First off, I’d like to apologize for being a bit MIA. Last week was very hectic with getting ready for my trip and this week I have been swamped with interviews (fingers crossed I get a full time job soon).
My friend Jen and I decided to take a short weekend trip to Chicago, IL to explore before the summer ended and it was beyond amazing. We flew out of New York and landed in Chicago on Friday at around 11 AM so we had almost a full day. I do have to say, walking half an hour with a suitcase and purse is pretty rough. No pain no gain right? Immediately upon arriving we noticed the amazing architecture. Chicago has a plethora of beautiful buildings that all look different and give off an older vibe while still looking like a modern city (I have no idea how…).
We finished off Friday by exploring Millennium Park and the area near our hotel. We stayed at the Inn of Chicago, which was relatively inexpensive for being in the middle of the Chicago Loop. We decided to splurge Friday night and had dinner and split a bottle of wine in the Pump Room. It is an amazing lounge and if you are ever in Chicago I highly recommend. Great atmosphere and great dining.
After dinner we headed towards 360 Chicago in the John Hancock Observatory. We actually bought a deal where you can visit the building twice in 48 hours for only a few dollars more. If you are looking for something to do, this is really great because it gives you the chance to see all of Chicago’s skyline both at night and during the day. Here are both the views from Friday night (during a thunderstorm) and the following morning. Literally breathtaking.
The rest of Saturday was spent exploring more of the city. We went and took a tour of the Chicago Theatre in the Chicago Loop. The tour wasn’t the best but I love the feel of buildings from the 20s. We also explored more of Grant Park. One of my favorites was the Buckingham Fountain.
We ended up overworking ourselves a little bit Saturday and walked almost 8 miles in one day, and in 90 degree weather. Chicago was hot. Which apparently is unusual for them but I will take that over rain and storms any day. If I had to change one thing, I probably would have taken advantage of public transportation a little bit more. Or maybe worn better walking shoes. Does anyone know of fashionable walking shoes though? I couldn’t bring myself to wear sneakers with a skirt… Luckily dinner was right near our hotel and we went to The Purple Pig, which has delicious Mediterranean food at a reasonable price. We then headed to the Navy Pier and went on the Architecture Boat Tour and then explored the rest of the Pier later on. And we got to see fireworks, which was a highlight for me because I am obsessed.
Sunday we did some last minute touring and went back to the infamous bean (or Cloud Gate, the official name).
We also went to Eataly which is an Italian marketplace that has all sorts of products and also offers dining. There are only two in the world (the other is in NYC) and it really made me wish I was living near one so I could buy all their products and pretend I was living in Italy. After lunch, we reluctantly made our way back to the airport and landed in NYC late Sunday night.
If you are looking for more pictures from my trip, check out my Instagram! It really was a great trip and even with some ups and downs, it was beyond worth it. There is so much to do there and there are still a few things I would like to do if I get the chance to go back. Chicago, we will meet again.