Chicago You Were Beautiful

Psssst... can you keep a secret? I have been a lifetime lover of NYC, but everyone has always told me that if I love "the city" then I'll love Chicago even more. I never understood how that could be true until this past weekend. I'm absolutely in love with Chicago, and can't stop raving about all the amazing food and incredible site seeing.

//
// // This Pinterest Hover Button is brought to you by bloggersentral.com. // Visit http://www.bloggersentral.com/2012/11/pinterest-pin-it-button-on-image-hover.html for details. // Feel free to use and share, but please keep this notice intact. //



We arrived Friday morning and packed as much as we could until our flight back home Monday morning. I'll leave you all with a photo dump and my recommendations from what we enjoyed during our short time in this beautiful city.

We took the train into the city from Midway (only $3 each way and the train connects directly from the airport to downtown Chicago), and when we arrived at our hotel our room was already ready for us. So, we dumped our stuff as I took a quick "ready to hit the ground running" selfie and a pic of the city view from our room. We stayed at the Hard Rock Hotel which was in a great location and we even had a view of the river from our room.

First thing we did was head over to the Sears (Willis) Tower, then we just explored the city before stumbling upon the Plymouth Restaurant & Roof Top Bar for some happy hour drinks and to meet up with Emily and K to officially start our vacay. Next stop was Millennium Park to see the infamous Bean.

That night it was time to celebrate K's birthday. We started off the evening with some pre-dinner drinks at The Signature Lounge on the 96th floor of the Hancock Building (absolute MUST DO when in Chicago). Drinks are a bit pricey, so go for a drink and enjoy the views before heading elsewhere for the evening.

Then it was time for dinner at Ditka's where the birthday boy was sang to, and some roof top drinks at Vertigo Sky Lounge to cap off the evening.

Saturday morning, H and I walked around a bit before grabbing the best donuts we've ever had and a gingerbread latte at Glazed & Infused.

Then it was time for my first deep dish pizza experience at Giordano's, and it was absolutely delish! Emily and I met up with Nikki and enjoyed a round of cocktails while chatting over pizza while the guys had lunch at a rooftop bar.

Saturday afternoon consisted of an architectural tour (we booked through Shoreline Siteseeing), a spin on the ferris wheel on the Navy Pier, and some drinks at the hidden tiki bar Three Dots & a Dash.

We had heard from several people that Cantina Laredo was the best Mexican place, so we checked it out for dinner and they couldn't have been more right. Amazing fresh table side guacamole, margaritas, and entrees.

Sunday morning, H and I grabbed brunch at Wildberry Pancakes before taking the red line train to Wrigley Field to meet up with Emily and K for our first Cubs game. Afterwards, we hung out in Wrigleyville and grabbed some more drinks before heading back into the city. We knew we needed to grab a real Chicago dog so we headed over to Portillo's, and of course the dogs were delish! This is coming from a girl who hates raw onions and relish, but all the ingredients together was amazing!

My Chicago Must-Do's:
~ Drinks at the Signature Lounge in the Hancock Building ~ Roof top bar hopping ~ The Bean at Millennium Park ~ Catch a Cubs game at Wrigley Field ~ Architectural River Cruise ~ A drink at Three Dots & a Dash ~ Deep dish pizza at Giordano's ~ Donuts at Glazed & Infused ~ Ride the ferris wheel at the Navy Pier ~ Eat a Chicago style hot dog ~ Sunday brunch
What are your must-do's in Chicago?