Day 1
The immigration nightmare was finally over and we finally had the chance to have some fun. We chose Chicago because it is closer to Louisville than any other Japan Airlines destinations in the American region. We had always wanted to take a road trip, and this was the perfect opportunity. Joe booked a very nice room at The Whitehall Hotel in downtown Chicago for a couple of days. We didn't even have to worry about the parking because it was included and if you've ever been to Chicago, then you know how expensive the parking fee is, it's up to $50 a day. Therefore, you have to book the hotel carefully. Some hotels have good deals on their own websites which include great parking packages. This hotel included valet service with in and out privileges for only $10 a day.
It was the perfect place to rest after such a tiring experience. We purchased the Chicago CityPASS for $98 each. CityPASS gives you VIP admission & Fast Pass to 5 must-see Chicago attractions such as:
- Shedd Aquarium - VIP Entry
- Skydeck Chicago - Fast Pass
- The Field Museum and Underground Adventure - VIP Entry
- Adler Planetarium OR The Art Institute of Chicago - Fast Pass
- 360 CHICAGO OR Museum of Science & Industry plus OMNIMAX - Fast Pass
We decided to start the tour the next day considering Ayu just had a long-haul flight and we wanted to take the first day slowly for her to adapt with the temperature and help with jetlag. After we went shopping for some winter clothes, we began our adventure at the Lincoln Park Zoo. There was no entrance fee and even though there were not many animals there, it was still fun.
Our first plan was we wanted to try to ice skate at the McCormick Tribune Ice Rink at night, but when we checked the place, it was closed and the ice wasn't thick enough for that so we decided to cancel. We went to a Vietnamese Restaurant called Le Colonial Restaurant for dinner and their crème brûlée was ah-mazing!
Day 2
The first destination for today was the Cloud Gate. We read many blogs mentioned that if you don't wanna be met by a huge crowd then it's best you arrive there very early. People don't go there until around 8 AM, so we decided to get there before 8 AM. We went up really early and went to the Cloud Gate at 7 AM. We ordered an Uber because we had more destinations to visit and we didn't want to be bothered with finding empty spot to park. We thought that many people would have been there but apparently we were the first ones which was great because we could have the Cloud Gate for ourselves and take many pictures.
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| The Cloud Gate (The Bean) |
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| Under The Bean |
It was a cold, foggy morning that day. After taking many pictures from different angles, we finally decided it was time to have breakfast. People started coming to the Cloud Gate 30 mins after we arrived so we wanted to give them a chance to enjoy it as well. We went to another French named restaurant called Le Pain Quotidien in Michigan Avenue to have breakfast and hot chocolate. We stayed there until around 09:30 AM because the next destination was Skydeck Chicago which opens at 10 AM in winter.
We were so excited to see the Chicago from one of the two tallest buildings there but all of the expectations we had died when we realized that the fog was too thick and we could not see much of anything. We waited for an hour in case the fog would disappear but it was only getting worse so we decided to leave. We had one more visit to another tallest building and we hoped that it would be better.
We were planning to go to 360 Chicago or famously known as John Hancock Observatory at night but the fog was still too thick so we buried the idea and kept hoping the next day would be better or it was gonna be very disappointing. Ayu was not feeling good so we skipped the Buckingham Fountain. We heard that it is recommended to go there at night because of the lights, maybe next time.
Day 3
Considering that we were going to go to Medieval Times & Tournament tonight this day, we had to check out from The Whitehall hotel as it is a 45 minute drive to the tournament. We checked out in the morning and we kept our things and car at the hotel as it was allowed until 4 PM. Today's plan was to visit Shedd Aquarium, The Field Museum and Adler Planetarium which are located in the same area.
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| Shedd Aquarium |
Shedd Aquarium is an indoor public aquarium in Chicago that opened on May 30, 1930. As we funneled in with the rest of the masses to the Shedd Aquarium, there was some initial confusion as to where us CitiPASS users would go. Ultimately, we found our way and eventually made it inside where we could see all of the fish and other assortment of aquatic life.
Our next stop was the Field Museum of Natural History.
Joe had been there before on a school trip so he was excited to see if again. Here are some pictures we took:
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| Inside Ancient Egypt |
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| Sue |
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We then took a tour of the Adler Planetarium after.
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| Free movie at the planetarium |
Once we were done with that, we had to get to Medieval Times in time for the dinner show.
Medieval Times Dinner and Tournament is a family dinner theater featuring staged medieval-style games, sword-fighting, and jousting. Medieval Times Entertainment, the holding company for the nine theaters, is headquartered in Irving, Texas (source: Wikipedia).
We got the Celebration Package which is $18 extra per person. The package includes VIP Seating, Group Photo for each member of the party (though we passed on this), Cheering banner, VIP Lanyard, a personalized announcement during the show, and most importantly, cake.
We did not get the flowers and our team lost, sadly.
In closing, Chicago was fun, a bit overwhelming and of course, memorable. We hope to come back and explore the rest of it soon!
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