Travel Answers

I will visit Chicago with my family in the next July , I´ll stay in my huncle´s house, he lives in 26th street and kedzie (La Villita) ¿What recomendations of securty could you give us?

i need to know what metra trains to take to get from oak forest il metra train station to franklin park il

Staying in Oakbrook Terrace and planning a trip into Chicago for the day. Would it be better to catch the train or bus and travel in or to drive in, park and ride the train? Safest?

I remember a ride back in the 1980s that was in town and went up a tall hill--like a gondola or skyride. Am I remembering correctly? And what ever happened to it?

Hello. I will visit Chicago this summer and i really want to see/visit The Oprah Winfrey store. When I checked on the Internet found that it´s closed!!!!!!!!!! :(
Do somebpdy know if the site it´s closed for shopping online or the store is closed also ?
I´m travelling from Sweden and I don´t know how to find out.
Please help me.

Thx, have a great day!

What is a good, small, centrally located hotel that has some character?

Hey Guys,

My girl friend and I are visiting Chicago on the 4th of July to watch the fireworks from Navy Pier, we will be staying about 20 min outa downtown. I have included a rental car in our trip, my question is should I leave the rental car at our hotel and ride the train downtown or is it a possibility to park down there? We are staying at The Champagne lodge if that helps any.

As a VT Travel Ambassador for Chicago I'm personally inviting each and every one of you to Chicago this summer. Our festival season is beginning and there is a wide range of activities for everyone of all ages. And if you are going to be in the area and can't make the big Euro Meet on the weekend of June 21 to June 23 you can come to my hometown in the suburbs as we will have a mini VT meeting on Saturday, June 22. And if you can't come this year, start planning that trip for next year! See You Soon

We are flying into O'hare July 16 and driving to Saugatuck, MI for three days then back to Penninsula Hotel downtown Chicago. We want to take train from airport to downtown car rental location and drop off when back in Chicago so we don't have to park or drive downtown. Then train back to O'Hare. What route for train and where is closest rental company to train station downtown?

I'm coming for the first time and have got 2 full days in Chicago. Can anyone tell me what they think about the itinerary I want to follow, like if it's realistically possible? Staying at Essex Inn. Day 1: bus to Lou Mitchell's for breakfast; walk to Willis tower; entrance to Skydeck; walk to Tribune tower, Michigan Ave Bridge, Route 66 Begin signpost. PM: Millenium Park (The Bean, Crown Fountain, Nichols bridgeway) Buckingham Fountain at sunset; dinner near hotel at Lou Malnati's. Day 2: River Architecture boat tour; Chicago Cultural Center; Magnificent Mile; Navy Pier.
Any ideas for lunch in town, both days? Most interested in something quick like hot dog or deli sandwich. Thanks guys!

Hey everyone... visiting Chicago for the first time next month for a conference. I'll be staying at the Marriott on the Magnificent Mile so my location is fairly central. What should I do/see in that 36 hours to get a good taste of the city? I'm already planning on hitting Navy Pier and the Art Institute of Chicago.

Thanks!

Hi again,

You already helped me greatly to choose some books about Chicago and now I'm coming for dessert.

At this point of my planning I'm leaving here those itineraries from my list which are a bit more "off the beaten path", just in case any of them awake a suggestion, advice or alert to you. I'll try to update how it turned out to be at my return (somewhere in June)

Some of them are already filled with previous suggestions of yours, but just in case.

- Chicago History Museum on the southwest corner of Lincoln Park. On the way I'll look for the Charnley-Persky House Museum (house by Louis Sullivan and Frank Lloyd Wright) and the Archbishop's Residence which was used as the fictional Jadwin's residence in "The Pit", the 1903 novel by Frank Norris. Would Old town be worth a visit after the museum?

- Visit the magnificent hall of the Chicago Auditorium at Michigan Av and try later the bookstore at the nearby Fine Arts building.

- Take the Green line or the Metra and spend some time around the Oak Park streets crowded with Frank Lloyd Wright houses, including his own early home and studio. I'll do this trip during broad daylight, but I have to say that reading the news one gets the probably wrong idea that the Green line to Oak Park may become sort of a ightmare (I'll should stop reading the news and chill about it)

- Take the Metra south to Hyde Park and visit the University of Chicago, the Robie House and maybe take a general look of the former site of the 1893 Columbian Exposition from the Museum of Science surroundings. Daytime, of course

- Walk around the Loop and look for the legendary Chicago early skyscrapers; the Rookery, the Reliance Bld (now the Burnham hotel), the Monadnock Bld, Carson, Pirie & Scott department store, etc. (there are many self guided
tour maps on the internet if needed; also plenty of guided tours at CAF).

- One thing I'd love to do but I don't think is going to be possible is to visit the Chicago Board of Trade trading floor. There are CAF tours but not at the time I'm gonna be there.

That's it...so far