Chicago in three days | iPhoneography

We spent three enjoyable days in Chicago this summer. It was a lot of fun as we stayed close to the Magnificent Mile and got in a ton of exercise. We walked anywhere from 5-10 miles in a day! Thought I would share some of the iPhone photos I took around Chicago. I did buy a battery charger and it proved to be handy for my older iPhone that needs to be replaced soon.

Thought I would share a few fun things to do with or without kids in Chicago. A friend asked me what we did and I thought I would share it through a blog post. In hindsight,  I wish I had purchased the City Pass so do yourself a favor and get one if you plan on seeing going to any of the museums as well as the Sky Deck. You can save a considerable amount of money and skip lines to see these attractions. The booklet is valid for nine consecutive days. You can check out the attractions that are available on the City Pass website.

The Cloud Gate and Millennium Park. This is one of the places I visit every trip to Chicago with or without kids. One tip is to bring a change of clothes as it is likely your child will run around and get soaked in the fountain! And a towel to dry off. You can spend a good part of the day or an afternoon there.

Chicago Public Library. I popped in real quick into the library and wish I had been able to spend a little more time. It appears to be quite huge and lovely.

The Art Institute of Chicago. This was one of my favorite museums while I lived in Chicago and it is even better now that they added the new modern wing designed by architect Renzo Piano. The cafe is also worth a visit even if you are not able to spend time at the museum itself.

Navy Pier. It is certainly is a pretty touristy spot however it takes me back to being a kid and enjoying the ferris wheel which is such a fun ride. Rumor has it that it will be replaced with a larger one where you won’t have a clear view as you do now through the glass exterior. So get on it while you can!

Lincoln Park Zoo. It is a great way to spend a few hours and best of all the zoo is free! We took the CTA transit to get to it as your one ride ticket can be used multiple times within two or three hours.

Wrigley Field. To travel like a local and fast, we took the “L” to get there from downtown which was a pretty quick ride. Sadly, when we got there we found that it was closed for construction. But we got to walk around and peek through the gates. They offer some tours out there so check ahead of time if you plan to go.

North Beach. On a week day, the beach was not too busy and we spent an enjoyable hour out there. We rented a chopper (a three or four wheeler) for a half hour and cruised up and down the beach. When you pack in a lot in a day even a half hour ride can be perfect!

Maggie Daley Park. Can’t get any better than this new park in downtown. There are rock climbing walls and various play-structures to engage various age kids. It is such a pretty lavish play-space for kids and I know my boy and his cousins had a wonderful time.

Architectural Boat Tour. I did this on my last trip to Chicago and it is a great way to see the amazing architecture of the city. I can’t recall the name of the company I used but I was able to walk down to Wacker Drive and book one for the same day. Our guide was pretty good and was able to share a lot of the historic facts about the buildings in the downtown area.

There is so much more you can do in Chicago depending on the time of the year you are there. If you are a foodie, you are in for a treat with so many great restaurants of various Top Chefs. A few favorites are Xoco, The Girl and the Goat and Volare. If you go to Volare, the black spaghetti with shrimp is to die for!

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