Long Weekend in Chicago

This past New Year's we decided to take a quick getaway. We stumbled upon reasonably priced flights to Chicago and decided to book it. Chicago has been on our list for awhile. Despite the EXTREMELY cold weather it was amazing! We loved every second of visiting Chicago and hope to go back soon... although hopefully in the summer time!

The first stop was for pizza was at Giordano's. They have many different types of pizzas, sandwiches and even dishes including chicken parm and fettuccine alfredo. We ordered the spinach, artichoke and feta pizza and the pepperoni deep dish pizza.

The next morning we ate breakfast at Wildberry Pancakes and Cafe. I highly recommend this place but there can be a long wait. We stumbled upon this place and waited about 30 minutes to be seated. There were about 20 other groups waiting to be seated and we all had to stand out in the cold before we were seated. Once we were seated the service was great and the food came quickly. If you don't mind waiting for a table, definitely add this stop to your list!

Since we visited in December/January it was peak football season. This is a fun experience the whole family can enjoy. We did not purchase tickets ahead of time. We bought them the morning of. We did search for tickets a couple days before and kept an eye on the prices. We bought tickets that were $30 each (plus $15 service fee per ticket) for a total of $90. There were cheaper tickets available but these tickets gave us access to the United Club, which allowed us to warm up between quarters. Inside the United Club there are food and drinks available for purchase and lots of tables to sit at. The atmosphere was fun and the view was like no other!

Before visiting Chicago this is the image that always came to mind. This was a must see for me during our trip! "The Bean" or "Cloud Gate" is located inside Millennium Park. Millennium Park is a lakefront park in Chicago’s downtown loop. There are many things to do at the park. In the winter time, when we were there they had an ice rink set up. Maggie Daley Park is also located inside Millennium Park and is a perfect spot for the kids or to take an afternoon stroll. Other places to visit include the Chicago Riverwalk. I imagine it is even more beautiful during the warmer months, but it is still fun to walk along in the winter, just be careful it is quite slippery especially when it's snowing!

Wrigley Field, where the Chicago Cubs play is a quick 20-25 minute cta ride away. The cta is called the Metro in Chicago. It is quite easy to navigate and runs throughout the city and above the streets! You can buy a 1-day CTA pass for $5. This provides unlimited rides for 24 hours from the time of purchase. The stop for Wrigley Field is Addison and the redline provides direct service to the field. There are stores around Wrigley Field and lots of restaurants. I would set aside only a few hours to a half day to spend here unless you're going to a Cubs game!