Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
14
2
WHAT TO PACK
As you have heard too many times already,
Chicago's weather is changeable. S o while
I can giv e y ou general guidelines for
• P ack
shorts
for a late-spring or early-
fall trip as w ell as for summer. You can
always pair them with a sw eatshirt if it
gets chilly.
•
Bring layers.
You can always stuff that
jacket into y our backpack, but if y ou
skip it altogether , y ou may end up
regretting it. This way, you'll be able to
stay out all day without r unning back
to y our hotel for fr
packing for v arious seasons, always check
out
www.weather.com
or
www.chicago
tribune.com
for the long-range for ecast.
(Granted, in Chicago they seem to hav e it
wrong at least half of the time, but it's bet-
ter than a complete shot in the dar k.) Ask
yourself what you'd wear in your own city
in this w eather, and pack it. B ut leav e
some r oom in the suitcase, because y ou
will undoubtedly buy items while trav el-
ing. In fact, one seasoned-trav eler trick is
to pack an empty nylon duffel bag in your
suitcase. On the way home, y ou can stuff
it with souvenirs and other Chicago loot.
Because you are apt to hit four seasons
in just one Chicago day , her e ar e some
packing tips:
•
Pack a light sw eater and jacket,
even
for summer. The Windy City can get
quite breezy, and that lake air has a chill
at night. Theaters and r estaurants can
also o verdo the air-conditioning, so a
light sweater helps y ou ward off ar ctic
chill.
• You are not too stylish to bring
practi-
cal headgear
to Chicago in the win-
ter. B elieve me, y ou will appr eciate
this advice later . When it gets cold in
Chicago, no one goes without head
covering.
equent war drobe
adjustments.
As far as dress codes go, unless you and
your kids are planning a big night out, like
at the P ump Room at the O mni Ambas-
sador East Hotel, for example, you will be
just fine in “ nice casual” attire. For men,
that means a dress shirt, sports jacket, and
tie for the fanciest places. F or women, a
long skir t with boots and a nice sw eater
goes just about anywhere in the winter. In
the summer y ou'll be comfor table in cool
slacks and cotton tops with sandals. If you
are planning a v ery special night out,
check to see if the r estaurant enfor ces a
dress code. O therwise, you might end up
borrowing a less-than-attractiv e tie and
jacket from the maitr e d'. You'll find that
people dress more conservatively here than
in New York or Los Angeles, and as a trav-
eler you can blend in easily with a suitcase
full of the basics: khakis, jeans, shor
2
ts,
sandals, boots, and sweaters.
Tips
Quick ID
Tie a colorful ribbon or piece of yarn around your luggage handle, or slap a dis-
tinctive sticker on the side of your bag. This makes it less likely that someone will
mistakenly appropriate it. And if your luggage gets lost, it will be easier t o find.
