Downtown/riverwalk
- If I ever had to pick one spot to represent Chicago it would be the center of downtown; where the beautiful, big buildings meet the river
- With breathtaking architecture lined all along the beautiful, bright river, your jaw will drop as much as mine did 🤭
- This is where all the important corporations have their hq’s in Chicago, where most of the buzz is in the summertime, and where the infamous Chicago theatre is located
- Make sure to walk the river by foot on the lower Riverwalk. Lined with restaurants, bars, and great views, you will feel like your one with the river (also you can park your boat at any of these restaurants or bars if need be 🛥🚤
Millennium Park-
- Such a tourist thing to do, but this is where the famous bean is located! You really do have to see it in person. It reminds me of the Tiffany’s necklace line.
- There are also other art structures and gorgeous fountains throughout the park that you can marvel at.
- I recommend grabbing a Starbucks and taking the afternoon to walk through it.
Michigan Ave/Gold Coast - Shopping
- NYC might be a fashion mogul but Chicago doesn’t disappoint
- With amazingly clean streets; bold, modern architecture; and that big city feel; you will feel more than luxurious to step into these luxury stores ( brand name or local)
- Although Michigan Ave has a great selection and it seems like it goes for a mile lined with shops, I preferred the Gold Coast area; with beautiful apartment buildings and homes that would rival the upper east side.
- The Gold Coast felt like Beverly Hills, with a little bit of a different attitude
- Highly recommend checking it out even if you aren’t shopping, because of its beauty and great photo opportunities
Boat tour
- Definitely, Definitely, Definitely have to do a boat tour if you visit from March-October
- You don’t get the real feel for the city until you take a boat ride “through these streets”
- The river winds through all these amazingly tall buildings as you glide by and just stare in wonder (nothing else like it in the world)
- We took the tour with Wendell’s boat tours and had a blast (learned a lot about the history of Chicago and even about the great Chicago fire)
- Also, try to sit on the front, right side of the boat as this will be the best spot to get pics without people being in your way
Sears Tower
- If you take the boat tour you will go right past the tallest building in Chicago, which is the Sears Tower (Willis tower)
- Be in awe, as this behemoth really towers over every other building
- You can go to the top and take amazing pics of the city with their glass floors (be careful though hehe 😘)
- I have heard from local Chicago instababes that the Hancock tower has the better view of the city though
Oak Street Beach
- So I know we weren’t on the coast, but Kaptan refuses to leave any place without looking for a beach (idk he’s a fish 🐠)
- There are actually a number of beaches on Lake Michigan with the most breathtaking views of the Lake, but also has the city sitting right behind you
- The beach we went to was Oak Street beach and we had a blast
- It is right next to the Drake Hotel and a block or two down from the Gold Coast
- We were amazed at the huge buildings towering over us while we were enjoying some waves (kinda insane 💁🏻♀️)
- Also the Navy Pier is really fun for families if you are looking for more Coast activities
Pizza
- So we were a little limited on choices of deep dish pizza ( Kaptan and I are gluten free) but we Definitely found a winner!!!
- Giordano’s was amazing
- They have thin crust, deep dish, and stuffed options that were all gluten free
- We went with the stuffed and it was kinda the best thing we’ve ever had!!!!! 🍕🍕🍕
- Kaptan decided to order the largest size possible and combined, we only finished 2 slices of the 8 slice Goliath of a pizza
- We had leftovers for like 4 days after and that was with trying to eat some every day 😂😂 (So we Definitely had our pizza fix)
Cubs game
- Ok so this is Definitely a super fun thing to do with your boyfriend
- Kaptan happens to be a huge Cubs fan so he was on an emotional high the whole night going to historic Wrigley field, but I think non-Cubs fans will have a blast just being at that stadium
- Definitely try to go to a night game as day games can get a little hot in the summertime
- We happened to go when the Cubs hit a walk off grand slam so that was kind of exciting (I think Kap is still talking about it lol 😂)
- Definitely save some room for Jeni’s ice cream (dairy free & gluten free) after as they are literally in the ballpark 😋😋😋🍦🍦🍦
