2 Day Chicago trip

I'm thinking about going to Chicago this weekend w/my wife (Sat-Sun), but I've not been there in a LONG time. Any solid advice on where to stay that's in a good location but "fairly" inexpensive? I know the air show is in town so the beach and Navy Pier will be a fucking zoo, so what are some other options/fun things to do?

Somebody plan this shit for me, thanks.

if you were a great American and true Spartan, you could give the one kid a ride back to East Lansing.

i hear they have a really good applebee's.

other than that, second city is a great thing to do one night. really funny and drinks aren't very expensive.

http://www.secondcity.com/

Do you plan on getting takeout?

Robert J Sakimano wrote:if you were a great American and true Spartan, you could give the one kid a ride back to East Lansing.

A true Spartan would do it every football Saturday.

RubberbandMan wrote:

A true Spartan would do it every football Saturday.

damn right.

Robert J Sakimano wrote:
damn right.

Does this mean you're offering me the second spot on your eco-friendly tandem bike this fall?

AMwood wrote:i hear they have a really good applebee's.

other than that, second city is a great thing to do one night. really funny and drinks aren't very expensive.

http://www.secondcity.com/

Agree on this, but weekend tickets usually sell out pretty far in advance.

If you're going to be here, I would recommend taking in the air and water show one day. Sunday would be less crazy. I think the architecture tour boats do special trips on the lake to watch for a few hours. That would be fun. Or just take the architecture tour.

Also:

- Rent divvy bikes and bike the shoreline
- Take in a play
- Get some Chicago style pizza
- Visit Millenium park, take your picture at the bean
- Sadly, I've never been to Shedd, but I heard that's awesome

That's pretty much a full weekend right there, all in the immediate downtown area. If you want to get out of the madness a bit, I'd suggest hitting Arlington Park to bet on the ponies. That place is awesome. Take the metra from downtown, drink on the train...it drops you right in the parking lot.

RubberbandMan wrote:

Does this mean you're offering me the second spot on your eco-friendly tandem bike this fall?

I'll have to consult the waiting list..

You should take the Amtrak from Holland. Parking can be north of $75/night in the downtown hotels... and it's a cool thing to do.


DO IT!!!!1!!11!!!eleven!!!!!!

Robert J Sakimano wrote:
I'll have to consult the waiting list..

hey Bob...I just saw your avatar. Funny, I was just up at my family's lakehouse a couple weeks ago, and my dad proudly pulled out his AR-15 or 16 or something. When I asked him why he needed that in addition to all the other guns, he said it was for when the water runs out or is poisoned or something and he needed to defend himself.   That Toledo situation proved to him it's going to happen on a larger scale.

Carry on everyone.

AMwood wrote:You should take the Amtrak from Holland. Parking can be north of $75/night in the downtown hotels... and it's a cool thing to do.


DO IT!!!!1!!11!!!eleven!!!!!!

I'm thinking of leaving really early tomorrow morning and driving. I think it'll be faster, and we don't have much time. It's going to be a one nighter, so every second counts.

Brock Middlebrook wrote:

I'm thinking of leaving really early tomorrow morning and driving.  I think it'll be faster, and we don't have much time.  It's going to be a one nighter, so every second counts.

i take umbrage with your tone. -1

Brock Middlebrook wrote:

I'm thinking of leaving really early tomorrow morning and driving.  I think it'll be faster, and we don't have much time.  It's going to be a one nighter, so every second counts.

You may be hitting the air and water show traffic. Not sure I'd recommend that. Leave this evening and aim to get in around 10:30 or 11.

Chitown_Badger wrote:

hey Bob...I just saw your avatar. Funny, I was just up at my family's lakehouse a couple weeks ago, and my dad proudly pulled out his AR-15 or 16 or something. When I asked him why he needed that in addition to all the other guns, he said it was for when the water runs out or is poisoned or something and he needed to defend himself.   That Toledo situation proved to him it's going to happen on a larger scale.

Carry on everyone.

 thanks, man.

your dad sounds like a great American.. words can't begin to describe how safe me and my family are with my arsenal of handguns and assault rifles..

Chitown_Badger wrote:

You may be hitting the air and water show traffic. Not sure I'd recommend that. Leave this evening and aim to get in around 10:30 or 11.

Even if I leave that early tomorrow? I don't want to get in tonight and pay 200 to sleep for a few hrs. (not that I can't afford it, of course)

AMwood wrote:

i take umbrage with your tone. -1

  It was a little pissy wasn't it

  personal foul on Brock Middlebrook, one yard penalty

I haven't had to do any trip planning in a while. The 'ol lady is making me think, and spend $$

Robert J Sakimano wrote:
 thanks, man.

your dad sounds like a great American.. words can't begin to describe how safe me and my family are with my arsenal of handguns and assault rifles..

For much of my time up there he was wearing an NRA hat with an "Impeachment is the solution" shirt. And he proudly flies his "Don't Tread on Me" flag from his dock down in Florida. A true patriot.

But I digress.

Chitown_Badger wrote:

For much of my time up there he was wearing an NRA hat with an "Impeachment is the solution" shirt. And he proudly flies his "Don't Tread on Me" flag from his dock down in Florida. A true patriot.  

what a great man..

I like how jack shit was resolved here. Hell, we have no idea if OP even made it to Chicago

Throwback702 wrote:I like how jack shit was resolved here.  Hell, we have no idea if OP even made it to Chicago

I did, and I'm back! Had a great time, but it was short. Did a river/lake tourboat ride, walked all the **** over downtown and N. River area, Mag Mile (super crowded), Rush St, Navy Pier (way overblown), Millennium Park. Eats included Hub 51, Rock Bottom, Current (watched Blue Angels from there), Lou Malnati's and Einstein this morning b/c Wildberry had an hour fucking wait at 930am.

Anyway, I probably didn't do anything you tards suggested, but we had a great time. Chicago is an awesome town.

so you didn't take the train or go to second city? **** you man! **** fucking you!

AMwood wrote:so you didn't take the train or go to second city? **** you man! **** fucking you!

Somehow Second City was already booked when we called ahead 3 hrs b/f showtime, so that was out. I did want to take the train to one of the nice ghettos, but we ran out of time.

you probably should have tried 4 hours before. but i'm glad you had a good time... even if you didn't do it right.

Brock Middlebrook wrote:

I did, and I'm back!  Had a great time, but it was short.  Did a river/lake tourboat ride, walked all the **** over downtown and N. River area, Mag Mile (super crowded), Rush St, Navy Pier (way overblown), Millennium Park.  Eats included Hub 51, Rock Bottom, Current (watched Blue Angels from there), Lou Malnati's and Einstein this morning b/c Wildberry had an hour fucking wait at 930am.  

Anyway, I probably didn't do anything you tards suggested, but we had a great time.  Chicago is an awesome town.

You knocked a couple things off my list: Good pizza, boat tour, millenium park. Not bad. I wouldn't recommend Rock Bottom because it's just decent chain food, but Hub 51 is good.

I'll be in Chicago this weekend. North mostly, Deerfield area, but one day we might go downtown. Any different recommendations?

Check out Pizza Uno or Giordano's for some excellent local deep dish pizza.

WhiteBoyHatcher wrote:Check out Pizza Uno or Giordano's for some excellent local deep dish pizza.

Hah! I asked one of the guys in our office, who's from Chicago, he said uno or duo and another place. Maybe a Geno's? My wife packed the notes I took.

Go to the aquarium if your kids are with you. Try explaining to them why the beluga whale has a stupid smile on his face while dragging its massive dong across the viewing window.

I can see why people like Chicago. There seems to be a lot to do. We ended up in Millenium park and Maggie Day park, which my daughter had a blast in. We did choose the wrong time to go downtown though, we got to drive through the start of the Memorial Day parade, twice. My wife's friends got separated from us, long story short we met up with them for lunch. Here we are in the middle of downtown Chicago and they were parked at a mall. They went to the food court in the mall, or something like a food court. It was called Latinicity, I got there and just laughed to myself. We flew all the way from Miami to be in downtown Chicago, to find a place that serves all the food I can easily get in Miami. I ended up not ordering anything and then going to Portillo's afterwards near our hotel. The Chicago Botanical Gardens were very nice, great place to have a wedding, although I'm guessing it is pricey to have. We did a few other things and I was able to play golf on Sunday. We also got to experience a 2 hour delay because of storms at O'Hare.

Had a friend visit Chicago recently and he made it a point to talk about how everyone seemed so cut throat and angry. Haven’t been there since northwestern football triple OT like 2 years ago.

I went to Chicago in September, but didn't see any sights. I was just there one night to see a concert. Stayed in a weird hippie spa hotel in Wicker Park, but it was actually pretty nice, and a cool area. I was really struck by the incredible number of rats downtown at night. It was about 2 in the morning on a Monday night, so there wasn't a lot of activity around, so that probably caused them to be more active.