Chicago idea help....

[budbeerlady]

We are trying to do a VERY budget Chicago weekend getaway for our anniversary in May. Dh nixed Baltimore so I am trying to make Chicago as good as possible. (Not that excited, we go pretty often with Dd.) We are taking the train so a car is not an option.

I was thinking if the weather is nice we could visit Trader Joes and grab food for a picnic. Where else can we go beside Millennium park? We would be walking to Trader Joes on Ontario Street downtownish, and then to someplace else to eat it. Please give me your ideas! Thanks!

 

[lovesmurfs]

We are trying to do a VERY budget Chicago weekend getaway for our anniversary in May. Dh nixed Baltimore so I am trying to make Chicago as good as possible. (Not that excited, we go pretty often with Dd.) We are taking the train so a car is not an option.

I was thinking if the weather is nice we could visit Trader Joes and grab food for a picnic. Where else can we go beside Millennium park? We would be walking to Trader Joes on Ontario Street downtownish, and then to someplace else to eat it. Please give me your ideas! Thanks!

If you're picnicking, just walk east on Ontario. A little south there's a nice walking/biking area (Olive Park) that has grassy areas and benches overlooking the lake (4-6 blocks or so).

Or take Ontario east, turn south on Michigan Avenue and have lunch on the riverfront -- there are steps down to the river. Southwest on Wacker there's a war memorial area with steps you can have lunch.

Neither are particularly anniversary-worthy (because I do it nearly every nice day for lunch), but it's worlds away from my office!

 

[marn913]

You can also try Lincoln Park Zoo - it's free. You can also check the websites for the museums to see about their free days.

 

[Tiggerish]

Right next to Lincoln Park Zoo is the Lincoln Park Conservatory with neat plants and flowers and also has a nice duck pond/garden area next to it. All are free and very, very easy to get to on the bus. Also you can buy a one day CTA pass for $5.75 which gives you unlimited bus and el train access for 24 hours from the first time you use it. Then you could go to the Chinatown area to look around (would recommend during the day) or to Navy Pier or Buckingham Fountain, all of which are free to see.

 

[EKW]

Have you contacted their tourism bureau? It's in the Old Water Tower...haven't been for years, so I don't have the URL. I know then offer free walking tours...Chicagoans volunteer...and you used to be able to choose from several. Bus passes used to be next to free...you could sight-see all over the city riding them. I don't know if the trading floor is still open or not...used to be. When I used to go, there was one day a week when all the museums were free...I think it was Thursday. I'd heard they discontinued that, but, with the economy....

If your husband is a kid at heart, check out FAO Schwartz. The Steppenwolf (spelling?) used to offer $10 day-of-the-show tickets. That's how a friend and I afforded to see Picasso at the Lapin Agile there one New Year's Eve.

I'd strongly recommend starting with whatever info they have online...then going to your public library to read the Chicago paper. You can find lots of info about current offerings that way!

 

[scout68]

Try Shaws Crab House. It is very good and not far from the park.
shawscrabhouse.com

 

[lovesmurfs]

Try Shaws Crab House. It is very good and not far from the park.
shawscrabhouse.com

A warning that, even though it's wonderful, Shaw's is NOT particularly budget-friendly if you're concerned about finances. It's been several years, but at the time, the entrees were a la carte and you had to purchase your sides.

 

[Mom2Ben02]

If your husband is a kid at heart, check out FAO Schwartz.

FAO Schwartz has been closed for quite some time.

If you have a Bank of America account, there are free days to various museums - http://museums.bankofamerica.com/ - first weekend of the month.

I like to stroll around Navy Pier. Our favorite thing is to go to the museum campus - that's the Shedd, the Field & the Planetarium - and take a water taxi to Navy Pier. It's only $7, and it's a boat ride with a purpose

 

[erincon23]

Have you contacted their tourism bureau? It's in the Old Water Tower...haven't been for years, so I don't have the URL.

explorechicago.org

- Erin

 

[budbeerlady]

Thanks for the ideas everyone. We have food pretty much covered. We used Restaurant.com for House of Blues, a Rainforest cafe gift card, some stuff from Groupon I bought. I just thought since Dh likes Trader Joes we would make a feast from it, maybe a picnic sort.

We have done the museums and Shedd, love the water taxi, doing a Bobby's bike tour from Groupon Friday afternoon, I will look into Stepphenwolf as we have never seen a show there. I keep checking gold box for anything new.

I guess that is why I am not so excited, kinda been there, done that...

 

[Monaposalo]

If you're picnicking, just walk east on Ontario. A little south there's a nice walking/biking area (Olive Park) that has grassy areas and benches overlooking the lake (4-6 blocks or so).

Or take Ontario east, turn south on Michigan Avenue and have lunch on the riverfront -- there are steps down to the river. Southwest on Wacker there's a war memorial area with steps you can have lunch.

Neither are particularly anniversary-worthy (because I do it nearly every nice day for lunch), but it's worlds away from my office!

I like your idea, budget freindly and romantic too.