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Chicago, IL |
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| View baggage charges Flights : - Your choice of roundtrip flight from New York City | ||||||
| Car: - Your choice of rental car |
| Package prices include all tax recovery charge & service fees | |
| Leaving Sat, Nov 21 | |
| Returning Mon, Nov 23 | from $322 per person |
| Returning Tue, Nov 24 | from $331 per person |
| Leaving Wed, Nov 25 | |
| Returning Sun, Nov 29 | from $492 per person |
| Returning Mon, Nov 30 | from $415 per person |
| Leaving Thu, Nov 26 | |
| Returning Sun, Nov 29 | from $647 per person |
| Returning Mon, Nov 30 | from $614 per person |
| Returning Tue, Dec 1 | from $588 per person |
| Leaving Fri, Nov 27 | |
| Returning Sun, Nov 29 | from $498 per person |
| Returning Mon, Nov 30 | from $434 per person |
| Returning Tue, Dec 1 | from $469 per person |
| Leaving Sat, Nov 28 | |
| Returning Mon, Nov 30 | from $376 per person |
| Returning Tue, Dec 1 | from $364 per person |
Chicago, IL: Why Go
Breeze into the Windy City, where you'll be blown away by a skyline of famous skyscrapers, miles of magnificent shopping, and nothing less than that spirited, Mid-Western charm.
Where the locals go: Chug an "Old Style" and bite into a hot dog while cheering the Cubbies at Wrigley Field, arguably the country's most charming ball park. Hard-core fans may sit in the bleachers in hopes of catching a homerun hit, but there's hardly a bad seat at the "Friendly Confines."
History lesson: Chicago is the birthplace of the modern skyscraper. Opt for the Chicago Architecture Foundation's River Cruise--touristy, but undoubtedly the most awe-inspiring perspective on everything from Art Deco masterpieces to Ludwig Mies van der Rohe's minimalism.
Did we mention it's free? From tropical skinks and salamanders to arctic penguins and polar bears, a visit to Lincoln Park Zoo is a crowd-pleaser. Open 365 days a year, this zoo, established in 1868, is among the nation's oldest.
Local flavor: You can't go wrong with porterhouse, rib-eye, or any other slab of meat at the original Mortons, the paradigm of Chicago-style steakhouses. And whether you take yours deep-dish or stuffed, you've got to try the "pot pie" pizza at Chicago Pizza & Oven Grinder.
As seen on TV: Channel John Belushi's short-order cook stint on SNL with a "Cheezburgah, Cheezburgah, Cheezburgah...," at the skit's inspiration, the Billy Goat Tavern, home to a killer double-cheeseburgah on a Kaiser roll.
The real deal: Lighten up at The Second City, the comedy club where the likes of Dan Aykroyd, Mike Myers, Bill Murray, and Chris Farley got their big breaks -- we think it's a national treasure, no joke.
Get your bearings: If you want to get around Chicago like a Chicagoan, get to know "the Loop" and "the L." Think: the Loop is the business district that is circled by the mass-transit, elevated train called the L (and the Chicago River).
Place we love, even if it's touristy: With 110 stories rising a quarter mile into the sky, the Sears Tower is the tallest building in North America. On a clear day you can see four states from the skydeck on the 103rd floor.
Where to blow a paycheck: Rain, snow, or shine, shopaholics flock to the Magnificent Mile, packed with department stores, boutiques, and specialty shops. Nearby on State Street is the historic, ornate Marshall Fields with a Tiffany ceiling and a lavishly decorated Great Tree during the holidays.
Recommendations & Suggestions
Chicago Chop House
60 West Ontario Street
between North Clark & Dearborn Streets
Phone: 312.787.7100
With Chicago-style decor, a clubby ambiance and a convenient River North location, Chicago Chop House is popular with locals and visitors looking for a serious steakhouse experience. Consistently rated one of the top 10 steakhouses in the country, this restaurant, located in a restored Victorian brownstone, offers live piano music in the evenings. Make sure to check out the photographs chronicling Chicago.
Diversey-River Bowl
2211 West Diversey Avenue
Phone: 773.227.5800
It's a bowling alley, it's a nightclub, it's...Diversey-River Bowl. If you've ever wanted to combine disco tunes, black lights and the din of 36 lanes of falling pins, you've found heaven, complete with laser light shows. From the giant blaring speakers to the pizza (courtesy of Gino's East) and quality beer selection, this is your chance to party with bowling balls and diffusion smoke machines. Known as "Rock n'Bowl" to locals, the alley's got a display case full of pins signed by local and national legends, including rock star Eddie Vedder. Bowling's not your first love? Don't worry, there's an arcade full of cool toys, from new-fangled video golf machines (real clubs and balls!) to old-fashioned skee ball and air hockey games. The music starts at 8:30pm nightly, except Thursdays, when it kicks off at 11pm.
Gino's East of Chicago
633 N. Wells
Legendary deep dish pizza in a restaurant that combines ambiance and charm.Every wall is covered with customer-scribed graffiti. The stuffed spinach pizza is gigantic and it's difficult to stretch your mouth around, but once you do you won't be sorry. The polenta crust is absolutely delicious. Gino's offers much more than just pizza, they also serve excellent pastas and sandwiches. The prices are very reasonable: $13 for a medium stuffed pizza, $8 for pasta and $6 for a sandwich.
Jilly's
1009 North Rush Street
Named for Frank Sinatra's close personal friend and bodyguard, the late Jilly Russo, this hybrid steakhouse/piano bar/nightclub is definitely an only-in-Chicago affair. The bar and disco are a stronger draw than the Italian steakhouse fare (yes, an Italian steakhouse--welcome to Chicago!) served upstairs, which claims to recreate the foods Ol' Blue Eyes loved best. A classy homage to the old Jilly's in Manhattan, Jilly's has a hot bar scene, thanks in part to its Rush Street location. There's also a VIP room in back and a large dance floor. The piano bar has live music nightly and a dress code, while the Retro Club spins 70's tunes. Both are open to patrons 25 and older.
Kingston Mines
2548 North Halsted Street
Phone: 773.477.4646
Hey Big Daddy, come on Pretty Mama, fuse with the blues at Chicago's oldest and largest Blues Club. Feed your soul and ears, and don't forget your belly--try the serious St. Louis Style Pork Ribs or Louisiana Fried Catfish, hot and fresh from Doc's Kitchen. Kingston Mines is the king of Chicago's famous blues scene, with live music daily and two stages on weekends.
What's Going On in Chicago
Various
Check out this week's happenings in Chicago:
- The storied ivy-covered walls of Wrigley Field are home to a talented Chicago Cubs team in 2005. Loyal fans will be in the bleachers to root for Greg Maddux, Derrek Lee, and a finally-healthy Nomar Garciaparra as the Cubbies take on Albert Pujols and the Cardinals (9/15-18; www.mlb.com for tickets and details.)
- It turns out the House of Blues is an inclusive dwelling for music of all types, with acts like Robert Earl Keen (9/8), Lisa Marie Presley (9/11), and Bloc Party (9/14) on the schedule (www.hob.com/venues/clubvenues/chicago/?).
- The Art Institute of Chicago presents Toulouse-Lautrec and Monmarte, the first major exhibition of the popular 19th Century painter since 1992. We recommend you order tickets ahead of time as they will be hard to get day of (through 10/10/05; www.artic.edu for details).
