Chicago, the Windy City

Guest Post by Different Frame of Mind

 

Chicago, the Windy City

As a child growing up in Kansas, I had always heard Chicago, Illinois was an amazing city. Many of my friends were always there since it is about 8 hours from where I was from. As an adult, Chicago was high on my priority list. I finally made my dream come true over Labor Day weekend. I had the trip planned months ahead of time, there is just so much to do in Chicago. It was hard to choose between all the different options of things to do. Below, I will list my top 5 things to do while in Chicago.

1.) Navy Pier

The Navy Pier was always on the top of my list because of all it has to offer. The Navy Pier is just a short walk from downtown Chicago. There is also parking near Navy Pier, but it costs quite a bit for just a parking spot. My husband and I chose to park elsewhere and walk. When we got to the Navy Pier, I was surprised at how many people were there. Come to find out, the Great American Lobster Festival was going on. The Navy Pier had many different places to eat, shop and hangout out. There are also attractions along the pier that you could choose such as a cruise along the lake or river. Most of the attractions were around $40.00 per person and up. The view of the Chicago skyline was beautiful from here.

2.) Sky Deck Chicago

Sky Deck Chicago is located in the Willis tower, also known as the Sears Tower. The Sky Deck is 103 floors up in the building. My husband and I got there at 10 am, but we did not leave there until 1 pm due to everyone in line. If you would prefer to skip the lines, they offer a fast pass that you can pick a specific time to get there and go up. You still need to get there early since you have to go through security. You can also buy your tickets ahead of time and skip the long line to buy tickets in person. Once you buy the tickets they will have you watch a short film on the history of the tower. They then put you in another line to wait to get on the elevator to get to the top. Once you reach the top, you can walk around the top and see all the different views. To go to the sky box, you have to wait in another line but some are shorter than others. I truly enjoyed my time here, even if I had to stand in a few lines. Just make sure to get there earlier in the day.  

3.) Baseball game at Guaranteed Field

Chicago has two hometown baseball teams, the White Sox and the Cubs. I decided to surprise my husband with tickets to go to a baseball game. I decided to go with the White Sox because it was all around cheaper to get into the field. We sat about 20 rows behind the dug out for way less money than we would have for the Cubs. The White Sox played the Tampa Bay Rays the night we went. The field and stadium was well taken care of. The lines to go through security were fast and the stadium was easy to navigate.

4.) The Bean

The Bean is one of the most tourist filled attractions in Chicago, it is very well known. This attraction is also known as the Cloud Gate. This attraction is like a mirror because it shows everything in its view such as the sky, people and buildings. My husband and I got up very early to go to the Bean. We walked from a parking garage and got to the Bean around 8 am. Very few people were there, the sun was still setting so I was able to get some really neat shots. When we passed by the Bean later on there was almost five times more people there than when we were there. My biggest advice on the Bean is to get there early, it really is an amazing sight.

5.) Chicago Riverwalk

The Riverwalk runs in between many different buildings in downtown Chicago. This path is pedestrian only path, so no bicycles or mopeds allowed along the path. Along the Riverwalk there are boats that you can get on for a steep price to sail along the river and see the sights of Chicago from there. There were some people, but it was not crowded enough that I could not freely walk. I truly enjoyed the sights along the Riverwalk. The Riverwalk was not hard to get to or access the stairs to walk down to the path along the river.

As you can see, all of these places in Chicago are very fun to visit. Most of them are the typical touristy places, but I enjoyed each one of them. My husband and I parked in one place and walked to all of them, except the game. I walked over 17,000 steps each day I was on vacation. That is way more than I do at home. If you have never been to Chicago, I highly suggest it. Chicago has easily turned into one of my most favorite cities that I have visited so far.

Author Biography: 

My name is Ariel and I am the creator of Different Frame of Mind blog. My blog focuses on travels with little funds, medical and psychological disorders. I was born in Kansas, but currently reside in North Carolina. I am married and have two wonderful puppies. 

I am a bucket list traveler and have plenty to still check off. I have been on a cruise, traveled to 34 different states, swam with the dolphins and so much more since 2010. Join me on my journey on one of the social media links below. 

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Xoxo,

Ariel

Creator of Different Frame of Mind blog