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Chicago Honeymoon
Chicago, known as the 'Windy City' and famous for notorious gangster Al Capone and the Prohibition Law during the 1920s, is fast becoming a popular honeymoon destination for newlyweds.
With a vast array of natural and man made wonders from colossal sky scrapers to beautiful parks and beaches that span the shoreline, the vibrant city of Chicago is its own ‘kind of town’ with sights, sounds and tastes like no other!
This popular and lively city has much to offer for your honeymoon with plenty of activities and a vast array of places to visit. Planning your trip in advance will save you wasting time that can be used to explore and enjoy the many places to visit and to make the most of time spent there.
Places and Activities in Chicago
- Daley Plaza holds many festivals, musical performances and outdoor markets during the year. With breathtaking views close up of Chicago’s historical and majestic buildings that make up the towering skyline.
- The Field Museum of Natural History is the most popular cultural attraction in Chicago. Four major departments such as Anthropology, Zoology, Botany and Geology attracts visitors worldwide. Major exhibits takes place within this Natural History Museum and it certainly warrants a full day spent there.
- The Sheed Aquarium is Chicago’s indoor aquarium where you can see over 2100 species of fish, marine mammals, snakes, birds, amphibians and insects. Built in 1930 it now attracts over 2 million visitors a year.
- The Adler Planetarium was the first planetarium built in the Western Hemisphere and the oldest in existence today. It is the only museum in the world that has two full sized planetarium theatres. A must to visit for those outer space enthusiasts.
- Museums. Chicago has over 40 museums as well as a number of organised exhibitions. The Museum Campus situated on the lakefront has 3 that are all linked by a large park. Before visiting the campus find out which days offer free admission to all three museums.
- The Sears Building stands over 1,450 feet high (1,725 including the antennas) and held the record for the tallest building in the world when it was completed in 1973. From 110 floors up on the observation deck you can have your breath taken away with the sights of Chicago’s cityscape.
- Lake Michigan has an array of boat tours, lunch or dinner cruises, fishing charters and lake excursions to name a few.
- Segway Tours is a two hour experience tour on a personal two-wheeled transporter. This modern electric, self-balancing device moves you easily and efficiently around the city on the guided Segway Experience Tour visiting such places as the Museum Campus, Lakefront Bike Path, Millennium Park, Daley Bicentennial Plaza and many more! You will be told fascinating stories and historical information about the Windy City. Cost of this two hour daily tour is around $75 per person (check current price before visiting)
Beaches in Chicago
You may be forgiven for thinking you are on the edge of some vast ocean shoreline when you stand besides Lake Michigan, with its sparkling blue water that reaches as far as the eye can see and you will be spoilt for choice on which beach to spend your day on.
- Oak Street Beach is a great place to go ‘people watching’ where you can see or even participate in rollerblading or volleyball.
- Loyola Leone Beach is Chicago’s largest beach at 8 blocks long and a great place for the sport enthusiast’s with baseball fields, basketball courts and bikes for hire.
- North Avenue Beach is Chicago’s busiest beach and public transport is the best way to get to it as parking is limited. Professional volleyball tournaments and the Chicago Air & Water Show are hosted here. It also boasts a Crunch Fitness mini-gym and a biking/running path.
- Belmont Harbour Beach is considered the city’s unofficial ‘dog beach’ so this should be given a miss if you are not into the canine variety. It is however home to Chicago’s yacht Club with a bike, walking and running path, plus parking is not a problem.
- Evanston has not one but five beautiful beaches. In the north area of Chicago’ these beaches have shallow water making them ideal for families or for those that can’t swim. Views of the Chicago skyline can be seen from these beaches.
Accommodation
From top class sophisticated 5 Star to comfortable affordable accommodation Chicago has no shortage of where you can stay while on your honeymoon.
All hotels in the city have exclusive honeymoon and bridal suites which can only add to what quite possible will be one of the most memorable events in your life.
Search around for bargains and you are bound to find them. Don’t be afraid to haggle with hotels as some are only too happy to upgrade you if they are not busy with no extra charge.
Getting Around Chicago
One of the best ways to see what this wonderful city has to offer and not to be missed is a tour downtown on the ‘L’ which is Chicago’s overhead train system.
The ‘L’ can be a fun and easy way to explore the many historical and diverse neighbourhoods in the windy city and a more stress free way of travel in a place you will not know.
Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) has been the city’s bus and rapid rail service since 1945 and travels through 40 neighbourhood suburbs. The nation’s second largest transportation system has more than 1.5 million passengers a day. The affordable transit service links people daily to their jobs and communities with the minimum of fuss.
The Loop Tour Train is a free Saturday tour that runs for approximately 40 minutes and as the name suggests, it loops around the city’s downtown areas.
The Blue Line Train takes you to Chicago’s O’Hare International airport and the Orange Line goes to the Midway Airport. Both routes then return back to downtown.
To find out more details regarding transportation around Chicago there are visitor’s information centres located in two of the city’s most popular areas where you can gain further information: Address are:
Chicago Water Works Visitors Information Centre 163 E. Pearson Avenue
Chicago Cultural Centre Visitors Information Centre 77 E. Randolph Street
Culinary Delights of Chicago
Chicagoans enjoy their food and the city’s restaurants, bars and taverns have culinary delights that will keep your taste buds going back for more. They can even boast of offering food tasting and cultural walking tours!
One such place is the Chicago Food Planet.
This guided tour starts within the heart of downtown Chicago where you will learn about Chicago’s history while sampling mouth-watering delights from ethnic eateries to food shops, from pizza to a chocolate lounge, with spices and herbs, deli and confectionery.
To discover more about this guided food tour check out the Chicago Food Planet website >>
Seeped in history with Italian and Irish immigrants, this city is proud of its culinary delights. Many of the dishes have been passed on down the generations yet still retain the original tastes of ‘what mama used to cook’.
You will certainly not be short of choices of what or where to eat while you travel around one of America’s great City’s.
Chicago’s Nightlife
In the city that never sleeps gone are the days of bootleg liquor and the legendary underground speakeasies. Instead today’s scene is more on the up-and-up with a nightlight that can hold its own against anywhere else in the world.
From the city’s baseball grounds of Wrigley Field’s there is the immortal Billy Goat Tavern which is famous for placing a curse on the major league baseball team ‘The Cubs’ and who have never in the 100 years won a world cup series since! They did not allow him to take his goat in to watch the match and he retaliated by placing the curse on the famous team. Read more on about this curse at the Billy Goat Tavern website >>
All around the baseball stadium you will find friendly, cosy yet busy sport bars and pubs where all ages from families to sports fans gather.
For the more sophisticated tastes you can find such environs in River North and the Magnificent Mile and visit such places as Harry’s Velvet Room or the Hancock Buildings (famous for marriage proposals taking place) and the Signature Lounge which sits on the 96th floor overlooking the restaurant below giving a spectacular panoramic view of Chicago’s lit up skyline.
They say that no visit is complete without listrening to some live blues sampling on North Halsted where stars such as Al Johnson, Big Jack and Magic Slim have thrilled crowds late into the night in the Windy City.
What better place to revel in each other’s company while recovering from the stress and strains of planning your wedding. You can be sure of a warm and welcome stay by the people of Chicago during your honeymoon.
