Take in a museum or three. Chicago has so many
great and varied
museums that it is hard to narrow it down to just one.
The Field Museum
is my
pick for all
around family fun. The permanent and special exibits
will interest the
whole family. The Art Institute of Chicago will fill your eye and your soul.
Prepare to spend the day
in quiet peaceful contemplation. For young ones
needing to run and
explore, you shouldn't miss an afternoon at the
Chicago Children's
museum .The Museum has
three floors of interactive exhibits sure to keep
those busy hands
occupied.
The Shedd Aquarium/Oceanarium is the largest indoor
aquarium. Overlooking
Lake Michigan, the Oceanarium seems to flow into the
lake. Be sure to
stick around at feeding time when a diver will enter
the 90,000 gallon
coral reef aquarium and hand feed sharks, rays and
eels.
For messy good times, go back in history to
Medieval Times Dinner &
Tournament. Dine the
Medieval way while knights on horseback joust for the
Queen's favor.
Whatever you do, no NOT bring in a fork, spoon or
knife lest ye be
ousted.
Stroll the Chicago Botanical Garden's . 385 acres housing
more than 20
different types of gardens.
Shop till you drop. The Chicago area is host to
many mallsWoodfield Mall Woodfield Shopping Center is touted the largest
enclosed retail shopping
center in the U.S. Plan to spend a full day brousing
through more than
285 stores. For elegant shopping Oakbrook Shopping
Center has it all. It is home
to the finest of
retail stores including Nordstrom, Marshall Field’s,
Saks Fifth Avenue,
Lord & Taylor, and Neiman Marcus. And let's not forget
FAO Schwartz for
the kid in all of us and Brookstone for the latest and
best in gadgets.
Both stores are excellent sources of "guilt gifts" for
the loved ones
you left at home for the weekend.
You CAN NOT come to Chicago and not dine on pizza.
I have travelled
worldwide and NO ONE does pizza like Chicago does
pizza. Pizzeria Uno
is the birthplace of
Chicago deep dish
pizza. Their pizza's are made of the finest of
ingredients for a truly
Chicago pizza experience. My all time favorite pizza
place in Chicago is
Giordano's
with many locations throughout the Chicago
area. Giordano's
deep dish crusts are made of a sweet bread dough
filled to the brim with
sauce, cheese and goodies. Giordano's also has a great
thin crust for
the little ones who can't wait the 30-45 minutes it
takes to bake a good
deep dish pizza pie.
If you crave thrills and spills, don't miss a day
at
Six Flags Over Great America
It's not just roller coasters. Great America now has a
special area just
for the little kids, as well as 130 rides, shows,
attractions and live
stage entertainment for us older kids.
You gotta see Chicago by water. You'll fall in
love with it. Several
sight seeing boat tours take off from Navy Pier
ranging from fancy
dinner cruises to speed boats to basic cruise boats.
All will show you
the splendor of Chicago by water. And, take it from
me, it is well worth
it to take the longer river&lake tours. This extended
tour will show you
a side of Chicago that you can't see from the
sidewalk. Just a few of
the sightseeing boats that I have had experience with
are The Anita Dee Yacht Charters
the
Wendella Sightseeing Boats
and the
Seadog Speedboat
Excursions.
There are Lions and Tigers and Bears galore at
Brookfield Zoo.
With a strong
focus on
preserving our Earth's natural beauties, Brookfield
zoo is an enjoyable
learning experience for the family. Don't miss Tropic
World, the Dolphin
Show and the suprise SPLASH! at the Living Coast.
There is even a
playground and picnic area for children who are tired
of walking and
just need a place to climb, slide and swing for a
while. While there are
plenty of food consessions and even a full fledged
tapas restaurant, I'd
advise you to take a picnic lunch and enjoy a casual
meal in one of the
many picnic areas. Service at the food consessions can
be excruciatingly
slow.
Navy Pier
is my definite top Must See on your
visit
to our fair
city. Ride the carousel or
view the lakeshore
from a huge ferris wheel. Dine in one of many
restaurants ranging from
fast food to full service and look for that special
keepsake at the many
gift shops on the Pier. And don't miss the Omnimax
Theater and the
Chicago Children's Museum. Arrive early and take
advantage of the
parking on the Pier. Stroll the outside walkways or
just sit and watch
the boat traffic and pedestrian traffic. Hop on a
sightseeing boat and
cruise the lakefront and the Chicago River. Navy Pier
has it all.
On a side note,
Disney Quest
recently opened in
Chicago and has been
getting great reviews as a place for the family. I
have not been there
yet but my husband and older son were able to go to
Disney Quest in
Orlando Florida and loved it. If Chicago's Disney
Quest is anything like
it, I'll have to revise my top 10. Gee, can I make it
a Top 11?
