Chicago - attractions

Continuing our adventure through Chicago, this last post is about the most recommended attractions:
 - Check out the view from one of the city's tallest buildings: I went to John Hancock Observatory (the building has 94 floors), but they also recommend Skydeck Chicago (formerly Sears Tower Skydeck)
 - Go to: Shedd Aquarium, the largest in the world (I  didn't go because I am not a big fan, but people say it is a must for anyone who is in town!); Wrigley Field Stadium (Cubs baseball stadium); The Lincoln Park Zoo (one of the three free entrance zoos in the country); Art Institute of Chicago; the theater (Chicago is well known for its stand up comedies but you can also find attractions like musicals and Cirque du Soleil) and the Navy Pier (especially if you have kids, you can take them to the children's museum, theater and several other attractions)
 - Walk the Magnificent Mile. It's the nickname for the Michigan Ave, a beautiful boulevard, lined with shops and restaurants
 - Take a boat trip to know a little bit more about the city and its architecture

And finally, one of the places that I loved the most: Millennium Park (pictures below).
A public park (you can walk or ride a bike from Navy Pier) that has a huge structure called Jay Pritzker Pavilion, an open-air pavilion that during the summer offers free concerts for more than 11.000 people. This pavilion is connected to the other side of the park (Marina's side) by a bridge called BP Bridge. Both projects were designed by the amazing artist Frank Gehry (I'll talk about him soon). Close to the pavilion is the Cloud Gate sculpture, nicknamed The Bean, as it reminds you of a giant bean. Made of stainless steel plates (but you don't see any seams!), the sculpture reflects - perfectly - the images, and is one of the main city's landmarks.
Last but not least, you can also go to the Crown Fountain, a fountain with a huge LED screen that transmits images all the time and makes the joy of everybody on hot days.
As you can see, the park has attractions for a whole day!

Chicago should be in your list of cities to be visited. But plan your trip to spring/summer time because during the winter, due to the very low temperature, some attractions do not work. Have a safe trip!

Chicago - what and where to eat

Everybody in Chicago told me to try 2 of the city's staples: the deep-dish pizza from Lou Malnati's and Garrett's caramel popcorn. So off I went! We tried Lou Malnati's on Friday night without reservations and there was an hour and a half waiting list (the concierge at my hotel told me that you have to make reservations for almost all restaurants in Chicago). I didn't wait but I went back the next day for lunch. I don't like eating pizza for lunch but that was the only way of not facing a huge line (we got a table 20 minutes later). It is a very simple, informal and small place. The famous deep-dish is nothing more than a thick dough topped with tons of cheese and tomato sauce. It was a little bit heavy for my taste. It was tasty, but I prefer a regular pizza. If you wanna try it (it is very typical so I think you should) here is a catch: the pizza takes about 45 minutes to bake but you can go to the pizzeria, put your name on the waiting list and order the pizza in advance (no worries, they do that all the time). So when you get your table, your pizza will be ready in 15/20 minutes.
Garrett's popcorn: I also stayed in line for a while, but since I love caramel popcorn, I dind't complaint and ate the whole bag! (the smallest size is more than enough for two! And they also have other flavors like cheese)
But if you had no pleasure eating typical dishes, don't worry! You will surely find a very good restaurant. Chicago has endless options ranging from delis to fast food to bars and grills.
Now, here are two personal tips: go to David Burke's Primehouse at The James Hotel for dinner. The food is great and it is a nice environment (during the day is quieter but the food is also nice). Have a drink at the Bar and Grill Ralph Lauren. The bar is super cozy, classic, chic decor and friendly waiters. I recommend it! If you have time (we, unfortunately, didn't), stay there and have a meal. It's a little bit expensive but I saw some of the dishes they were serving and they looked delicious!

Chicago - Overall

Chicago, the third largest city in the US, mixes very well old & new architectures and it is surrounded by lakes. Although it is known as The Windy City, what struck me were the morning storms and night thunderstorms (quite impressive!). Due to all these storms and lakes, the humidity is high. And since it is summer, it's hot! (and I got there in the middle of a heat wave!). But if you want to visit the city during the winter, get your gloves, hats and coats ready!
The city is also known for its museums, parks, libraries and stadiums. They have hockey, basketball, football and baseball teams (God knows why they lost hosting 2016 Olympics for Rio de Janeiro...)
The traffic is very heavy but public transportation is great: from the airport you can take a taxi (a bit expensive), shuttle, bus or subway.
I was staying in Downtown in a great hotel that I recommend: The James. And because we were short in time, I could not visit other neighborhoods, but I was surprised by what I found there. I thought Downtown was a work district only, but in fact it is very well located, close to numerous tourist attractions, markets, shops and restaurants. And since during summer it gets dark about 8:30pm, everyone is on the streets and the shops were open late hours. Great!

Soon I will write more on tourist attractions and typical foods.

Welcome to Chicago!

I'm back after a quick trip to Chicago and what I can say is that I would love to visit this city many other times!
The city has a bit of everything: parks, museums, aquarium, restaurants, shops, stadiums, theaters, beautiful architecture, huge lakes, good public transportation and excellent hotels. And I only explored Downtown!
I'm wrapping up all the information and pretty soon I'll tell all about my experiences in this beautiful city!

Hello Chicago!!!

That's right! Directly from the land of  President Obama, Oprah and Michael Jordan (oh, that one can tell my age!), taking lots of pictures and searching for cool tips to show to you!