Tag Archives: chicago

Winter Vacations in Chicago

If you like your winters cold then Chicago is your kind of town. I happen to love the Windy City (no matter what season), but I realize there are many travelers who would prefer a week in Hawaii to seven days in a chilly midwestern metropolis. Those people don’t know what they are missing. Of course, the beauty of so many people having that mindset is that traffic is lighter, lines at attractions are shorter, you don’t have to wait for a seat at area restaurants, shops are not packed and area hotels offer incredible winter deals those willing to … Continue reading →

Counting Down to 2008 in the Windy City

Where will you be bidding farewell to 2007? If you are visiting family in the Midwest and are looking for a memorable place to usher in 2008 then I would highly recommend heading to downtown Chicago. Some of my fondest New Year’s Eve memories have been made in Chi-town and I’m hoping to continue the tradition for years to come. In my previous blog I listed some family-friendly events taking place around the Windy City for parents with young children. If you have older children or were lucky enough to find a babysitter and are planning to hit the town … Continue reading →

Ringing in the New Year in Chicago

I may have never experienced New Year’s Eve in Times Square, but I have spent many wonderful December 31st’s in the Windy City. Whether you are visiting Chicago with your children or are enjoying a romantic holiday with your sweetie, my favorite Midwest metropolis has multiple New Year’s Eve events just ripe for the picking. Take a look: Family Fun at Navy Pier. If you have young children this is the place to be on New Year’s Eve. During the day Navy Pier hosts a variety of family-friendly activities including arts-and-crafts, live music and dancing contests. What I love about … Continue reading →

Post-Holiday Travel Deals in Chicago

There’s no shortage of holiday happenings in Chicago, but once the Christmas trees come down the Midwestern metropolis gets a bit quiet (relatively speaking). Which is why many area hotels are offering post-holiday deals to lure visitors downtown. I happen to love Chicago and have been there often enough to know that the following bargains are worth taking advantage of. Take a look at these outstanding deals, which are effective through January and then peruse the links that follow them. Each article provides details on spectacular Chicago attractions and proves that these hotel deals (at three-star properties in the heart … Continue reading →

Christmastime in the Windy City

Consider yourself lucky if your holiday travel plans bring you anywhere near Chicago in the next few weeks. Okay, the traffic is nothing to cheer about, but the spectacular holiday events and attractions the Windy City offers during the month of December are virtually unparalleled. I listed some of my favorites in a previous blog and now I am back with more. Here are a few additional must-see holiday events you won’t want to miss: Christkindlmarket After a few minutes strolling around you may think you’ve been transported to the German Christmas Market in Nuremberg. But, alas, you’re still in … Continue reading →

Christmastime in Chicago

I grew up in a very small town on an island in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. Which means as a child I was not exposed to the holiday pomp and pageantry displayed in many major metropolitan areas. However, in the years since moving from my hometown in Hawaii I have tried to make up for lost time by frequenting large cities during the holidays. I’ve been to New York, Los Angeles, Seattle, and Dallas, but without a doubt my favorite city to visit during the month of December is Chicago. Chicago is an incredible place to visit year … Continue reading →

Traveling the Country in Search of Spectacular Holiday Light Displays

How far would you travel to view an out of this world dazzling holiday light display? We can’t all make it to New York for the annual lighting of the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree. And I would bet there are some of us who won’t be caravanning to Iowa to take in the much buzzed about holiday display there. But, don’t don your scrooge scruffies just yet; hundreds of cities across the nation are decking their halls in time for St. Nick’s visit. The following are some holiday standouts: WASHINGTON, D.C. The National Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony takes place December … Continue reading →

Travel Tidbits: “Dear Me” and Deer Me

“DEAR ME” That’s a phrase hotel staff at The Palmer House in Chicago are bound to hear a few more times in the coming months. The legendary property is offering a jaw dropping deal to some of its oldest guests. The promotion really is astounding—–it is applicable to any guest who visited the property more than 50 years ago. Under the program, any guest who can provide an original receipt from his or her stay will be given the same room at the price they paid more than a half-century ago. And if you think that the hotel hasn’t had … Continue reading →

Ghoulish Good Times In Chicago

I’ve told you where you can get your scare on in the Windy City, but if you have younger ghosts and goblins you’ll want to haunt more kid-friendly events. If you live anywhere near Chicago I would highly recommend attending some of the following family friendly Halloween-related events. Last weekend, we went to Pumpkinpalooza where my 3-year-old daughter had a blast painting pumpkins, creating Native-American crafts, decorating wooden bats, feeding llamas, and gorging herself on Halloween candy… all in 88 degree weather. (Now that’s freaky!) We can’t wait to get to attend these events: TERRORIFIC THURSDAY For city kids who … Continue reading →

Chicago’s Art Scene

In the past year or so I have written extensively about Chicago being an ideal family-friendly travel destination. From restaurants to monuments, kids’ activities to seasonal festivities, it’s hard to find a place that offers parents so many kid-friendly options than the Windy City. That being said, as I looked through my article archives I noticed that I have neglected to write about some of the city’s incredible cultural attractions. So without further adieu, here are some of my family’s favorite places to have fun and learn a few lessons in the process. Art Institute of Chicago You can’t miss … Continue reading →