Tracy & Nicholas
Things to do
Cloud Gate aka The Bean
You all have seen the photos of the shiny, chrome, bean-shaped art, in the heart of downtown Chicago. Cloud Gate, as nobody calls it, is a very popular spot to snag an Instagram worthy shot. Located on the northwestern edge of Millennium Park, on Michigan Ave, makes it's location easy to knock out a few other attractions, such as Millennium Park, Jay Pritzker Pavilion, Maggie Daly Park, Grant Park and Buckingham Fountain (must see if it is running and you are a fan of Married with Children.)
Wrigley Field
Must see the history in the heart of Wrigleyville. Nice to know, the Cubs will be in home stretch for three series' against the Padres, Phillies, and Pirates, and since only one of those teams barely made .500, tickets should be somewhat affordable! There are few things better than Wrigley Field on a nice sunny afternoon.
Chicago River Boat Architecture Tours
This is by far Nick's favorite touristy thing to do in the city. He will try to take every person that visits there. This cruise, generally on an open air ferry takes you up the Chicago River, where a tour guide will spit out some funny and interesting stories about the history of Chicago and many of the buildings that make up Chicago's amazing skyline. You will even get to see a shot of Nick's office building right at Wolf Point, the old Sun Times Building. This tour makes for some outstanding photos, just don't tell Nick you are going on it, because he will surly end up next to you on the cruise.
Magnificant Mile
Up and down Michigan Ave from Millennium Park up to the Shops at 900 N Michigan Ave is fantastic shopping, running the gamut of high end retailers like Louis Vuitton and Burberry to affordable staples like Forever21 and H&M. You can also check out the new Starbucks, which is 5 stories tall, or is grande, or venti? See what I did there, now you know Nick wrote this.
Skydeck Chicago
The Willis Tower Skydeck, yeah nobody calls it that either, if you do it is a good way to be placed as a tourist for the pickpocketers. The Sears Tower Skydeck, is a glass box that steps out over the streets 100 some stories below. It is a little unsettling stepping out, just ask Krista Musinski about her near panic attack, but once you are out there, it is pretty cool. Since the view faces west, there isn't too much to look at, which is why we prefer the John Hancock Building view over the Sears Tower view.
The Art Institute of Chicago
This museum is great, with everything from ancient artifacts, actual mummies, textiles, impressionist and modern art, you can get lost for hours. The highlights for me, large selection of Claude Money (my favorite artist), and an entire exhibit on Andy Warhol (must see), but with Van Gogh, Cezzane, Chagall, Picasso, and Dali, you really can't go wrong.
Navy Pier
Navy Pier has been redone in the past 5 years or so, and they did a great job. The Chrystal Gardens Conservatory is cool and there is a ferris wheel reminiscent of the London Eye (I heard as expensive too.)
Traditional Chicago Eats
*Al's Italian Beef- The Original Chicago beef sandwich...similar to a Philly cheesesteak. *Lou Malnati's Pizza- Chicago is synonymous with deep dish pizza and Lou Malnati’s famed pies are a glorious overload of cheese and carbs that no true Chicagoan is ashamed of loving. The Malnati Chicago Classic takes it to the next level with a layer of lean sausage patty atop an oh-so-good buttercrust. *Pequod’s Pizza- Serving pan-style pizza with a “caramelized crust” edge. Mozzarella cheese is cooked along the edge of a cast-iron pan creating a crust unlike any other. *Portillo’s- Some consider this place to have the best Chicago style hot dog, the chocolate cake is also to die for. *Garrett’s Popcorn- The famous popcorn chain offers many addictive flavors but the patented Garrett Mix is always a fine choice, combining sweet CaramelCrisp with savory Cheesecorn.