Chicago trip -- need help from locals/frequent visitors

[knockUout]

Hi Windy City Natives Our family is headed to Chicago for short trip in August and I could use some advice on the planned schedule. Please feel free to comment, give advice, etc.
We fly via SW and will arrive at 3:40 Wed August 1. We are staying at Embassy Suites Downtown at 600 N State Street. Will use public transportation and ride orange/red line to hotel. Plan on checking in and then head to Skydeck. Water taxi? Where would we board this? Realize there are fireworks at Navy Pier on Wednesday night but don't want to deal with crowds

Thursday August 2nd -- plan on hitting museum campus for Field Museum, Shedd, and Adler. See that Lollapalooza music festival starts on friday the 3rd so thought we might avoid some festival crowds by going to grant park the day before the festival starts. Is there a troller that goes to Navy Pier from our hotel area? Best travel options for getting to museum campus in the morning? See that water taxi is available from Navy pier to museum area -- Are the water taxis considered CTA? Will do Navy Pier or Hancock Observatory Thursday evening. Will do the other on Friday night. What night would you suggest for Navy Pier?

Friday August 3rd -- Museum of Science and industry day (Hubby and 4 DS love this type of museum so will plan on a full day there) Red Line and bus 10 to get there and back? Friday night navy pier or hancock?

Saturday August 4th -- would like to have hubby and 3 oldest boys do a Segway tour in the AM. Which tour group would you recommend? Woud like to do an architecture boat tour saturday afternoon -- advice or recommendations for specific tour? We will go to the White Sox game saturday night.

Fly home sunday and take our oldest son to college on Tuesday. He will be playing fb so he will be reporting early Feel like our lives will never be the same once he leaves.

Will probably do City Pass or Go Chicago card. I need to crunch numbers to see which would be the best deal. Advice??

Eating-- four boys that are bottomless pits. Will have big breakfast at embassy suites each morning. Will probably eat near our hotel after the manager's reception each night -- gotta love free cocktails and Roy Rogers for the boys. Hubby raises Angus Beef (we are spoiled with our hand cut steaks) so will opt for more casual meals. There is a picollo (spelling?) and Ed Debevic near embassy suites so might try those. Thoughts? Will need to have authentic Chicago pizza while we are there also. Suggestions for filling boy's tummies? Love all sports so a sports bar/grill would be great.

Whew, it looks like a lot when I type it all out. We are used to doing Disney commando and plan on going non-stop. I appreciate any input/advice that you can give. Thanks!

 

[ShelsGoingToDisney]

I have no advice for you but I opened this thread because I too am going to Chicago for a short trip in August. I too arrive at 3:40 via SW on 8/1. I notice you are from NE you aren't flying out of Omaha are you? I think we may be on the same flight! Small world! We were actually going to stay at Embassy Suites too but got a better deal at the 4 Points Sheridan.

Our trip is geared a little different as I am taking my 10 year old DD to visit the American Girl store on Thursday for her birthday! My parents and 2 DS's will be joining us the evening of 8/2. We will be going to Soldier Field on Friday, 8/3 for the Family Day and to watch the Bears training camp practice!

Hitting the Field Museum on Saturday. We fly home on the 9:55 Sunday night flight back to Omaha.

From my research I do know that the water taxi that goes from the Navy Pier to the Museum campus area is not run through the CTA, at least being able to use the CTA passes that you can buy.

 

[homerdance]

We travel to Chicago several times a year. I enjoy it but it can be pricey. Ed debs is fun but the food can be meh, ate here several ties and last two ties we were disappointed with te food not the atmosphere. But I think most boys would like the humor.

Cabs are readily available everywhere, and I would avoid the buses. Taking the el is good way to get around. You can get a pass from the cta before you go which is good for your trip, but you might find it doesn't save money just saves you the hassle of buying tickets when you arrive.

You can take the metro to the science and industry. Te metro is not the same as the el The museum is by far my favorite thing in chicago.

 

[lthiesfeld07]

I don't know how much help I will be, but I will try!

I live in the south suburbs and have only stayed in the city once at the Sheridan.

I can tell you that 3 museums in one day is very ambitious. They are close together, but there is a lot to see! The Shedd has added many new exhibits that are worth seeing. I have spent all day in the Field Museum and barely saw everything. I haven't been to the Adler so I don't have an opinion on that.

I recommend an boat ride that points out some of the history of the buildings along the Chicago River. You can catch this on Michigan Avenue next to the Wrigley Building. It's a great way to learn some of the history of the city right on the river!

As for the Navy Pier fireworks... I've only watched them on a boat ride from Navy Pier. At Navy Pier there are Boat Rides that go out just for the fireworks. It was an AWESOME view of the fireworks and the city.
(I am a fan of boat rides )

One of my favorite restaurants downtown is the Walnut Room located in Macy's. Randolph and State St. It is on the 7th floor I believe... Macy's is a neat store to tour anyways!

There is a free trolley that I've seen around the city, but I don't know much about it. Of course there are cabs everywhere you can take. Walking to Navy Pier from the Red Line isn't so bad either.

I hope I helped! Feel free to PM me for any other questions.

 

[Jana49]

Giordano's Pizza is a must! If you can't get a table, you should get a delivery to the room. Check out their menu on line.

Taxis are cheaper than buses, if you have several people, since it's $2 per person, per bus. So, if you have to transfer, buses can be expensive. Taxi drivers let someone sit in front, if needed.

Shedd Auquarium has a lot to see, and you will need at least a half day there. They have a food court with lake views for lunch.

One of my favorite stores on the Mile is Crate and Barrel, but my fave is the Disney Store, of course! Have fun!

 

[DJmommy]

We just got back from our 3 1/2 day Chicago jaunt and absolutely loved Chicago. We had so much fun that everyone wants to go back again.

We also stayed at the Embassy Suites Downtown and loved the location. It is very accessible for both the Red Line and the buses. We purchased the 3 day visitor passes for $14 each and got our monies worth, including using them for the ride from O'Hare to the downtown(the Blue line with a transfer to the Red Line). We just purchased ours from the Visitor Pass machine at the airport. Make sure you get the visitor's map listing all of the subway/el lines and the bus routes, because that was very helpful. The people of Chicago were exceptionally nice if we had any questions regarding transport.

It sounds like you are doing a lot of same things that we did. We purchased the City Pass and used all 5 tickets. We waited until we got there but if you buy them in advance of your trip you shouldn't have to really wait in any lines to get into the museums or the observation decks.

We took a bus to the Museum campus that we caught on Michigan Ave (can't remember the bus route because we did travel on quite a few buses over the 3 days) but the bus drops you off right in front of the Field Museum. We were planning on doing the Aquarium first but when we got there the line was exceptionally long and we did not yet have the City pass yet so we opted to do the Field Museum first. We did end up going over to the Aquarium later that afternoon around 2:30 and were able to get right in with the City Pass however the Dolphin show was already sold out and I believe that it would have been included if we opted to do it in the morning instead. We did watch the dolphins from the underwater viewing area while they were actually performing in the show which was a different perspective but we were disappointed not to see the show. We literally spent all day between just the two places and did not see everything. I think that trying to do all three would be very difficult in one day.

As for the fireworks on Navy Pier, we also did not want to deal with the crowds on the 4th of July so we went up to the John Hancock Observatory (fast pass with the city pass) to watch them from there. You cannot hear any of the music that may accompany them but it is a pretty decent view and it is an easy walk from the hotel down the Magnificent Mile. We did Navy Pier on July 3rd instead and I'm glad I saw it but we did not spend a lot of time there. We did do the evening architectural boat tour that same evening by Shoreline which was a 45 minute live tour down the Chicago River. We enjoyed that very much. Shoreline has booths right on Navy Pier for times.

We did not do the Museum of Science and Industry but opted instead for the Art Institute. Fantastic museum. For me it was a highlight of the trip. Please make sure that you go to Millenium Park and see the Bean and the fountain area. We did this on our first evening and it was a wonderful welcome to Chicago.

We also did the skydeck during the day (fast pass with the city pass) and that was really cool. Took another bus from Michigan Ave that took us within a block of the Sears (Willis) Tower. We ate our Chicago pizza at Giordano's based on a recommendation from a local (which is just a short walk from the Willis tower) and it did not disappoint. It does take a full 35 - 40 minutes to cook the pizza so plan on having the time to wait. It was well worth the wait. I even found out they have a couple of locations down somewhere near Disney and we will try to get there during our August Disney trip.

I also looked into both the city pass and the GO Chicago card. For us the city pass was perfect - my only regret was not ordering it before we left. If we had it in hand ,we would have skipped the huge Shedd Aquarium line, seen the Dophin show, and then gone over to the Field Museum that same day.

Since I had lunch reservations at the American girl store with our 9 year old daughter, my husband took our son to tour Wrigley Field one morning. Just a short ride north on the Red Line. I believe the tour was $25 each and lasted about 75 minutes but the boys loved it. They toured the stadium, press box, both clubhouses and the Cubs dugout and got to step onto the dirt (not the actual field) because it was not a game day (unfortunately the Cubs were on the road for those few days so we did not get to a game).

I can't give you any other dining advice since we ate late lunches at the Aquarium and the Art Institue and with the oppressive heat wave we really did not feel like eating dinner either of the first two days we were there. We did enjoy the breakfast though. It gets a little hectic sometimes but there is plenty for your boys to fill up on with the made to order omelet station.

Enjoy your trip. I'm sure you will. I have to say it - Chicago is my kind of town! Looking forward to another visit, maybe next year.

Jacqueline

 

[disneysmiles]

We went to Chicago recently and did the City Pass. I loved the Field Museum and the Bean downtown. Such a fun city, I hope your family has a fun time!

I found this cool site that did a pretty indepth review of the Chicago Pass with some number crunching to see if it was worth it. It helped us in our decision to go with the Chicago Pass.

http://www.cheapchicagovacation.com/

Good luck with planning and let us know what you decide to do!

 

[donaldandpirates]

Yep, Giordano's is the place to go for pizza, and check out Garrett Popcorn if you get a chance. Have a GREAT trip!

 

[gate_pourri]

I live very close to Embassy Suites, so if you have any questions on the area, please feel free to ask.

As for food in the area... There are a ton! There is an "M" burger in the same building as the hotel (around the corner from the front door), a Chili's across the street, Grand Lux Cafe (like Cheesecake factory. Very yummy) 2 blocks away on Onterio & Michigan. Portillos is two blocks away on Onterio & Clark. A subway sandwiches around the corner. Weber grill is also a block south, as well as Rock bottom (brew pub) and a Chipotle.

There is also a full grocery Store (Jewel) one block south, on State and Ohio, a Trader Joes 2 blocks west on Onterio and a Whole foods 2 blocks North on Huron.

What kind of food do you like?

 

[dr&momto2boys]

Giordano's Pizza is a must!

But you MUST order the stuffed pizza. (The regular isn't anything special. But then again as a Chicago native, I'm spoiled.)

 

[Princess Nancy]

We just returned from Chicago.

I am TERRIBLE at reading a map / navigating. That said, DD and I rode the bus everywhere.

We bought a bus pass for $5.75 at Walgreen's. It was good for 24 Hours. So we really ended up just buying 2 passes for the 3 days.

I cannot say enough AWESOME things about the Skydeck. At Navy Pier I picked up one of those cards that advertised the Skydeck and got a free audio tour, you just present the card once you get to the top so I am certain your could combine it with the City Card or go Chicago. My DD said those audio tours are stupid and proceeded to listen at every single window!!

We hit the Skydeck about 5 and there was virtually no line. Friends had been there around noon and waited a long time.

We also saw the Cirque show at Navy Pier ---skip it unless you need to pay $20 to sit in the shade for 90 minutes while the kids are entertained...oh and don't bother paying for the more expensive seats!!

Have Fun!

 

[knockUout]

Wow--- thanks for all the great advice. Yes, we are flying out of Omaha. I will be the one surrounded by testosterone (husband and 4 boys age 10-18) so look for me and my pink suitcase.

Sounds like there are lots of places to eat near Embassy Suites -- are most places walk up or will we need to have ressies? We will be happy with casual American cuisine. The Walnut Room sounds great but I would have to drag 5 screaming and kicking companions through Macy's (which I would love).

I am still confused with transportation from our hotel on 600 North State Street to the Museum of Science and Industry. The metra is confusing when I look on their site.
.
Appreciate the cab suggestion but I am unsure if they will let 6 of us pile into one. Is that possible? We can easily get a large taxi at Disney but I don't recall seeing this option in Chicago.

I'm anxious to try the site to determine the value of City Pass. Thanks for passing that along.

Looks like I have some more research to do. Please continue to chime in with comments and tips.

 

[nuke]

The number 10 CTA bus runs from North Michigan ave to the Museum of Science and Industry.

As far as architectural tours I've done a few of them. The most in depth one is done on the Chicago First Lady and the narrators are from the architectural society. This one boards from MIchigan Ave and Wacker drive. The stairs leading down to the river are across from Fannie Mae.
The most fun one is on the Red Dog from Navy Pier. It goes out on the Lake for a speedboat ride and then up the River for a quick tour. Not a ton of information but definitely fun.

Giordano's Spinach deep dish is the best! But for other varieties I prefer Uno's.

Also the Red line is under construction right now so beware of station closures if you were planning on using that to get to the White Sox game.

 

[ltl engine]

We live in Chicago so I will try to share what I can. We are members at the Shedd and whenever we go it has a really long line in the front. Doing all 3 museums in 1 day might be too much. Check the Shedd's website they have something called Jazzin at the Shedd where they are open late, same for Planetarium. Unless your family is REALLY interested in the Planetarium it will be a quick visit. Check the schedules for their shows in advance. This way you can plan to be there close to when the show starts since no every show plays that often. Also at the Shedd they have 2 quick restaurants close to the dolphin show. They have a patio with a tent set up so you can eat outside enjoying the view of the city & the lake. Really nice even when you live here. My boys LOVE MSI. Do you have any local museum or zoo memberships. Check their website--If you are a member at a reciprocal museum you might get free admission (or 50% off). Their Omnimax theater is really nice. A friend has taken the Metra Electric Line from downtown (near the Art Institute) to near MSI then walk about 6 blocks. Groupon has had a 3 day pass for the CTA lately--you may to see if that is still available. FIREWORKS--you do not have to go to Navy Pier to see the fireworks. If you go down Michigan Avenue to the Chicago River on the south side of the river there are steps leading down to a path along the River. You will walk past the kayaks and across from the fountain that shoots water across the river keep walking through the well lit tunnel toward the Flag pole (If any of you are adventerous check out Kayak Chicago--I heard it was awesome especially for the fireworks!) You will come out right across from the Locks near a marina. We watch the fireworks from there regularly with our boys and it is a safe area. There will probably be about 30 other people there too. When you do go to Navy Pier there are several restaurants and a foodcourt area too. If you have a Landry's Club card, they have a Bubba Gump restaurant. You get priority seating with the card (search DIS for other benefits--its the same card you use for T-Rex or RFC). If you have any other questions please let me know. Enjoy!

 

[ltl engine]

Sorry forgot 1 thing...look at the website for the water taxis. You can buy a pass wit 10 or 15 rides that can be shared. We have used it and it keeps the boys interested. There is also a water taxi to Chinatown if you are interested.

 

[knockUout]

Great advice for firework viewing location. I am concerned about the Red LIne. That was our plan for getting to the White Sox game. What are other options to get from Embassy Suites downtown on Lake Street to the baseball stadium? Are taxis a viable option for a family of six? We will do the Citipass and that mentions avoiding lines --at the Shedd Aquarium I hope? I do so appreciate all of the info being provided.

 

[nuke]

Great advice for firework viewing location. I am concerned about the Red LIne. That was our plan for getting to the White Sox game. What are other options to get from Embassy Suites downtown on Lake Street to the baseball stadium? Are taxis a viable option for a family of six? We will do the Citipass and that mentions avoiding lines --at the Shedd Aquarium I hope? I do so appreciate all of the info being provided.

You should be okay on the Red Line. That is not one of the stops affected by the construction.

 

[kittycatalina65]

If you're planning on the Shedd, get there EARLY. Last time we went, at opening there was a 20 minute line to get in. I think with City Pass you can bypass some of the line, but by that afternoon, the line was all the way down the steps, and snaked around past the Field Museum. That's just to get in.
Lollapalooza will make that area a little congested, but not too bad in the mornings. You can sit and listen to the music too quite easily. There is a fountain over by the Bean, bring some clothes if you think the boys are going to want to splash around. Even jaded teenagers can't seem to resist. Seconding Garret's Popcorn...the city mix with cheese and caramel together! If it's good enough for Oprah, right?
There is a Lego store nearby too. I don't think it's at Water Tower, but maybe the mall that's near Willis Tower?
They have the larger van cabs, I don't know how many they fit but I think 6 would be reasonable. You can take a cab to Greektown and eat, if you're at all into Greek food. Pegasus has a rooftop deck.
I can't stand Ed Debevics, do I'm no help there. If you want a good burger, check out Hackney's, they have one on Printer's Row. We stayed at the Blackstone last time which is right across from Grant Park and has no trouble walking there. Really, Chicago is an easy city to get around.
Have fun!

 

[Karabee]

Not sure if someone mentioned this but I try to do a food tour in each new city I visit. We did one in Chicago and it was absolutely amazing. AMAZING! Our guide brought us all around, pointed out all the highlights as well as some "secrets" of Chicago and we ate at some really great places. Everything from a Polish bakery, to a spice shop, to pizza.
I always love these tours because afterwards you can talk to you guide about other things to do or places to eat and they will tell you the real deal.

 

[ltl engine]

Sorry I cannot really comment on the Red Line (but I would doubt they would close the station at US Cellular during baseball season..) I do see plenty of mini-van taxis downtown so you should not have a problem getting a cab. Whenever I need one I use American Taxi but I am not sure if that is for the suburbs only but you could check their website to see. Enjoy your visit!