Tag: Chicago

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Travel

Chicago in the Summer

Hey guys!

I hope you all had a wonderful weekend and to our favorite dad’s I hope you had a great Father’s day on Sunday.

Oh hey there Chicago!

This past weekend, my family and I took a weekend getaway to Chicago! I had been to the Windy City a year and a half ago and I loved my time here. You can read all about it here! I was so excited to be going back with my family to share the city with them.

We left around 6:00 am on Friday morning and made our way out to the Midwest.

Once we arrived to the city, we started our time  with a boat ride with a tour of the river and Lake Michigan. It was incredible to see all the buildings and get a bit of a history lesson on the area. It was amazing to see all the the city meet the sea. Ironically, all of my favorite cities, including my hometown are all by the water. I’ve always lived by the water and near the city, this is a feature I hope to have when I move in a few years.

Out at sea
The City from the River
Can it get any more beautiful than this?

After our tour on the river, we headed to Millennium Park and the iconic Bean.

Millenium Park
The Bean

We then took a stroll on the Magnificent Mile, where there were hundreds of stores, everything from Brooks Brothers, Tiffany’s, the Disney store, Nike, Nordstrom’s and more.

I was loving Nike’s decor!

We picked up some sweet treats at Dylan’s Candy Bar. Anyone who knows me, knows that I have the biggest sweet tooth, so this was definitely a highlight!

Dylan’s…YUM!

One of my favorite things about Chicago is how it is a walkable it is. We were able to walk to most of the sites, meals, and other attractions. It was also a beautiful weekend, cooler and cloudy at some points but definitely summer weather.

A beautiful day in the city

We headed to dinner at Rosebud, a delicious and intimate Italian restaurant, just a few blocks from our hotel. I had a delicious pasta with Bolognese sauce. Incredible! We ended up calling it an early night, with an early wake up call, full day of travel and sightseeing, we were ready for an early evening!

Such a delicious pasta

Day 2 had us up bright and early, we ventured out of the city to head to Brick World, a lego comic con event. One of my brothers is a big fan of legos so we went to check out this event. Let me tell you, I was very impressed with the creativity and design work at Brick World.

Here are some of my favorite designs!

This Harry Potter display was so cool!
Another Harry Potter display
And who doesn’t love Mister Rogers?!

We spent the day at Brick World before heading to Portillos for lunch, this 50’s diner setup had sandwiches, hot dogs, burgers and fries. I opted for a southwest salad which was delicious and so filling.

Portillo’s
I loved this Southwest Salad, it was such a good combo

We made our way back to the city for the evening, we did some walking around near our hotel before venturing out for dinner at Devon’s a seafood place. I had some spicy shrimp for an appetizer, which was so delicious and then Lobster Roll for dinner. The lobster roll was so flavorful and filling. It hit the spot!

The Lobster Roll was to die for

We got dessert at our hotel while overlooking the city at night. This rich chocolate cake that I split with my mom and brother completed a delicious meal.

How good does this cake look?

Our final day in Chicago began with mass at the Holy Name Cathedral.

Gorgeous Cathedral

After we finished with Church, we planned to go to the top of the Willis tower, however, it was VERY foggy and there was 0 % visibility.

The Willis Tower
The view from the bottom

We then opted to go to the Field Museum down by the water and see a few exhibits. The museum was huge so we only saw a few sections. I would definitely recommend going back and doing the whole museum, just make sure you have enough time to see everything the museum has to offer.

The Field Museum
Sue the Dinosaur

After we finished at the museum, we made our way out of the city. Although we were only there for a weekend, we packed a lot in. I was so happy I got to go back to Chicago. I know I will be back for sure.

Goodbye Chicago

I hope you all had a wonderful weekend and great week ahead!

See you on Thursday!!!

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Weekend Away Essentials

Last week, I blogged about my weekend trip to Chicago! I love to travel, and I try to take any opportunity available to me to travel whether it’s near or far. Throughout, my weekend away I made mental notes of things I want to remember when it comes to future traveling, especially for a college student on a budget. Here are my must haves for weekend adventures:

  • Don’t over-pack. Yes, it may seem tempting to pack several cute outfits and figure out what to wear when you get there, but that’s not the answer. Pack simple and efficient. For example, for my trip I packed one pair of jeans, a few different tops to alternate, an outfit to wear at night, and two pairs of shoes, as well as comfortable clothes for traveling. I wanted to make sure I had the essentials and things to mix and match for the weekend. Although, I didn’t look the cutest in all my photos wearing my north face, jeans, and sneakers, I was very comfortable walking several miles each day. I also packed pretty simple when it came to luggage. I had a duffel bag, small tote, and cross-body. The small tote came in very handy for the souvenirs I bought while I was away.
All packed! Simple but efficient
  • Plan accordingly for traveling. We drove down to Chicago over night on a bus, so I made sure I was comfortable for the long bus ride, therefore I made sure I brought a blanket and pillow for the bus. This came in extremely useful when I was able to sleep a few hours driving down. The same goes for flying, planes are notorious for being chilly, be sure to throw an extra sweatshirt or socks in your carry on so you aren’t freezing your whole flight. Overall, be sure to pack for your destination and any accessories that may come along with it.
It’s was very chilly in the Windy City. The weather was in the 30’s the whole weekend so i was bundled up. Yes, it may not look super cute, but I was very warm
  • Make a Plan. When we found out that we were going to Chicago, my friend and I made sure we had a plan of things we wanted to get done and when. There is nothing worse than going to a new city for the first time and not knowing what to do or where to go. Don’t be afraid to ask for suggestions of places to try. I have several friends who live in the Chicago area, so I made sure to get their opinions on their favorite spots. This helps to ensure you get the authentic experience while being in the city.

I found these tricks to be most helpful while traveling for a weekend away. Do you prefer weekend getaways or week-long vacations? What helpful hints do you have for trips? Let me know in comments below!

Have a happy Tuesday!!

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Travel

Weekend in Chicago

Hello All!

Happy Tuesday!

I hope you all had a great weekend. I took a break from the school work and got away for the weekend. One thing unique about my school is a tradition called Mystery Trips. How it works is students pay a flat rate (typically $100) for a weekend away, but they don’t know where they are going. I loved concept and idea so I signed up with my best friend for a promised weekend of adventures.

We left at 1:30 am on Friday morning.

All packed!
Heading out!

When we were half way there, we learned we were on our way to Chicago. I was  beyond excited, I had never been but was dying to go!

We arrived around 11 am, we checked in and got some lunch.

Starting the trip off with a lunch at Shake Shack!

We started walked down Michigan Ave and made our way to the Cultural Center for a guided tour of some of the top spots of Chicago.

Where the city meets the river in downtown Chicago.
It’s was very chilly in the Windy City. The weather was in the 30s the whole weekend so i was bundled up.
We loved this spot, we walked past it so often it became a landmark when it came to directions.
The ceiling of the cultural center. I was in awe of the design of all the buildings
We toured a Macy’s and I loved the Spring theme!
Although it was freezing outside, it felt like spring with all the pastels!
After our guided tour, we stopped for some sweet treats and to warm up.
We spent time popping into shops and speciality stores to stay warm and try new things. We browsed at the Sugar Factory to see what unique things they had in stock.
We then went to Dylan’s Candy Bar to browse for some sweet treats.
We spent time looking at Nordstrom at all the designers and to see what was in style this season.
Pastels were clearly in I loved these patterns and styles that were in a Prada boutique
We grabbed dinner at an authentic deep dish pizza place- Pizzeria Due. It was my first time having deep dish pizza and I loved it!
Day 1 of Chicago shown by my Fitbit, yes, we walked a lot!

After dinner we headed back to the hotel for an early night. With little sleep the night before and a full day of walking and sightseeing we decided to rest up.

Good morning and let’s kick off day 2!!! We woke up early and got an Uber to head down to Millennium Park to see the Bean!
The Bean!!
We love the bean!

After the Bean we headed over to the Willis Tower (Sears Tower) to see the city from the tallest building in the Western Hemisphere.

View from the top
The closest I got to the Sky View boxes (a completely clear box overlooking the city below. ) yep, not a fan of heights
After the Willis Tower, We headed to the iconic Navy Pier
Once again the water meeting the land
We went back to the Sugar Factory for a fun lunch.
I got the Four Cheese flatbread
And the ice cream cookie sandwich for dessert. So delicious
These shoes!!!!!
The weather was very chilly so we went back to Nordstrom for more browsing. I saw these stunning shoes, can you guess where they are from?!
Yep, you guessed it! Sex and the City. I was having a fangirl moment in the middle of Nordstrom
After a full day of sightseeing, walking, and window shopping we relaxed by getting some Gelato and treats at Eataly! It was delicious
We did some browsing at Bloomingdales where I had to pick up this purse! It was too cute to pass up!

We spent our last night in Chicago at the Second Street. We saw a very funny show
Great way to end the night
Day 2 shown by my Fitbit, even more walking
The sun setting on Chicago, so beautiful

We headed back to the hotel to pack since we were heading out the next day.

I was so happy I got the opportunity to go to someplace new, Chicago stole my heart. From the clean city and beautiful water, to the food, the shopping and all the sights. I had an absolute blast. Also, i couldn’t have done this trip without my travel companion Shay! Thanks for a great trip!