Venture to Chicago and you’ll understand why Sinatra called it “my kind of town.” It’s a city of magnificent architecture, the birthplace of the skyscraper and home to the tallest building in the U.S., the Sears Tower. Visit on a sunny day and you’ll be mesmerized by sparkling Lake Michigan, the backdrop for many of Chicago’s top attractions—Navy Pier, Buckingham Fountain and Millennium Park, to name a few. A vacation in Chicago should also include one of the city’s world-class museums, such as the Art Institute of Chicago and the Field Museum of Natural History.
Shoppers will delight in a Chicago vacation. Its famed shopping district, the Magnificent Mile on Michigan Avenue, features 460 stores on eight city blocks. The city is easy to traverse, whether on foot, by bus, by taxi or via the “El” system of 24-hour elevated trains. Wherever you go you’ll find lots of restaurant choices, from haute cuisine to simple ethnic eateries (don’t forget to sample Chicago’s famous Polish sausage and deep-dish pizza). Many Chicago travel itineraries include a visit to Wrigley Field, home to the Chicago Cubs and the oldest ball park in the National League. Whether or not you’re a fan, you can’t fully appreciate Chicago until you understand Chicagoans’ fierce loyalty to their professional sports teams (16 of them in all).
Chicago’s two main airports are O’Hare International and Midway, both about the same distance from downtown. Chicago’s central location makes it easily accessible from most of the U.S. It’s easy to rent a car at either airport, but those staying in the downtown area may want to forgo that since parking is expensive. To orient yourself once you’re in the city, remember that Madison Street divides the city into north-south and State Street divides it east-west. For more information on travel to Chicago, log on to www.choosechicago.com, the Chicago Convention & Tourism Bureau’s website.