Last year, my sister, my mom, and I went on a girls' weekend to Chicago. It's only a few hours from where we live in Indiana, which makes it the perfect weekend getaway. Today, I've decided to show you our top ten spots in Chicago. That covers transport, food, sights, and activities. Enjoy!
Dune Park Station
We took a train from Indiana to Chicago, leaving from Dune Park Station. We traveled around Chicago walking (except for our transport to Chinatown), so the train ride was a convenient way to get to Chicago without having to worry about a car.
Besides, it was just fun to go on a train ride. Like Edna St. Vincent Millay said, "There isn't a train I wouldn't take."
The Bean
C'mon, you can't go to Chicago and not go see the bean! Stroll around Millennium Park and stop at The Bean for a few pics.
Crown Fountain
Look around Millennium Park: there's food, gardens, The Bean, Instagram photo ops, and of course this Crown Fountain. Yep, that's a face on the screen.
Crown Fountain is a fun spot with huge fountains that look like people spitting out water. Stroll by and laugh at the fountains or stick around for a while and play in the water. It's the perfect spot to take kids on a hot day.
After trotting around Millennium Park, it's time to fuel up. Stop by Garrett's Popcorn (in easy walking distance from the park) and ask for the Chicago blend of cheese and caramel popcorn. It sounds crazy, but trust me, it's delicious! Don't believe me? Just ask Oprah. It's one of her favorite things.
The main purpose of going to Chicago (although we saw all sorts of fun sights) was to watch a live production of the show Hamilton. We watched it at the CIBC Theatre and it was so cool! Watching it live after hearing the music for so long was fun. We loved the sets, the costumes, the inside of the theatre, and of course the show.
If you're in Chicago, it's time to get some deep dish pizza. Giordano's is famous for it...and their cheesy slice of pizza photo they'll happily take for you. Pizza is always good fuel for a busy day and their deep-dish masterpieces will make you want to finish the whole pizza yourself.
Cupcakes for dessert? I think so. Molly's Cupcakes has some of the best cupcakes you'll ever taste. (Their Red Velvet Cupcake was voted the best in Chicago, according to The Chicago Magazine.) You'll have a hard time trying to figure out what flavor to order, with ones like Samoa, Boston Cream, Peach Cobbler, and more.
The next morning started our second and last day in Chicago (told ya we fit a lot in!), and we kicked things off with an awesome breakfast from Wildberry Cafe. They have a huge menu full of eggs, pancakes, French Toast, waffles, and more. Their pancakes have all sorts of fun flavors (think Cinnamon Roll or Signature Berry Bliss). You won't have trouble finding a dish that makes your mouth water...but you'll probably have trouble picking just one!
Chinatown
Next, we took a short water taxi over to Chinatown and spent a while exploring there. Chicago's Chinatown is full of shops, restaurants, sights, and architecture. We had fun poking around little stores and seeing walls like this before we decided it was time for lunch.
Lunch in Chinatown was our last meal in Chicago and we were determined to make it count. It's no secret that I love boba tea which made Joy Yee perfect! We each ordered a bubble tea (our flavors were rose, mango, and classic milk tea) and some Asian dishes to split. It definitely hit the spot.
Have you ever been to Chicago? Drop the names of your favorite Chicago spots or the places you'd love to go to in the comments below. Thanks for reading! Ciao, Zoe.
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