Local's Report

What to do in the Windy City

Chicago, Illinois

Planning a visit to Chicago? I have a few tips for you!

If you are looking to visit some of the popular museums in the city, such as the Museum of Science and Industry or the Shedd Aquarium, be sure to look into purchasing a City Pass. Valid for nine days, a City Pass save quite a bit on admission if you plan to visit several places.

Brookfield ZooIf you're looking to live on the wild side, maybe you should check out Lincoln Park Zoo. Located in a park in Chicago itself, admission is free, although you will have to pay for parking if you drive.

Another great zoo in the area is Brookfield Zoo. Although it does charge for both parking and admission, this 216 acre zoo requires a whole day's visit to see and experience everything. One of the newest features at the zoo is the seasonal Stingray Bay, a 16,000 touch tank where visitors can pay a small fee to touch cownose and southern stingrays as well an up close view of nurse and white-spotted bamboo sharks.

One final place to visit is Morton Arboretum. Established by the Morton family (recognize the name from Morton Salt?), this 1700 acre arboretum with 4000 types of trees serves as a beautiful place to explore nature as well as being a place of research. There is even a four acre Children's Garden full of things to climb in, on and through. There are often guides doing small experiments and crafts with any interested children. Wednesdays are the "discount day", but make sure you look at their schedule of events at http://www.mortonarb.org/ so you don't miss out on anything you would enjoy.

Last but definitely not least, food! You must have some of Chicago's famous food while you are in town. Hungry for hot dogs? Find a Portillo's to visit at http://www.portillos.com/. They serve awesome Chicago hot dogs, hamburgers, ribs and Italian beef sandwiches. One of the things I enjoy is that each location has a different style, from a 60s diner motif to a prohibition era theme! Pining for pizza? You can't leave Chicago without stopping by Giordano's for some authentic deep dish pizza. Made to order deep dish "stuffed pizza" take a while to bake, so plan your hunger accordingly or plan on appetizers! Check out their other offerings at www.Giordanos.com!