Chicago by the blog {city tour}
Well…guess what? I am posting more pictures of Chicago than any one person probably cares to see. Chris and I had an amazing time – thanks to so many great tips from friends and blog readers. We joked that we were doing the “Chicago By the Blog” tour…also known as “Chris and Ashley’s Walking Food Tour.” A few people recommended doing a segway tour, but once we got there we realized so much of what we wanted to explore in Chicago…tours don’t really go to those places. We spent just a bit of time downtown. There was so much we missed downtown, but maybe we’ll go back one day.
With four kids we don’t do much walking/exploring on vacations. So, we decided that would be the route we went. We took many of your suggestions for neighborhoods and restaurants. We only used public transportation – which considering how all over the place we were, it was such a great decision. Basically, we rode the L somewhere and then ate, walked about 2-3 miles and ate again..then repeat all day. I’m guessing we walked a minimum of 10 miles a day – which was awesome considering the amount of food we consumed in 4 days!
These are the main areas we hit:
Devon St.
Bucktown
Wicker Park
Lincoln Park
Magnificent Mile
Millenium Park
Chinatown
Bridgeport
University Village/Little Italy
Gino’s East vs. Giordano’s – that was the big debate in the comment section when I asked recommendations. They were both AMAZING. However, Giordano’s got our vote. The suggestion to get the Chicago Mix from Garrett’s almost got nixed when I realized what that mix was. I trusted you guys and you did not disappoint. It was crazy good.
My favorite part of the L was the diversity. The other passengers always reflected what area of town we were in. The majority of the time Chris was the only person on board that looked like me – it was beautiful. So many cultures each with their own niche in the city. It felt like we got to travel the globe in four days…and experience the food!
We walked Devon St. and stopped at a little bakery. I did not recognize anything, so we just asked the woman working to pick something for us. These reminded me of a doughnut covered in caramel syrup. One of the many things I love about Chris, is that his adventurous spirit doesn’t stop with physical adventures. He is always up for trying something new with me.
A trip to Bucktown and Wicker Park…with a visit to the Renegade Handmade shop. I can’t believe I was there one week before the craft fair. Bummer.
I struggled taking pictures in Chicago because four cute kids weren’t included. Once I got home, I noticed how drawn I was to the lines of the city. I don’t typically take abstract pictures, but I guess something about Chicago brought out a different side of me.
Hot Doug’s. 45 minute wait. Never seen a hot dog menu with ingredients I can’t pronounce. It was worth the wait.
Thank you for the Paper Source suggestion. I spent more money than I should have…Chris did too.
Bridgeport Coffee House…breakfast sandwich and an Arnold Palmer (it was too early for another cup of coffee!)
Best egg drop soup I’ve had in a long time. I don’t remember what the meat dish was, but it was d.e.l.i.c.i.o.u.s….
A trip to Little Italy for tiramisu…remember we were walking several miles between all this food!
The Hancock Tower…from the top and from below.
The only real touristy thing we did was an Architectural Tour on the river. It was so much fun and a great way to see the beauty of downtown..and its history.
The week before we left I was wrestling with whether or not to take my camera. All the images above are with my Canon 5D 24-70mm lens. That is a heavy, bulky combo. I have a backpack for it, but I didn’t want to use it. It kind of flashes “Hey I’ve got a great camera in here”…not the wisest thing to do. I was debating between using my 5D and using the Hipstamatic app for iPhone. The reality is I will not be framing these pictures anywhere in my house. I have limited wall space and I am partial to using it to display family pictures. So with that in mind I thought it would be fun to make a square photo book full of iPhone pics. Lots of people told me I was crazy…a photographer not taking my camera to Chicago. I took it.
I wish I hadn’t. It is a personal preference. These pictures will rest here on this blog and I’ll use them in a book….but I would have loved the feel of an entire Hipstamatic book. All that walking with a heavy camera on my shoulder, I was jealous of Chris’ iPhone!
If you are planning a trip to Chicago, I recommend reading the comment section of this old post!
*update…I removed a portion of this post about my first visit to the American Girl Place. My joking about a personal experience was not worth hurting the feelings of others.
