everything we had was real flavorful and well prepared. http://www.quartinochicago.com/ Lodging: We stayed at the Allerton hotel downtown. I would highly recommend if you are coming to Chicago and you are going to do these things listed above to stay downtown. This was a great hotel. If you can’t afford the downtown rates just take the train into the city and go from there. Last edited by BigRedChief; 03-22-2010 at 10:07 AM..
Posts: 78,917

05-20-2012, 05:57 PM	#296
Dr. Johnny Fever stax of wax Join Date: Feb 2004 Casino cash: $10004900	OK I haven't watched any news, why are there riots in Chicago? Is it because the White Sox swept the Cubs this weekend? http://www.nydailynews.com/news/nati...icle-1.1081529 __________________ courtesy of BoneKrusher "Baseball? It's just a game. As simple as a ball and bat, yet as complex as the American spirit it symbolizes. It's a sport, a business and sometimes a religion." Ernie Harwell Last edited by Bwana; 05-20-2012 at 06:03 PM..
Posts: 34,865

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