Chicago Travel Guide…

Outfit Details: Free People Get Down One Sleeve Top (on sale for under $27!)| J Brand Cropped Skinny Jeans | Gucci Leather Belt with Interlocking G | Banana Republic Eugenia Kim Willa Hat | Gucci Marmont Shoulder Bag | Steve Madden Gerard Sandals | Gucci Sunglasses | Kenneth Jay Layne Sphere Drop Earrings | YSL Lipstick (Smoking Plum)

Chicago City Pass

Just before summer break came to a close for the kids, we decided to take one final vacation. We wanted to keep the vacation simple and easy, so we decided to head to Chicago for the week. From southeastern Michigan, Chicago is a fairly easy trip to make (by car it only takes about 4 1/2 hours). One can also take the train for a very affordable price. There is so much to see and do in Chicago, that the drive is definitely worth it!

To make the vacation as easy as possible to plan, we purchased the Chicago City Pass. The Chicago City Pass allows you to have VIP admission to the most iconic attractions in the city:

• Shedd Aquarium – PRIORITY ENTRY
• Skydeck Chicago – FAST PASS
• The Field Museum – VIP ENTRY
• Museum of Science and Industry   OR   360 CHICAGO – EXPRESS ENTRY 
• Adler Planetarium – VIP ENTRY   OR   Art Institute of Chicago – FAST PASS

The Chicago City Pass  is available for $99.75 for adults and $84.75 for children. One can save over 50% the standard ticket price by buying the City Pass. We knew we wanted to see multiple sites in the city, so the decision to buy the City Pass was easy for us!

We arrived later in the day so the first thing we did was head to the Willis (Sears) tower to check out the Chicago Skydeck. On the 103 floor there is “The Ledge” – a glass box that juts out from the tower. Here you can stand and see the entire city and 50 miles beyond! It is terrifying and exhilarating at the same time when you step into the Ledge and see hundreds of feet below you. It truly is an unforgettable experience!

We ended up going to the Museum of Science and Industry on the second day. This museum is a must-see attraction! I went with the kids, and there were so many different fun and educational activities to do there. You can take a simulated flight, ride in a submarine, and even experience going deep into a coal mine.  Learn about space, agriculture, aeronautics, the human body and so much more at the Museum of Science and Industry.  The museum is so huge, you could spend several days here and not see it all!

On the third day we went to the Shedd Aquarium, the Adler Planetarium, and we ended the day at Navy Pier. At the Shedd we were able to see beluga whales, a dolphin show, as well as thousands of sea creatures from all around the world. My kids had a blast here too! My daughter has a love of astronomy so later in the day we went to the Adler Planetarium, which is within walking distance from the Shedd. Here we saw the history of the US Space Program and we even got to watch a show in the planetarium. We took a bus to Navy Pier for dinner and got to ride on the Centennial Wheel. It was a lot to do in one day, but everything was fairly close together so that made seeing everything fairly easy. My only wish was that we would have had a chance to go to the Field Museum, but that will be for another trip.

Our final tourist adventure was the Architectural Boat Tour. I highly recommend this as it was such a fun experience! We got to sit back and relax as we cruised along the river. Our tour guide gave a wonderful guided tour. We learned about the history and significance of each of the Chicago skyscrapers. This 75 minute tour was quite entertaining as well!

Hilton Chicago Magnificent Mile

As for our hotel, we ended up staying at the Hilton Chicago Magnificent Mile Suites. This lovely hotel is located in the heart of the shopping district in Chicago, less than a block away from the John Hancock building. The facility is nice, clean, and because they are suites there was plenty of room for our family. The room itself was very affordable at under $200 a night. For a little over $25 extra per day, we had full access to the buffet breakfast in the hotel. The food was wonderful! And what a great way to feed the entire family at a very affordable price. I would definitely stay here again!

A final word about my outfit. I firmly believe that wearing white after Labor day is not a fashion faux pas. This super cute top from Free People is so chic, and better yet it is on sale for under $27 (over 50% off the original price!). This top also comes in blue. I kept the look simple by pairing it with a simple pair of white jeans (previously worn here, here, and here), a belt, and a hat. A perfect look for a day on vacation, date night, or lunch with friends.

As always, thanks for looking!

xo | April

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