Within a matter of hours of arriving at Chicago’s O’Hare airport, we’d viewed the opening of an origami exhibit along with a local news crew, sipped complimentary St. Michelle wine at the Chicago Art Institute while listening to live blues, and attended an outdoor performance of Bolero.  All these events were free and just a short walk from our hotel. 

My sister and I met in downtown Chicago last weekend to enjoy some music, shopping and relaxation.  It was the first visit for both of us, so I came prepared with my Chicago Pocket Pilot.  This handy water-proof guide has maps, top attractions, fun facts and transit routes and easily fits in a jeans pocket.  It ended up being a great resource.

Downtown Chicago is easy to navigate with its collection of trains, trolleys and buses, so we didn’t need a rental car.  Instead we bought a multi-day CTA pass at the airport and enjoyed being car-free for a few days.  Even with the transportation system, we did quite a bit of walking and were glad we’d brought good walking shoes.  

We stayed at the Hilton Chicago - the largest hotel in the world when it was built in 1927.  This hotel, with its grand staircases and enormous ballroom was once the place to stay for presidents and celebrities.  Our hotel room had two Serenity beds, a large screen TV, coffee service and – what we loved best – two bathrooms!  Booking tip: AAA members get a significant discount.

Across from the hotel is Grant Park, a huge waterfront park with flower-filled gardens, a variety of museums, cool outdoor sculptures and a world-class outdoor concert pavilion. 

We couldn’t help but be awed by the Pritzker Pavilion.  This $60 million outdoor concert venue has a dramatic Frank Gehry design with excellent acoustics.  The surrounding Millennium Park is a stunning example of park design.  During the summer they offer a free concert series. We were lucky to catch the Bolero performance (classical and opera) and Flamenco dancing on the following night. Both performances were excellent.