Anyone Bean to Chicago?

Constructing the perfect Chicago "to-do" list can be quite the undertaking. Chicago has so many wonderful opportunities for sightseeing, but if you only have a week (or less) in The Windy City, it's hard to decide what to do. Though I've traveled a lot in recent years, my trip to Chicago in 2017 was the vacation that would rouse my travel obsession. Therefore, I didn't know much about reading travel guides and scoping out the best locations then. Luckily, I had lots of friends and relatives willing to offer recommendations! With their suggestions in mind, I decided we would visit the famed Navy Pier, the legendary Bean in Millennium Park, and the Magnificent Mile for some iconic shopping. 

Chicago is an absolutely beautiful city, especially in the summer. There's nothing quite like standing on the Navy Pier and watching the boats sail around on the shimmering Lake Michigan. I've since traveled back to Chicago in the springtime, and the Navy Pier just wasn't as stunning as it was in the summer. It's much too cold to enjoy the Pier, even in April. If you have the luxury of choosing when you travel, I recommend going in June! It's not too hot in Chicago then, so it's the perfect time to visit the Pier.

On top of its gorgeous views, the Navy Pier also has several great options for dining, including restaurants as cheap as McDonald's and as pricey as Riva Crabhouse. They even have a Giordano's that serves up traditional Chicago deep dish pizza and a Ben & Jerry's for dessert!

As far as attractions, the Navy Pier offers a large Ferris wheel called the Centennial Wheel that provides stunning views of Chicago and Lake Michigan. For people who are maybe just a little terrified of heights, the Pier also has other rides and indoor gaming. You can also purchase tours of the city at the Pier, including  architecture and sightseeing boat tours. 

Millennium Park, where the legendary Bean is located, has beautiful views and amazing photo opportunities. The park is filled with amazing art and architecture, and often hosts programs and events that are free to the public! Their website even has an events calendar, so you can check out what events they're holding during your trip and decide the best day to head to the park.

On top of sightseeing, Chicago is the perfect city for shopping! The Magnificent Mile and the Water Tower Place are filled with stores and luxury retailers that you wouldn't find in smaller cities (like Louisville). The proximity of the stores makes it easy to get all your shopping (yes, even your souvenirs), done all at once!

If you're feeling overwhelmed by the copious amount of retailers, the website for the Magnificent Mile even has a terrific "plan your shopping spree" feature that allows you to input what products you're looking for and shows you the best shops for you! We made stops at Kate Spade, Bloomingdale's, and Macy's to name a few.

Lastly, with the amount of traffic in Chicago, getting around can be quite difficult. There were times we called for an Uber, but the best way to get around Chicago is definitely the elevated train.

If you're not familiar with mass transit, we weren't either! Louisville is a small city with notoriously poor public transit, so we weren't sure about learning the ropes in a major city like Chicago. Thankfully, the concierge at our hotel explained it to us and we caught on really quickly. You really just need a tour guide, a concierge, or a particularly helpful pedestrian to tell you which stop is the right one for you. And there are maps on the train to help you track when your stop is coming up!

Our vacations in Chicago have always been packed with lots of fun shopping, eating, and sightseeing. There's a lot more to Chicago than what we've accomplished, so if you have a favorite activity or place to visit in The Windy City, comment below and we just might try it next time!