Travel article: My Weekend in Chicago

A couple of months ago I spent a couple days with a childhood friend in Chicago. Luckily this was a little after summer so the weather was toned down a bit. Humid, but bearable. I was talking to a friend and remembered how much fun I had! So much so that I wanted to relive the trip and write a bit about my experience there.

Getting to the City

Some people might not like the idea of taking public transport because it’s unsafe, dirty, or some other stereotypical reason. I took the train from O’hare airport to my friends apartment. There are some seedy areas along the way but you ride past them for the most part. There’s extended amounts of trees and forest area that’s signature to the midwest, which I’m a fan of. It’s really kind of a relaxing ride if you’re willing to give it a try. I know many people prefer the comfort of a car and it’s tough to argue with them on that sometimes.

Chicago Riverwalk

The Riverwalk was the first thing that we did and it was one of my favorites. It isn’t necessarily a “thing” to do, it’s more of a leisurely walk along the Chicago River. It’s calming within the hectic ness of the city. Runners politely whizz by as you saunter along and take a look at the architecture that respectfully hangs near the river. We found a place to stop that had coffee and just sat and enjoyed the view. We had a great conversation and admired the mix of buildings which ranged from the antique brick to the modern skyscrapers. They mix well together.

Millenium Park

We then headed to Millennium Park which has the infamous metallic “Bean”. I learned that it actually is called Cloud Gate. Interesting. Besides the giant reflective bean Millennium Park occasionally has some events going on that resemble farmers markets or other similar, small community gatherings. There was a local band playing which had some relaxing music that set the mood for a fall day. I’d definitely recommend checking out Millennium Park if you’re looking for an outdoor place to hang out for a bit.

Buckingham Fountain

A short walk away from Millennium Park is the Buckingham Fountain. It’s a magnificent piece of architecture. To be honest I never thought a fountain would be a great destination but it’s really impressive. It feels like a fountain you would find somewhere in France but it’s massive. There are stone tiling that lead up to it and its a few blocks away from the city so it allows you to get a great view of the skyline.

Wrigleyville

We eventually climbed into a town car and headed towards Wrigleyville. The area has recently been redone and has some impressive contemporary buildings that you would expect to find around a sports stadium. There are still a handful of hole in the wall bars that are a lot of fun as well. We opted to go to a mix of the 2 types to get a feel for the old and the new. There was a bar crawl going on in the area that we followed around when we felt like it. It was fun to take in the spirit of the area and I walked away feeling the love the locals had for their sports team.

Navy Pier

The last notable part of the trip was to Navy Pier. It’s a little outside of the city but by no means far away. If you’re looking around the city, Navy Pier is the place that has the Ferris wheel on the water. There’s various things to do but I liked it more for it’s “hang out” attitude. It’s a cute place that reminds you of a classic pier/light carnival. There are some boat tours that you opt in for which I’ve taken on previous trips but decided not to go this time. They give you a more in depth tour of the architecture and basically follow the Chicago River that I talked about earlier.

Overall a great trip. I’m more of the type who likes to relax and not have a strict itinerary. Chicago is a great place to do it. It’s a big city but it’s not as hectic as somewhere such as New York. I had a great time and am already thinking about the next time that I can head back!

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