A Day in the Life of a Chicago Local

Four score and seven years ago… or really four blisters later. And you know why? Because we basically walked all of Chicago IN ONE DAY!

The Metra, Not Ventra

We started at the Naperville Station, bought our tickets for the Metra train and ended up at Union Station. If you need the Metra schedule, click here. We took the BNSF line and made it to the other side!

Side note: the Ventra is used for the normal lines- like the red line, etc. Those tickets would be separate if you wanted some extra transportation. And from what I know, they differ in cost but one trip is about $7.25.  

Lakeshore Drive

Exploring one of the major streets with the lakes behind it was so beautiful. My boyfriend really knows his way around the Chicago must do’s and I appreciated that. It was my cousin’s first time in the city and I think he definitely enjoyed something different, or away from all the touristy areas for a minute. 

But look at this view!!!

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Some German Traditions

From November 15 to December 24, the Christkindlemarket in Chicago will be open. We passed by for a snack and of course some German goods, Original Nürnberger Glüwein, aka hot wine. It was the perfect combo to defrost and fill up my tummy with a yummy snack. 

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The Cloud Gate

It was my cousin’s first time visiting, so we HAD to see The Cloud Gate. To stay in the same vicinity, we walked to The Bean in Millenium Park. It’s so beautiful up close, but there’s always so many people!! One day, I just want to go to The Bean at the crack of dawn, just so no one’s there to be in the photo. Imagine that?! 

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Here’s a few views on the way to our adventures:

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Chicago’s Favorite

A must eat at Chicago is Portillo’s, by a land slide. From a little hot dog shack back in 1963 to having a few restaurants in many states, this is a true staple. 

This was my second time exploring a Portillo’s, but the original one is in Villa Park. A GOAL! I had the DRY (because I’m not a fan of a lot of sauce but there are other options if you do like it) Italian Beef sandwich with fries and OMG the game changing drink of all time!!! It was a milkshake with a whole piece of chocolate cake. I’m drooling again just writing this. 

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Onto the Next One

Here’s another tourist attraction for you: Navy Pier. My boyfriend actually showed us around through the side entrance when it started raining. Guess who walked faster than the speed of lightning?! This girl!

I love Navy Pier *in a sarcastic tone*. Every time I go, the weather is a whole other battle in itself. I have yet to go on the ferris wheel too, so I’m going to have to visit again. We didn’t get to see much because of the fog and the rain, but the view was pretty great.

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Left: Navy Pier View // Right: Starbucks Reserve

We walked the Magnificent Mile after; which is a strip of famous shops in Chicago. It’s a popular area and the NEW Starbucks Reserve was built there!!! On November 15, 2019, THE LARGEST STARBUCKS IN THE WORLD WAS BUILT and I got to see it. My little peanut self!!! 

It was so fascinating and the line was SO long. So I would definitely want to explore this more. Especially since every floor has a different atmosphere. So cool!!

The 96th Floor @ The Hancock

I was finally able to do something I hadn’t done but wish daylight savings didn’t kill my vibe. We stopped for happy hour at the John Hancock building and the view was AMAZING! Fun fact, happy hour is from 4-7pm and all their listed cocktails/snacks for the happy hour menu were $9. Pretty good for a fancy shmancy place. 

I could see everything from the 96th floor. AND side note: it’s always fun being a woman because ladies, the view from our bathroom is nothing short of amazing either!! The boys bathroom just has a wall. That’s no fun!

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Hole in the Wall

Headquarters Beercade was recommended, of course. Especially because the bar had FREE arcade games and trivia that day! (Tuesday @ 7pm). But honestly, the little video games were so fun and it wasn’t your usual bar. I enjoyed it!!

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Walking the whole day wasn’t so bad, but I recommend comfier shoes than the ones I had. I didn’t think we would walk the whole city but here I am four blisters later. It was definitely a HUGE money saver in terms of not paying for transportation, such as uber or lyft or taxi, though!!!

So as long as you have your phone charged, or if you even wanted to bring a portable charger, that’s the way to go! Google Maps was my best friend!

Have you been to Chi-Town?! Let me know!