Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
sculpture collection. You can do a
self-guided tour or one organized by
the
Chicago Architecture Founda-
tion
(the early-skyscraper tour is a
good primer). Round out your day
with a shopping trip, or even just
a window-shopping tour, up the
Magnificent Mile,
and make a trip
to the top of the
John Hancock
Center.
In the evening, if the Cubs are in
town, take the El uptown and catch
a night game at
Wrigley Field.
Dine
on hot dogs or bratwurst while you
sip a beer and the kids polish off
cotton candy and licorice whips.
If You Have 3 Days
If you can add a third day to your
stay, explore the Near North Side.
Stroll north along Michigan Avenue,
starting from the Chicago River. You
might want to stop to admire the
gothic
Tribune Tower,
just north of
the river on the east side of Michigan
Avenue. The tower is home to one of
the country's media giants, which
owns WGN television and radio and
the
Chicago Tribune
newspaper.
If your kids are old enough and
mobile enough, continue walking
north all the way up the Magnifi-
cent Mile, until you reach
Lake
Shore Drive.
(If you're not in the
mood to stroll, catch the no. 151
bus.) Here, you can cross under a
pedestrian tunnel to
Oak Street
Beach.
Keep walking north until
you reach Fullerton Avenue, where
you can wander around
Lincoln
Park Zoo
and visit the
Farm-in-
the-Zoo,
see the famed gorilla
house, and check out Chicago's
newest addition to its museum
roster, the
Peggy Notebaert Nature
Museum,
with its spectacular but-
terfly house.
In the evening, catch a show. You
might find a musical playing in one
of the
North Loop theater dis-
trict
's many venues, or you can
check out the kid-pleasing
Blue
Man Group
at Briar Street Theatre
in Lincoln Park.
If You Have 4 Days or More
On your fourth day, head to an out-
lying neighborhood or suburb. If
your kids are 6 years or older, they
might enjoy west suburban
Oak
Park,
where special guided Youth
Architectural Tours of
The Frank
Lloyd Wright Home & Studio
cater to kids 6 to 14.
Many homes in the area were
built or influenced by Wright, so if
it's a nice day, make sure to take a
stroll around the neighborhood. If
you have a car, top off the day with
a stop at
Peterson's
for their house
specialty turtle sundae. See chapter
11 for more information.
If the Weather's Hot
During steamy Midwestern sum-
mer days, the best place to be is on
the lake. Head for
Navy Pier,
where
you can board
Seadog speedboat.
This sleek, bright yellow boat seats
149 passengers and jets across the
lake while guides give a narrated
tour of facts and tales about Navy
Pier, the lakefront, and the skyline.
When you're safely docked again
at Navy Pier, you might want to
head indoors to the air-conditioned
comfort of the
OMNIMAX The-
ater
at the Museum of Science and
Industry, or simply stroll the pier.
(Your reward for going all the way
to the end of the
3
⁄
4
-mile-long pier is
one of the best views of the city.)
Those not afraid of heights can take
a ride on the 15-story Ferris wheel
and enjoy the spectacular view of
Chicago's skyline. The pier is always
packed with musicians, and inside
you'll find shops and restaurants.
If the Weather's Cold
Parents rave about
Garfield Park
Conservatory.
The location is
slightly off the beaten path in a
run-down neighborhood, but there is
parking in a lot with security guards.
