Chicago, Illinois, U.S.A. (Feb 2016)
In 2016, I was invited through work to attend a conference in Chicago. My Hubby (Steve) decided to tag along and we added some time before and afterwards to venture to some other cities (San Fran, Palm Springs and LA). Although there wasn’t a lot of time for sight-seeing in Chicago due to a fairly full conference schedule, I did manage to experience a few things outside our hotel, both as part of the conference and also during some free time with Steve.
Where to stay
As this was a business conference, organised by work (and I wasn’t paying), we stayed our 4 nights at The Sheraton Grand, a beautiful hotel overlooking the Chicago river. The rooms were clean and comfortable, although if I’m really honest they were probably due for modernising and a style update. Food was great though and the conference facilities were well organised and professional. Plus the location was really convenient, close to the Magnificent Mile and a short walk to other sites.
Places to visit
We really only had half a day free for sight-seeing, so we packed in what we could. On this particular day we woke up and it was snowing! Being an Aussie and living in a city where it never snows, this was immensely exciting for me, even if it was freezing!
After my meetings had finished, at around 11am, we walked across the bridge over the river, through Millennium Park to the The Art Institute of Chicago. It was unfortunately a bit too cold to detour through the park to find Cloud Gate and plus, during our walk, Steve discovered a hole in his shoe which was letting in icy water from the melting snow. So as soon as we got to the art gallery, he had to find a bathroom to wring out his soaking wet sock (he said he got some funny looks). We spent a couple of hours browsing the gallery – there were some really famous artworks in there that I remembered studying at school. My favourites were the Impressionists area, including quite a few Monets, and the modern art section with the Andy Warhols and Grant Wood’s American Gothic.
Afterwards we caught a cab to the John Hancock centre, a tower which offers 360 degree views around Chicago. There is an option to go up to the 360 observation deck on the 94th floor where you pay an entry fee of around $20. Aside from the views, at the observation deck you can pay an extra $7 to go on the TILT ride (a platform that tilts outwards so you can get a downward view). However we took the alternative option of going up to their Signature lounge bar on the 96th floor for a late lunch – there was no entry fee but of course you spend money in their restaurant instead.
The views are just as spectacular, even though it was snowing with low visibility. Plus we felt it was better value – why pay $20 for a view on a lousy day (we weren’t even sure if we’d see anything thanks to the snow) when you can pay a similar amount for a light lunch and have the views thrown in for free. Anyways, I wasn’t too keen on the TILT ride… It was a great decision and I have memories that will last a lifetime of our lunch at the John Hancock Signature Lounge, in a lovely ambient atmosphere, while watching the snow falling over the city. Some reviews I read warned of long lines to get up in the lifts but during our visit in February on a weekday we only had to wait for the next lift. The lounge wasn’t very busy either.
Water Tower Place – After visiting the John Hancock signature lounge, we decided to head across the road to the nearby shopping mall so Steve could buy some replacement shoes which were still leaking and some dry socks. We discovered Macys department store – what a great store, with so much choice at reasonable prices, we had to buy some Chicago Bears march to remind us of our trip. On the way back to our hotel we detoured past the Chicago Water Tower – a beautiful landmark built in 1869 in a nearby park which the mall was named after. Apparently it houses an art gallery now but we didn’t have time to go inside. I had a conference to get back to.
Part of our work conference included a private welcome function at the House of Blues. This venue is beautiful, covering two floors with several bars. Our company had hired the entire second floor and there was a huge stage hosting some fun entertainment including a great band playing covers. Though, considering this was a private work function with colleagues, I would have preferred a more authentic experience going as a punter to see a blues band with my hubby.
Architecture – Aside from being famous for being a windy city (thanks to nearby Lake Michigan), Chicago is well known for its architecture. Near our hotel were some magnificent examples of architecture which I enjoyed looking at while on a walk to a restaurant one afternoon, such as the Wrigley Building, NBC Tower, Chicago Tribune building and Trump Towers. The Magnificent Mile was also nearby, although I only ventured down a couple of blocks briefly in search of a coffee one afternoon on a break – unfortunately I didn’t have time to explore the 13 blocks of retail, dining and hotels offering more examples of beautiful architecture.
Getting around
We mainly stayed close to the hotel so got around on foot. Though when we ventured up town further, to the John Hancock tower, we jumped in a cab which was reasonably priced. We didn’t try Chicago’s public transport system at all so unfortunately can’t offer any advice on that front.
Food options
We went to Bellwether twice, a restaurant and bar near our hotel which offered great food at reasonable prices.
The highlight was a company organised lunch at Smith & Wollensky – which is famous for its steaks… although a little pricey, it was very tasty (fortunately I wasn’t paying the bill).
As mentioned earlier, The Signature Lounge at the John Hancock tower was a great choice for a light lunch because of the views. We sat in a retro styled lounge with Frank Sinatra playing in the background, while eating a club sandwich and drinking coffee, overlooking an amazing view of the town and Lake Michigan. Even though it was snowing and visibility was low, it was a great view and a memorable experience.
Negatives
A common theme in the USA is the number of homeless people around. Chicago is no different and, sadly, a very harsh climate to sleep out in when it’s winter.
Regrets
I would have liked to have spent another day or two in Chicago to see some more historic sights, perhaps a baseball or football game and maybe caught a show at the House of Blues with my hubby rather than with my work colleagues, but that’s the way work conferences go! Also, had there been more time and warmer weather we would have visited the Navy Pier and checked out some of the mobster history from the area. I’ve heard there are organised tours of Chicago’s original gangster haunts, which would have been cool.