Chicago tips

[Mrs Doubtfire]

Not sure where to ask this but hopefully someone will be able to help.

We are tentatively planning a 2 week holiday in Chicago looking to arrive around 12th August 2015. I have been trying to look for places to go after spending say 4 nights in Chicago. the area of Saugatuck and Douglas looks nice, any suggestions or experiences of this area?

Also, I am struggling to find a hotel in this area for this time, the ones that keep coming up are in Holland about 10 mikes away. VRBO has some places but everything seems pricey (there are 2 adults and 1 teenager).

So basically if anyone has any tips, suggestions, hotels for Chicago or Saugatuck or anywhere else please feel free to chime in.

Thanks

 

[TigersLions]

I live in Grand Rapids so I am familiar with Saugatuck/Douglas. Saugatuck has a great downtown area that is very artsy and eclectic. I have yet to find a great place to eat though. But you can do a good amount of window shopping and you can go to the state park to see lake michigan from the other coast (much nicer than Chicago - that is why they all vacation in Saugatuck). Compared to Chicago, it is muchhh smaller so I am surprised you only want to spend 4 days in Chicago if you are in the area for two weeks. That wasn't enough for us. There is so much to do. In Saugatuck, we can usually get a good long afternoon out of the window shopping but that's about it. Back to Saugatuck - I can't think of any "hotels" near there but they are better-known for bed and breakfasts so you might try searching that. Not that I have any issues with this, but Saugatuck is a very popular GLBT vacation area as well. I love Chicago for it's diversity and the same is true for Saugatuck. I'd also consider doing a dinner cruise in Saugatuck. Douglas is known for its antique stores. And there are some in Saugatuck as well. Holland, where you said you found the nearest hotel also has a lovely downtown area and a state park so you could stay there and work your way south. If you are into breweries, Michigan is the right place for that as well. I am sure I am not doing enough justice to all of these places so let me know if you have any specific questions and I'll ask around for you . Also, for Chicago, consider the citypass. http://www.citypass.com/chicago. If you plan on going to several museums, this is the way to go. We did one museum a day. Here is our blurb book . http://www.blurb.com/books/4960734-our-kind-of-town-chicago-august-3rd-7th-2013

 

[lost*in*cyberspace]

Chicago is a great city with a lot to do and see, but spending two weeks there is too long; especially if you are coming from the UK. Personally I don't know why you would be interested in visiting the smaller towns nearby. Why not split up your time and spend a week there and a week in New York City?

Be warned that August will be very, very hot!

 

[Mrs Doubtfire]

Thanks TigersLions for the Links, the Cittypass would be a good idea and the pictures on your blurb are fantastic We would return to Chicago to fly home so may get another night or 2 at the end of the vacation.

Not sure what GLBT is Looking to hire a car and spend some time on the beach and some time exploring so wanted a base somewhere.

Lost in Cyberspace - I don't want to spend 2 weeks in the city and that was why I asked for any suggestions for places to visit in the area surrounding. There must be plenty of nice places to go, we might even be able to fit in Six Flags or Cedar Point

 

[nugov2]

What about the New Buffalo area? It is very pretty there and a lot to do for several days. I don't know how far you want to drive from Chicago, but there are tons of places to go within a couple of hours that are great.

http://www.newbuffalo.com/

Another(but in Wisconsin)great place to visit is Lake Geneva. Such a fun town and some great hotels. It is also just past Great America, so you could hit GA for a day and then head up to Lake Geneva.

http://www.lakegenevawi.com/?gclid=...l2T_rqSv4gzn0JnYfRaTwYnvbxwFE3eGCUBoCimnw_wcB

Are you looking for hotels in Chicago still?

 

[krupes]

How about considering Lake Geneva for one week and Chicago for the other? I would recommend doing the Chicago week first so you can end your vacation with some relaxation.

There are many nice hotels in the downtown Chicago area. I have heard people suggest using Priceline to find a good deal as there are so many options.

I lived in Chicago for 6 years, so let me know if I can be of any additional help. The zoo is very nice, and it is free!

 

[nugov2]

Another spectacular place to visit if you are up for a little longer drive is Door County in Wisconsin. You could easily spend a week there. Tons of little towns with antiques and shops. Great food and on the water. It is a 3 hour drive if you head there after Great America. It is really worth the drive.

If you decide on any of the towns I have spent a lot of time in all of them so I'd be happy to give you lodging suggestions. I also can help with Chicago hotels if you need them. Have fun planning

http://doorcounty.com/

 

[Mrs Doubtfire]

Nugov2 and Krupes - all great suggestions. New Buffalo is on the way up to Saugatuck when I looked, LakeGeneva and Door Country (which looks fabulous) round the other side of the lake so I guess we need to choose one side and then plan.

It is about 10 years since we last visited Chicago and then we met someone we knew for a few days and went to St Joes and then right up to Niagra Falls so it was a lot of driving but gave us a taste for it all.

We stayed at a hotel on East Ohio then, which had a rooftop pool, and I think is now owned by Doubletree. If you have suggestions (preferably reasonably priced) I will look at them. It is really the cost of accommodation that is a sticking point at the minute. Florida has a glut of condos etc and you can stay for 3 weeks for the same price when compared to a week say at Saugatuck

I am still working out the cost of it all

 

[bluezee]

I'd start in Chicago then head up the Michigan shoreline of Lake Michigan. You will not be disappointed and August is a fantastic time to go. You could visit New Buffalo, Saugatuck, Grand Haven and make your way up to the Traverse City area. The Sleeping Bear Dunes area is unbelievably gorgeous. Check out the Pure Michigan website for more details.

 

[Mrs Doubtfire]

Thanks for the suggestions bluezee, and the website details.

 

[msbiscuit]

I'm a Chicago native and although I live outside the city now, I still work downtown.
The Air & Water Show (a very popular event) looks like it's scheduled for August 17 & 18 next year and you might want to consider staying in town for it. The Blue Angels alone are worth it! Here's this year's event schedule:
http://www.cityofchicago.org/city/en/depts/dca/supp_info/chicago_air_and_watershow.html/

 

[Mrs Doubtfire]

The air show looks worth a visit to the beach, have you been before? I think my DH would enjoy it.

This year we had a surprise fly over by the Red Arrows when we were on a day out in York (UK) and their skill and formation flying is unbelievable

 

[greenclan67]

We drove to Chicago through Sault, Mi. We stayed in Grand Rapids for the night then did the rest I the morning. Drive was easy. We got a travelzoo deal at the Four Points downtown. It was $89 for a dbl queen. Parking was expensive as is everywhere. The Best Western plus includes parking.
If you would like to go up to Michigan we stayed in Mackinaw City at a great campground with cabins. Petoskey, mi and Traverse City all quaint places to visit. Not far from Grand Rapids is Michigan Adventure park great fun.
We have also gone the other way and did Wisconsin Dells. We loved it. There is a ferry that crosses lake Michagan as well.

 

[msbiscuit]

The air show looks worth a visit to the beach, have you been before? I think my DH would enjoy it.

This year we had a surprise fly over by the Red Arrows when we were on a day out in York (UK) and their skill and formation flying is unbelievable

If you can get a hotel close enough to North Ave Beach you can walk - the traffic the day of will not be pretty.
When I had a different work schedule, I was able to watch the practice for the Air Show from our 22nd floor verandah - it was fantastic!
I've never attended the actual show as once I leave the city for my weekend, I don't go back! lol

 

[nkereina]

If you're willing to drive all the way to Cedar Point from Chicago, you should consider going another hour or two (in the opposite direction) to Minneapolis and visiting Mall of America. The Mall is quite the tourist attraction and I believe 2nd or 3rd biggest mall in the world, even has it's own amusement park. The city of Minneapolis is pretty nice as well. About a 7 hr drive from Chicago, maybe slightly less. Worth the trip, IMO, and beats any other city in Illinois or Indiana (no offense )

 

[krupes]

If you are looking to save money in Chicago, you might consider a vacation rental condo. I have not personally looked into it, but I know they exist. It would allow you to save some money on meals if you had your own kitchen.

 

[kris10399]

As a kid I remember taking trips with my family from the Chicago area to Saugatuck and Muskegon (have no idea why there, but we went). On the way there we'd stop at U-pick fruit farms and even a winery or 2. So that may be something to look into on the drive over to Michigan from Chicago.

 

[Mrs Doubtfire]

Thanks everyone for the suggestions at the minute my flight using miles has gone but I will keep checking

 

[beno44]

How about spending a night or two at Starved Rock Lodge??? About two hours from downtown, I love staying there...

 

[Mrs Doubtfire]

Intriguing name and it looks really nice. So many places to go