Chicago 2006

We leave for Chicago on Friday morning, so only two more days! I am very excited since this will be my first real trip in...oh...a few years. At least since college. And I've never been to Chicago so I'm looking forward to going somewhere new.

I will say, Chicago itself has the WORST road signs ever. First there's 'merge left' because the right lane ends, and then, immediately, 'merge right' because the left lane ends! If you're driving into the city, like we did, be sure to be patient and know that everything is just nutty.There's really no way around it...we came in around rush hour on Friday and left at noon Sunday, and it was bad both times. So be prepared!

Another tip...be sure to get a fare card for the bus/El if you're going to be there more than just an overnight. I put $10 on mine and that was enough for me and Milia for Saturday and Sunday. Troy and Tom had one for $20 which was also sufficient. It makes it a lot easier than having to carry around exact change. And the Bus schedule is so easy to figure out, and so convenient, that it's really worth taking around the city. We didn't ride the El, so I can't speak about that, but I would imagine it is also easy to use.

Chicago taxi drivers are infinetly better than D.C. drivers and about on par with NYC ones. We rode cabs from three different companies and all of them were clean with polite drivers who took us where we wanted to go without putting our lives in danger. :) Starting price for a cab is $2.25 and each additional passenger is 50 or 75 cents, I forget which, so it can add up, but it's definitely worth it when it's hot and you don't want to wait for a bus. Or aren't near a bus stop.

Some travel books I found useful:
--Fodor's Chicago (the Gold Guide), which I read over a few times before going. That definitely was helpful in giving me an overview of the city and letting me know what I was looking at.
--Frommer's Chicago Day by day is, bar none, an awesome book to carry with you. It's small enough to fit in a purse and it has a map of the city included (detailed) that has its own little pouch in the back. It lists buses, subways, all that good stuff, and divides the city into different "tours" so you can find stuff to suit your fancy. Sections on hotels, restaurants, shopping, etc., make this a great book. I am totally hooked on these.

Sounds like fun....we are leaving for Chicago next week for three days and we are all really excited, it is our first holiday/trip/vacation together...we are taking the train roundtrip, our son is 14 and real excited...I got us three front row seats for the Blackhawks game then we are off to finding restaurants, shopping, browsing, and lots of walking....tried to get tickets for King Tut but did not have three together in any section of time...so will find something else to do.....

Hey sounds like u had a blast! Im planning to go in march, have any ideas? thanx -amber

The Field Museum is great if you like that kind of stuff, but the guys said the Shedd aquarium was also a lot of fun. Hopefully it will be cooler for you and you can walk around the city--it's not difficult to find your way around. The Pier is awesome and definitely worth visiting.

I plan on going in February. Yes, I know its going to be cold but are there still things to do in Chicago in February?