Chicago

So before I go off talking about our trip to Seattle, I thought I'd share what we've learned from our trip in Chicago last month. We only spent 3 days and 3 nights in Chicago and what we've accomplished in those three days were beyond every tourist-y thing we've done here in LA.

The trip was amazing. From meeting our relatives to exploring the beautiful city of Chicago, we did not run out of things to do at all. We visited so many places in such a short time that during our flight to back to LA, I had to recount the tourist spots (if you will) that we visited. After looking at our list, I felt pretty bad ass that we were able to visit all the places. There were a lot...and I mean A LOT of other tourists because of the sporting events going on that weekend and the on top of that, there was a jazz music fest too. It was crazy but it's the good kind of crazy. Here is a video to prove all the fun we had:



Our Chicago trip also proved that Ron is THE BEST travel buddy for me. So glad that he's just as excited and thrilled as I am when touristing and he actually was able to handle my whining towards the end of Saturday because I was so damn tired. Also, the uber driver dropped us off at the wrong side of Millennium Park instead of dropping us off right in front of THE Bean. That gave us a chance to explore more though! And I got to take this beautiful picture...

This actually made me ask: How in the world did we do it? We usually suck in being tourists because we love sleeping in when we don't have the dogs with us (no morning walks required). So even though I am no Chicago expert, here are some things that worked for us.

Manage your time. Don't spend too long in one place. Museums take time, some places have shows and time is against you so make sure to manage it well. We started our days by waking up at 730am and making sure that we're out before 930am. We ate heavy breakfasts to make sure that we're fueled up.

Know where to go. One of our friends recommended getting a CityPASS. We got to go 5 different tourist spots with VIP entry/fast passes for only a fraction of the cost--$96 to be exact, and by doing that, we saved $102. A few of the passes require you to choose one from two places but don't worry, you still get a discount if you want to visit the other place.

Walk if you can, Uber if you can't. Towards the end of Saturday, I was all whiney and tired so Ron and I did not make walking a choice to go to Skydeck. We took an Uber instead and leaving the place, we took another Uber to take us to the Millennium Park. I guess I should also say that do NOT for any reason rent a car especially if you're staying in Downtown Chicago. Parking there costs a fortune and they have angry, honky drivers in the city. Seriously.

Stay in Downtown Chicago. This can get pricey, I understand. Fortunately, we have family that has a condo in downtown so we had the luxury to stay at her place. But you know what, I can imagine spending a few hundred bucks to stay in downtown well worth it. Maybe try airbnb.com?