So you’re on your journey to Chicago in addition to a kick-ass itinerary filled up with deep dish pizza, the Willis Tower, and many Bean selfies — what an original Instagram feed you’ll have! Ok, yes these products are iconic to Chicago so you shouldn’t miss them, but don’t have the same sins tourists always commit and merely experience these overdone (albeit enjoyable) clichés. Children an area and you simply avoid these five common tourists missteps, and that means you have an exceptional, jealousy-inducing Chicago trip.
Mistake #1: Eating at ready made meals chain restaurants since you also say you’re using a budget
Forget Arby’s. We certainly have THE MEATS. Like, the juicy Maxwell Street Polish sausage and giant pork chop sandwich, snappy Vienna Beef sausages, award-winning burgers, towering corned beef sandwiches, along with the dripping goodness called the Italian beef. Along with the Cuban sandwich, Mexican torta, Puerto Rican jibarito, Greek gyro, Vietnamese banh mi… we certainly have every ethnic meat-and-bread combo you may want and mom-and-pop spots that were serving them for many years. If you’re going the frugal sandwich takeout route, offer the chains. These local haunts will clearly create happier.
Mistake #2: In the event that last call in the dark means last call for the night
When the hands of time strikes twelve and you’re out having fun, don’t make like Cinderella and rush off to call your ride home. Last call at one bar is by no means the signal to call it quits. In Chicago there’s a good number of 4 AM bars — with some even closing at 5 AM on weekends. Knowing this, prepare yourself to extend your itinerary every evening. Some ideas:
- Fill standing on sun, sand and waves at North Avenue Beach after you close up down Castaways, kick it with college co-eds, blues fans, together with other tourists at Kingston Mines. This beloved late-night blues bar (ready to accept 4 AM daily and until 5 AM Saturday) has bargain drinks, cheap covers, including a come-as-you-are philosophy.
- Streeterville Social has strong rooftop game but following your 12 AM closing time, head to Celeste, another swanky downtown spot where it’s cocktail o’clock until 4 AM (5 AM on Saturdays).
- In the thick of Logan Square’s nightlife scene, take this triangular bar hopping route for your spin. Craft distillery tour at Chicago Distilling Company, thirst quenchers outside at Spilt Milk, a round of retro drinks and duckpin bowling for the Pink Squirrel, and dancing in the evening at East Room (open until 5 AM Saturdays and 4 AM each alternate night).
Mistake #3: Taking cabs anywhere and everywhere
Chicago is an effective city for walking, but it also includes a top-notch public transit system. By bus or train, you can get anywhere. And cheaply. So skip around the cab, or Uber/Lyft, when you can because:
- Some routes have Instagram ready views, e.g. around the CTA Brown Line ‘L’ train about the Loop. You’re turning corners around skyscrapers, snooping into office building windows, and rumbling right in the Chicago River.
- You’re not waste time and money, e.g. traveling between airport. With regards to the hour, traffic can within the cost and use of that taxi ride from O’Hare or Midway, but by ‘L’ train (CTA Blue Line or Orange Line) those factors are placed.
Mistake #4: Only trying deep dish pizza
Yes, Chicago will recommend its famed deep dish pizza and therefore zealous loyalty is deserved. A great deal of cheese, chunks of meat knowning that golden crust — delicious. But those dense layers are going to have you slumped in a casserole-induced stupor within your college dorm posthaste. So while Lou Malnati’s is fantastic, it’s the definition of food coma. Instead, sample our city’s proud tavern-style pizza, made out of a skinny crust and square cut. Or have it all… exemplary types of Neapolitan-, Sicilian-, Detroit- or New York-style can be had throughout the city.
I could present you with a very, long-term variety of recommendations but i want to do one better. Please take a Pizza City USA bus tour and let your local pro expertly lead you through four pizzerias in 3.5 blissful hours.
Mistake #5: Only doing architecture tours (without packing your swimsuit)
The nickname Windy City doesn’t conjure up images or beaches, this is why a lot of people just follow run-of-the-mill architecture tours and don’t even pack a swimsuit. Nevertheless in Chicago, you can actually possess a beach getaway, even when it’s a nontraditional one. For trips between Memorial Day and Labor Day weekend, a swimsuit is really important for summer fun. Don’t be fooled by most of the steel and concrete of downtown. You possibly can shop The Magnificent Mile then dip your toes at Oak Street Beach, nestled relating to the skyscrapers, in one swoop. Which consists of bright blue waters and seemingly endless horizon, Lake Michigan with this standpoint will change the method that you contemplate lakes. You should definitely muscle tissue kayaking down the Chicago River for any alternative take a look at those skyscrapers.
