In early July we decided to take an overnight trip to Chicago and I am finally getting around to sharing a few pictures!! I know I mentioned before that my husband had been on vacation and I cut back a lot with blogging during that time, then I was sick with a summer cold and once again didn't feel like blogging much. But he's back at work now and I am over my cold so I finally managed to get the post done!
I had an Amtrak ticket voucher from a cancelled trip to Chicago in January and when I read that American Ballet Theatre (America's National Ballet Company) was coming to downtown Chicago for one of their "ABT on Tour" stops, I thought this was the perfect time to visit.
Unfortunately my original hotel choice is way too expensive in the Summer, (the Kimpton Monaco - I love this boutique hotel on the Chicago River with its large window seats!) so instead I decided to to book a room in the Chicago Theatre District, at the Hampton Inn Majestic. While this hotel lacked the beautiful view, it does come with free breakfast and the location is just as good as the Kimpton Monaco with only a 7 minute walk to Millennium Park where the ABT was performing. Highly recommend if you don't necessarily care about the view but are looking for a good night's sleep. (It was definitely one of the most quiet hotels I ever stayed in!)
The train arrived mid-morning so we had plenty of time for sightseeing before we were able to check into the hotel and until our legs felt like they'd fall of :-). I don't know what it is about these big cities, but everything appears to be so close and by the time you reach your destination you have walked many miles!
This post may include some affiliate links, meaning I may earn a small commission if you purchase something through the links. As always, this is at no cost to you. Thank you so much for supporting this blog!
After stopping at the Pittsfield Cafe for lunch, our first stop was at the Millennium Park where the dancers would be performing at Pritzker Pavilion.
(Below is a photo of my lunch at the Pittsfield Café, I chose the California Dreams, which was a grilled Chicken sandwich with sliced Avocado, Swiss cheese and caramelized onions. Yum!! I discovered this café through TripAdvisor and it was our first time eating here but definitely not our last! My husband wasn't so sure about the building it was in (it's an old art deco building that's looks a bit abandoned when you first enter) but he too loved his food. And honestly I personally loved the building.
I'm sure most of you will recognize part of this Chicago landmark, the Bean a.k.a Cloud Gate ... you can see the flash of my camera with the four of us. This is the side of the bean.
And another view.
Outfit details for those of you interested:
- Utility Jacket by GAP (Old - Options: GAP // LL Bean // Amazon)
- AG Prima Jeans from Nordstrom Rack (also available HERE and HERE)
- Taos Star Canvas Sneakers in Beige Wash (Available at Zappos, Amazon and Taosfootwear) (These do run small so size up half)
- LOFT thin knit sweater (old - option)
- Baggallini Travel Crossbody Bag (Options)
Below is another view at the Chicago River, this time with Lake Michigan in the background. There are so many boat tour options in Chicago and I can't believe the only one we've ever taken was in 1999, which was a Lake Michigan Boat tour. I really want to take the Architectural Tour on the Chicago River, and will be sure to plan this next time when we visit the city.
After checking out a few stores at Water Tower Place on Michigan Avenue, we crossed over Lakeshore drive and onto Lakeshore Trail where we came upon one of Chicago's beaches.
This is Ohio Street Beach, I'm sure usually packed in the Summer but on this day it was cold and windy so not too many people here. But if you look closely on the right side, there were still some brave souls who got into the water.
