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Chicago Travel Guide
Just got back from the windy city, Chicago, Illinois! I was there for a trade show (not for a "formal vacation") but, as you know, I do like to make the most out of every trip so I did manage to squeeze in some "tourist time". Before we get to specifics, the weather was perfect! The temperature was a mild 75 degrees every day I was there!
Okay, I took a ninety minute flight from New York, NY and stayed at the Swiss Hotel. BTW, did you know this is the only Swiss Hotel property in North America? My friend Steve looked it up. The best feature of this hotel is its location. It is right on the river in the heart of the loop. I could walk to just about every downtown tourist spot including the John Hancock Center and the Sears Tower . The hotel itself was pretty standard in terms of accommodations, although I found out if I wanted to use the health club, it was going to cost me an extra ten bucks! But it was okay because I did a little extra walking instead.
Friends of mine visited the Shedd Aquarium (also within walking distance of the hotel) and reported the ticket lines were a little long but it was worth it! Of course we can expect longer lines at major attractions on a weekend in August. I spent a little time strolling down the Magnificent Mile and I was reminded of NYC's 5 th Ave. One of the cool differences I enjoyed (besides the boutiques) were the department stores. If shopping is on your list, don't miss Chicago 's Magnificent Mile. Because it was close to the hotel, I also spent about an hour at Navy Pier and the walk worked off some of the red meat. This is a great place to take the kids, so be sure to spend an afternoon there.
For food, well where do I begin? First, Chicago is known for its deep dish pizza and my friends and I decided to partake in a pan a Gino's East . The place was awesome and all the food was perfect. Be warned, the deep dish take 45 minutes from scratch so budget your time accordingly. The Palm was the place I had an ENORMOUS prime rib. It was so huge, I couldn't finish it. We did have time for a dinner at Morton's of Chicago and this place was outstanding! I think I liked it better than the location in New York . The staff was knowledgeable and the red meat was out of this world. Be sure to have the Blue Cheese salad dressing...and the Cajun Rib Eye! If you are looking for a quaint Italian spot, my brother Gary and I stopped by Rosebud on Rush Street . We sat outside and ordered the Tortellini Carbonara...outstanding!
When it was all said and done, it turned out to be a fantastic business trip to Chicago, Illinois!
Erik Hastings
Last Updated (Tuesday, 23 February 2010 22:08)
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