|
During your Chicago vacation, don't miss these great establishments and attractions:
The Spirit of Chicago
This luxury yacht offers a variety of wining-and-dining harbor cruises, from a lunch buffet to the "Moonlight Dance Party." This can be a fairly pricey night out if you go for the whole dinner package; the late-night moonlight cruises are a more affordable option for insomniacs.
Frank Lloyd Wright Home and Studio
For the first 20 years of Wright's career, this remarkable complex served first and foremost as the sanctuary from which Wright was to design and execute more than 130 of an extraordinary output of 430 completed buildings. The home began as a simple shingled cottage that Wright built for his bride in 1889 at the age of 22, but it became a work in progress, as Wright remodeled it constantly until 1911 (he left there in 1909). During this highly fertile period, the house was Wright's showcase and laboratory, but it also embraces many idiosyncratic features molded to his own needs rather than those of a client. With many add-ons -- including a barrel-vaulted children's playroom and a studio with an octagonal balcony suspended by chains -- the place has a certain whimsy that others might have found less livable. This, however, was not an architect's masterpiece, but the master's home, and every room in it can be savored for the view it reflects of the workings of a remarkable mind. The Home and Studio Foundation has restored the residence and studio to its 1909 vintage. Allow 1 hour for the tour, more time if you want to browse in the bookshop.
Navy Pier
Built during World War I, this 3,000-foot-long pier was used by the Navy during World War II as a training center for pilots. But any military aura is long gone, now that the place has been transformed into a bustling tourist mecca. A combination of carnival, food court, and boat dock, the pier makes a fun place to stroll (if you don't mind crowds), but you'll have to walk all the way to the end to get the best views back to the city.Midway down the pier are the Crystal Gardens, with 70 full-size palm trees, dancing fountains, and other flora in a glass-enclosed atrium; a white-canopied open-air Skyline Stage that hosts concerts, dance performances, and film screenings; a carousel; and a 15-story Ferris wheel that's a replica of the original that debuted at Chicago's 1893 World's Fair. The 50 acres of pier and lakefront property also are home to the Chicago Children's Museum, a 3D IMAX theater (tel. 312/595-5629), a small ice-skating rink, and the Chicago Shakespeare Theatre. The shops tend to be bland and touristy. Dining options include a food court, an outpost of Lincoln Park's popular Charlie's Ale House, and the white-tablecloth seafood restaurant Riva. You'll also find a beer garden with live music; Joe's Be-Bop Cafe & Jazz Emporium, a Southern-style barbecue restaurant with live music that is run by Joe and Wayne Segal of Jazz Showcase fame; and Bubba Gump Shrimp Co. & Market, a casual family seafood joint. Summer is one long party at the pier, with fireworks on Wednesday and Saturday evenings.The Smith Museum of Stained Glass Windows may sound incredibly dull, but decorative art aficionados shouldn't miss this remarkable installation of more than 150 stained-glass windows set in illuminated display cases. Occupying an 800-foot-long expanse on the ground floor of Navy Pier, the free museum features works by Frank Lloyd Wright, Louis Sullivan, John LaFarge, and Louis Comfort Tiffany.Navy Pier hosts a variety of conventions and trade shows, including an international art exposition in May, pro-tennis exhibitions, and a flower and garden show. There's something for everyone, but the commercialism of the place might be too much for some people. If that's the case for you, take the half-mile stroll to the end of the pier, east of the ballroom, where you can find a little respite and enjoy the wind, the waves, and the city view, which is the real delight of a place like this. Or unwind in Olive Park, a small sylvan haven with a sliver of beach that lies just to the north of Navy Pier.You'll find, moored along the south dock, more than half a dozen different sailing vessels, including a couple of dinner cruise ships, the pristine white-masted tall ship Windy, and the 70-foot speedboats Seadog I, II, and III. In the summer months, water taxis speed between Navy Pier and other Chicago sights.Allow 1 hour.
The Sutton Place Hotel -- Chicago
Located in the heart of Chicago's Gold Coast neighborhood, The Sutton Place Hotel is an intimate, residential-style hotel. Ideal for business or leisure travel and just minutes from the downtown "Loop" business area, world-class shopping on North Michigan Avenue and Oak Street, and in the center of the city's nightlife, entertainment, and dining ...
Holiday Inn Express Hotel & Suites CHICAGO-MIDWAY AIRPORT
Enjoy New Orleans style ambience at the Holiday Inn Express Hotel & Suites-Chicago/Midway Airport. Conveniently located just 2 blocks South of Chicago's Midway Airport and only 8 miles from downtown Chicago, the hotel offers Free 24 hr. Red Trolley Airport Shuttle to/from Midway Airport, Free wireless High Speed Internet Access, Free Continental Breakfast and Free overnight Parking. The lobby's beautiful slate floor and double barrel vaulted brick ceiling greets you with a historic New ...
W Chicago Lakeshore
Nearby Airports: * Chicago Midway Airport - 12 Miles * Chicago O'Hare International Airport - 18 Miles Nearby Cities: * Cicero - 10 Miles * Lincolnwood - 11 Miles * Evanston - 12 Miles * Berwyn - 14 Miles * Maywood - 14 Miles * Rivergrove - 14 Miles * Skokie - 15 Miles * Melrose Park - 16 Miles * Rosemont - 18 Miles * Elmhurst - 19 Miles * Des Plaines - 21 Miles * Oak Brook - 22 Miles * ...
|
|
