My husband and I will be going to the Cubs game on Saturday, May 2nd. We%26#39;ll be driving in on Friday and won%26#39;t be there until probably 1pm and then leaving after the game on Saturday. With such a limited amount of time, I%26#39;m having a really hard time planning our trip.
I%26#39;ve read that it%26#39;s best to stay downtown and take public transportation out to Wrigley instead of staying in Wrigleyville but if it%26#39;s only for one night with limited time, would that recommendation still be the best?
We had hoped to do the Field Museum on Friday but since the last admission is at 4pm, I just don%26#39;t know that it will be feasible. So I%26#39;m looking for things to do in the late afternoon and evening since museums are out.
We haven%26#39;t booked a hotel yet since we were undecided as to where would be best to stay. I know this is really general but if anyone can point me in the right direction, that would be great! Neither of us have been to Chicago in years so I%26#39;m lost. Just not sure what we can do with the time restrictions.
Thanks!
Overwhelmed--Staying only 1 night
It REALLY depends on what you and your husband like to do. Shopping, eating, walking around and seeing the sights? I would agree that there is no need to stay near Wrigley. It%26#39;s very easy to take the ';L'; there. When you do book your hotel I would make sure that it is okay to park your car there until after the game. I wouldn%26#39;t drive to Wrigleyville on game day, the parking and traffic will be bad and there are a lot of parking restrictions in that area is well.
Overwhelmed--Staying only 1 night
My opinion:
Stay downtown. You can get the Hotel Conrad that night for $125 or the Hotel Monaco (with free parking!) for $119. These are two of the absolute best hotels in Chicago, both at amazing prices.
Check these sites for the deals. Also available are the Sax and Hard Rock, both good options:
www.travel-ticker.com/Destination/Chicago
http://hotels.travelzoo.com/chicago-hotels/
If you are very interested in the Field Museum, probably head straight there before checking in, if you have 2-3 hours you will probably see a lot.
If the weather is nice, another option would be a boat tour, Chicago Architecture is amazing, so that could be a good time, I like the tours that do a combo, of out in Lake Mi, and down the Chicago River (up close to the buildings), like Wendella. but there are a few different companies,
Pick a hotel downtown near the Red-line (state St.) with the new renovations it is around 20-25 mins from Wrigley to Downtown. Very quick
You can go to the First Friday Party at the Museum of Contemporary Art. The musuem is right off north michigan ave in the tourist district where other posters are suggesting you stay. It%26#39;s a big party and admission includes appetizers, museum entrance, a fun social scene with a cash bar. The party starts at 6 and goes to 10. www.mcachicago.org/programs/ff.php鈥?/a>
I appreciate the opinions especially since I have such little to go on. It will be a quick trip this time but we hope to come back soon when we have more time.
Are the Conrad and Monaco near the red line? We%26#39;d like to keep our trip out to Wrigley as simple as possible since neither of us is familar with the city. We%26#39;re open for things to do that night, I guess we should see what%26#39;s near those hotels and go from there. We were thinking of going up to the Hancock observatory deck..would that be worth doing at night? Once we find somewhere for dinner and maybe a drink we should be all set. I%26#39;d like to find places close to the hotel with our limited time.
Thanks!!
Both Hotels are near the Redline, Conrad Grand Stop, Monaco, Lake Stop.
Second the suggestion for the Monaco with the free parking, especially since you will be driving in. Go ahead and make your reservation, as rooms are limited but you can cancel without penalty up until the day before.
As mentioned above, the Monaco is maybe 1 block to the red line...
If you decide to do the Hancock I would try to get there before dark. It could be really pretty if you are there at sunset. You could incorporate a walk on the Magnificent Mile, and there are a ton of restaurants and bars in this area. Yes, its a bit ';touristy,'; but since you%26#39;re only going to be there for one night, why not do something touristy? Even though it is a chain, I have fond memories of going to Grand Lux Cafe many years ago. There is lots of fun people watching on the Mag Mile too.
Thanks again everyone for your suggestions...we%26#39;ve booked the Monaco for our stay. :)
I think we%26#39;ve got just about everything figured out with the exception of dinner for Friday night. We%26#39;re looking for somewhere with good American food, but not too stuffy or pretentious. We%26#39;d prefer to be able to pronounce what we%26#39;re eating and probably no more than $100 for both of us. We%26#39;re hoping to find somewhere in the general area of our hotel, and we%26#39;d just feel more comfortable at a place more on the casual side.
So far I%26#39;ve come across Rockit Bar %26amp; Grill but I%26#39;m afraid it%26#39;s more a bar that happens to have food. The other issue we%26#39;re facing is that my husband is allergic to seafood.
If anyone has any suggestions, that would be great!!
www.atwoodcafe.com
