Visiting Chicago - A First-timers POV

The most random thing happened in Early November 2005 when my sister and I decided we wanted to go to Chicago. We both had a four day weekend around Thanksgiving, and we both wanted to just do something fun. We invited my mom along and the three of us planned our trip in the shortest time I have ever planned a trip! Our trip was set for November 25th (day after Thanksgiving) to Nov 27th, 2005.

Living in Michigan means that most of the people I know have been to Chicago, including my mom and my sister. I, however, was one of the unlucky few that hadn't made the 4.5 hour drive to visit. Below are the things we ended up doing and the places we ended up eating - and whether or not we'd do those things again. Overall, I know I will go to Chicago again someday - but will I do everything the same? Read on to see!

To help us get around Chicago, we purchased an Inside Out Map. This is the greatest invention in Mapping I've ever seen! The following detailed review will tell you what we did, what we liked/didn't like, and is meant to show you what to expect. Enjoy!!!

Leaving very early Friday morning (Around 8 am) made us arrive at our hotel around 12:30 pm (we gained an hour on the way). Tip: It's better to stop and eat breakfast on the way then to wait til you get there. Check in time may be longer than you think, and finding a place to eat when you are hungry is difficult! We stopped at McDonalds on the drive up.

We stayed at the Best Western Grant Park Hotel because we had basically no better choice. All the hotels close to downtown Chicago are really really expensive. However, this hotel was 100$ on Friday and 150$ on Saturday. Furthermore, since we waited until the last minute to plan our trip, most hotels were not available on one of the two nights. We called the hotel directly even though the website said there were no rooms available on Saturday. After a few minutes they were able to accommodate us. I might or might not stay their again, read my review to find out why!

Lesson Learned: Book your trip as early as you possibly can! Hotels that are cheap book up fast. Hotels that are fancy are way too expensive! I'm talking 400-600$ a night! Book early!!!