Chicago Travel Forum

We are considering a 7 nights trip to USA this year.
We are fans of cultural spots and already been to NYC three times.

Usually we spend a week in Paris every year and another week to discover a foreign town such as Venise,Rome, London,Amsterdam,Florence,Lisbonne,Prague,Budapest, etc...

What would you think of a trip including 4 nights in Chicago and 3 nights in Washington ? Is it worth a long flight from Europe ?
We are looking for architecture, visits , museums and ... people of course.
Is there another town in the eastern part of the USA that you would suggest ?
Thanks to all.
Antoine

I can guarantee that the nights you have allotted for each city is not enough see all they have to offer. You can spend an entire week in Washington and the area surrounding it and still not see all the museums, monuments and culture. Like New York, Washington is a melting pot of cultures in that its diversity is quite evident in all the eateries and sites. Moreover, Washington has a character which is quite different from NYC in that it highlights the nobility of this country. Is it worth the trip across the Atlantic? The trip to Washington alone is worth the trip. Chicago will only enhance it.

As you probably know the jet lag is easier to deal with going to the USA than coming back. I grew up in the Chicago area, but visit 40 states before I was 20. You can spend a week most anywhere and still have plenty left to do, but can easily spend a week in Chicago. Public transportation is fairly good. Hard to stay down town for a reasonable price, but assuming you are spending Euro for dollars makes it cheaper than past years. Museum of Science and Industry is worth the trip. Aquarium is across the street as is the museum of natural history. More skyscrapers than most cities and the Frank Lloyd Wright is probably Chicago's most famous architect.
Chicago has a rich tradition of blues music. A visit to the lake front is definitely a must for Chicago. Drive up or down Lake Shore drive and consider driving up the north coast to Winnetka. Lots of things to see along the way.
Deep dish pizza is must for visiting Chicago several places are good, my favorite are Giordano's and Gino's.

Can't help you much with Washington D.C.

Looking for a great place to enjoy city and mountains head to Denver. Spend three or four days in Denver and then head out to Rocky Mountain National park for the other three or four days. You will not be disappointed.

A bit further of the beaten track, visit Sante Fe New Mexico. My wifes favorite city in the USA.
Have great trip.
Lots of American culture in Philadelphia by the way.

My wife and I just spent 5 nights in DC, our first time there even though we both were born in the US and have lived here all our lives (we are in our 50's). As a previous poster inferred, even 5 days is not enough to see all the wonderful sights of DC and environs. If you are looking for architecture, visits, museums, and more, then I can't think of another place in the US, other than NYC, to see it all. Mt. Vernon alone takes half a day. The monuments, museums, government buildings, and more are everywhere in the city. And this is not to mention Old Town Alexandria, where there are wonderful restaurants everywhere of just about every ethnic variety, and Georgetown. Having just returned home Saturday night (we live near Seattle) from DC, I am still basking in the experience, and wanting to return and spend more time.

I suggest that you spend the entire week there. Also, the Metro system is very efficient and user-friendly. We stayed at a hotel in the Crystal City area of Alexandria a block or so from a metro stop, but were in the middle of DC in just a few minutes. No car was necessary.

A word about the weather: we had beautiful, sunny days as well as some rain, but never cold and never humid. Most people will tell you that in the summer, DC can be insufferably humid and quite hot. If you are planning to go in the summer, expect hot, sticky days and huge crowds everywhere. Some friends there told us, however, that the fall is awash with color and the temperatures are comfortable.

Well-said David. So much to offer by a city created to be simply administrative. I couldn't agree with you more: spend the entire week there!

I like Chicago- and Milwaukee is fairly near and interesting, also. BUT- if you go to D.C, you won't be able to see all the monuments in a week, and I could visit the museums and spend 2 weeks lost in the Smithsonian's various venues. A nice side trip might be to Baltimore to the Inner Harbour and Fell's Point- or even drive down to Charlottesville for one day to tour Monticello and the University of VA (Thomas Jefferson's masterpieces) C-ville is also near several vineyards- Prince Michel is good. I'd opt for one week in D.C.- you won't be bored. Catch a performance at the Kennedy center once night, try a dinner cruise on a riverboat on the Potomac, and there are some pretty good restaurants. E-mail me if you decide to go- I can give you specific reccomendations.

Reverse your schedule and spend the extra night in Washington DC. Major sights to see in DC are the National Gallery of Art, the Smithsonian Museum, the Capitol Building, the Air and Space Museum, the Licoln Memorial, and the Washington Monument. Stroll around Georgetown, and try some of its bars and restaurants. Try to get over to Virginia to see Old Town Alexandria, Mount Vernon, the Udver-Hazy Air Museum at Dulles, and Arlington Cemetery. Or, do a day trip up to Baltimore (1 hour away by train), which also has a lot of history and sights to see.

In Chicago, start by going up to the top of the John Hancock Tower for one of the world's great views. Go see a Chicago Cubs game if you are there during the summer. Do the gospel brunch at the House of Blues for some great music. For culture, visit the Art Institute of Chicago. If you can, visit Chicago during the annual blues festival, where you will see some living legends. If you like classical music, Chicago has one of the world's great orchestras.

I agree that you should do at least 4 nights in Washington.

Chicago does have some interesting architecture. You can take a walking tour of Oak Park in conjunction with a visit to Frank Lloyd Wrights's house - this will show the beginning of the evolution of his Prairie style. Also there is a very nice boat trip on the river which explains all the various styles of skyscrapers http://www.architecture.org/tours.aspx (There's also a walking tour and self guided audio tours).

In D.C., while there are lots of museums, I wouldn't spend my time totally there. If you go out to Mt. Vernon, in addition to Mt. Vernon, there is FL Wright's Pope-Leighey House. There are 2 other FLW houses in the area - all private homes.

In the eastern part of the US (assuming you mean east of Chicago), there's also Savannah or Charleston (SC) for a more southern vibe.

As everyone has said, both cities could easily consume your entire week. Both have many museums, restaurants, bars, theaters and anything else you would expect to find in a world class city. Milwaukee is an interesting town and about a 1 hour drive north of Chicago. Baltimore is about the same distance from DC.

Boston or Philadelphia could be good choices as they are also cities steeped in American culture. Atlanta, while not yet in the same category as New York or Chicago is up and coming. Unfortunately, our transit system leaves something to be desired. Charleston is a nice city (or so I hear. I've not been there in 30 years so I'm sure it has changed a bit! <grin>) and is midway between Savannah, Georgia and Mytle Beach, South Carolina. If you were wanting to take in a bit of the southern United States, this would be a good place to consider. All three cities are on the ocean, so you would have the maritime activities and museums available as well. In the bay at Charleston is Fort Sumter where our Civil War started in 1861 if you'd like a pivotal point in American history to explore.