Chicago Adventure

We took a Chicago adventure to see Sarah Brightman on her Hymn Tour and managed to pack in some of the best the city has to offer in just three days. We stayed in a great hotel, had awesome food and took in some of the musical history. The thing to remember about Chicago is that there is so much to do, it would be impossible to do it all in one short visit.

Transportation

Even though we only live 246 miles from Chicago, we decided to fly instead of drive for this Chicago adventure. When you factor in gas money, tolls, parking ($75.00/night at our hotel) and time, it was actually less expensive for us to fly. It was just a short 45 minute flight which gave us more time to explore the city.

If you have ever driven in Chicago, you know it can be crazy. We found the train station on the lowest level of O’Hare Airport and bought a three day, unlimited rides pass for the CTA trains for just $20.00. While it was a little confusing at first, it didn’t take long to get the hang of how the trains worked. The CTA has great route maps that you can access online from your phone. The trains will take you to places like Wrigley Field but we found there were times it was easier to take an Uber/Lyft.

Accommodations

We stayed at the awesome Renaissance Chicago Downtown Hotel during our Chicago adventure. We were on the fourteenth floor and had an amazing view of the Chicago River. The hotel was in walking distance of the theater district and The Magnificent Mile. It also featured restaurants, shopping, bars and a Starbucks on site. Our time at the Renaissance felt more posh than just a normal hotel stay. Our room was exceptionally clean and larger than just the average hotel room, offering a large, bright bathroom. Even though the hotel was a step above, the price was still competitive to others in the same area.

Food, food and more food

Chicago is known for having great food and we found just a few of the awesome places the city has to offer. The first day of our Chicago adventure there was on Valentine’s Day. We wanted something close to our hotel so we did our research and decided on The Tortoise Supper Club. As soon as we walked through the door, we knew we had found the right place to celebrate this special day. The ambiance was very romantic and the service was impeccable. We both got the filet mignon and it practically melted in our mouths. Of course, we managed to find room for dessert which was to die for.

The next day we had lunch at Sugar Factory. When you first walk in, you are greeted with hundreds of different candy options you can purchase. We had reservations so we were seated right away. The atmosphere was very fun and whimsical. They are known for their 60 oz smoking candy goblets but we opted to share the fried mac & cheese appetizer, cheeseburger and fries. And, as usual, we saved room for dessert and washed it all down with a huge, chocolate shake. It was a good thing we had a lot of walking ahead of us that day!

The following day, we ventured a little further and went to Pequod’s in the Lincoln Park District. Everyone knows Chicago is known for their pizza and we received this tip from a local. We arrived at lunch time and the place was packed! We waited about 20 minutes and then were escorted to the second floor. There was a lot of Blackhawks jerseys and memorabilia scattered throughout the restaurant. We ordered the cheesy garlic bread as an appetizer and got a medium pan pizza. We should have gotten a small because, oh my goodness, it was a lot of pizza! What made this pizza stand out was the signature caramelized crust.

We finished our time in Chicago with dinner at Gene and Georgetti Steakhouse. This restaurant has been a Chicago staple since 1941 and when you walk in, you can really feel the history. There is no other way to describe the service than by saying it was top notch. The staff was always right there to get anything you needed before you even asked for it. We started with an appetizer of fried ravioli then Caeser salad. We each got the filet mignon (Do you see a pattern?) and we shared sides of garlic mashed potatoes, sauteed broccoli and Vesuvio potatoes. We are both steak fans (obviously) but we were not prepared for how great that steak was going to be. All of the food was phenomenal.

When we go on vacation, we like to go places that we don’t have back home. But we also collect Hard Rock Cafe and Margaritaville shirts so we had to go to both of these places. We also stopped at House of Blues since, you know, Chicago is all about the blues.

Activities

Being big Phantom of the Opera fans, we were very excited to see Sarah Brightman was going on tour again. The closest she came to us was Chicago. And that, is when our first travel adventure was born. As impressive as the outside sign and facade of the Chicago Theatre are, the inside is even more breathtaking. It is the most beautiful theater we have ever seen. We can’t stress enough that you should take the opportunity to see an event in this theater.

As far as Ms. Brightman, there is no way we could possibly critique her performance except to say it was unbelievable. Two of the highlights for us were “Time to Say Goodbye” and, of course, “The Phantom of the Opera.” Check out her upcoming shows and take your own adventure to see her. It will be worth the trip!

The next day we headed to Chess Records now known as Willie Dixon’s Blues Heaven Foundation. In the 1950’s, Chess Records was the home to such artists as Willie Dixon, Muddy Waters, Etta James and The Rolling Stones. When our Uber driver dropped us off in front of the unassuming building, we weren’t quite sure what to expect. Once inside, we were taken on a tour of blues history. The highlight of the tour was sitting in the same studio where Etta James recorded her classic song, “At Last” as the tour guide played her song over the speakers.

Our last adventure while in Chicago was a trip to the United Center to see the Columbus Blue Jackets take on the Blackhawks. We stood out in our Blue Jackets jerseys among the sea of Blackhawk fans. While the Chicago fans had some good-natured fun with us, they treated us with respect and represented their team well. It didn’t hurt that the Blue Jackets ended up winning. 🙂 While the game offered a night of great entertainment, just being in the building itself was a special treat. We got to see the legendary Bulls National Championship trophies, the Championship banners for the Bulls and Blackhawks and the iconic Michael Jordan statue.

While these were the highlights, we also went to Reckless Records, where the movie High Fidelity was filmed, Buddy Guy’s Legends, Navy Pier and The Magnificent Mile. Our three days flew by and we are already planning our next adventure back to Chicago. Next time will be in the spring or summer when it’s not 20 degrees.

Check out our video adventure below…