Guest Post: From Wicker Park to Shedd: My Chicago Favorites

Today I have a guest post from Kendra Thornton who was the former director of communications at Orbitz and is now a blogger and, most importantly, a mom of three.

Kendra and her family enjoying a Cubs game

Kendra has always enjoyed traveling and was able to travel a quite a bit during her time at Orbitz. Kendra is currently working with bloggers to share her Chicago favorites and hometown favorites from different bloggers. Share the city you love and hear about a city someone else loves! A win win! Tomorrow I will be sharing my Los Angeles favorites with you. I have never been to Chicago but have always wanted to visit (just not during winter!). I would love to stroll along the waterfront or even go sailing on the lake!

The Windy City is more than just the Bulls, Bears, and Blackhawks, Cubs, and Sox. My city is a cultural hub of the Midwest, if not the world, bringing together the cuisine, the art, and architecture that make this world such a fascinating place. If you enjoy shopping, we have Wicker Part. If you enjoy professional sports, all of the five teams mentioned above are worth watching, and seeing a game in person is second to none. If food is what you are after, we have too many mouth watering restaurants to count!

Go Shopping in Wicker Park:
If you come to Chicago for shopping (is there anything better than a bit of retail therapy?), shop until you drop in of the city’s shopping locations, like Wicker Park. If you are looking for clothes, check out Saint Alfred, which has tons of different sneaker options. Another great choice is Penelope’s, which has all of the hip brands young, fashionable men and women are into. When your clothing fix has been filled, head over to Dusty Groove America and flip through the most extensive collection of jazz, rhythm and blues, and pop vinyl records around. And, if you need some coffee to go with your shopping, Intelligentsia simply cannot be missed.

Get Wet at Shedd:
Located right on the shore of Lake Michigan, the Shedd Aquarium is one of the biggest reasons nature-lovers flock to Chicago. Currently, the museum, which opened to the public in 1930, contains over 25,000 fish and 5,000,000 gallons of water! The Amazon Rising exhibit shows off some of South America’s most exotic fauna, including anacondas and piranhas. Another awesome exhibit at Shedd is the Wild Reef, which replicates a marine coral environment. On weekdays, the aquarium is open from 9 AM to 5 PM, while on weekends it is open from 9 AM to 6 PM.

Affordable Eating
Eating out when in a big city is always delicious, but can often be very pricey. One restaurant that qualifies in the former but not the latter is Glen Prairie. This restaurant serves contemporary American cuisine, with different menu options appealing to everyone! They constantly have great specials, and this local spot has constantly been lauded in the media and on social sites for its delicious food and overall dining experience!

Eliminate the Stress
Planning a trip and heading out of town involves lots of dotting the i’s and crossing of the t’s. Booking a hotel, even if it is just for a weekend trip, can be a stressful thing. When you are staying in Chicago, too, finding a hotel that suits your needs in important, because each part of the city is so different. My favorite booking site for Chicago hotels is gogobot. They have detailed guides on everything about Chicago, should you have any questions. Whether you want a five star hotel downtown with views of my city’s thrilling skyline, or you are trying to stay in an old hotel with plenty of history, gogobot has you covered. Once you have this step out of the way, the whole trip becomes much less daunting!