CHICAGO 2017

Outfit Details with affiliate links: Jersey Top (Alala) | Sneakers (Converse) | Bucket Bag (Luana Italy)

*I vistited the Luana Italy Flagship Store in Soho and had to choose this Cecilia Drawstring Hobo Bucket bag for my Chicago getaway trip because it was the perfect size and style for traveling. I also thought the white color was classic as it went with everything. Feel free to visit their shop if you’re in NYC and you can use my code ‘MARIANNYC’ for $50 off discount.*

As many of you already know, I absolutely love traveling and always feel the need to explore new places. I have been to more international countries than states and I wanted to change that so I booked a last minute getaway to Chicago and it was a great way to get out of NYC. 

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• Navy Pier: As the name suggests, it’s a pier with tons of great food vendors and restaurants. There’s also a ferris wheel and rides and a board walk where you can hang out as it’s near the water. I was expecting something similar to Coney Island and it was to a certain extent, but definitely a little more calmer and less crowded. It was a great way to start my trip as it was relaxing and made me appreciate the weather and scenery. 

• Primehouse: My lovely friend Hannah from Hannah Schneider Creative hooked me up with a dinner at this steakhouse and I can’t even begin to rave about their service. All of the staff treated my friend and me like royalty and I appreciated their welcomess and service. It also makes sense that they have such amazing staff because the food was top notch. They are known for their steaks and I ordered the 55 aged ribeye which was mouthwatering to say the least. I definitely recommend visiting if you want a fancy night out and if you are a fan of steak! 

• Wild berry Pancakes: I’m a huge breakfast lover so I knew I had to eat here after seeing over 3000 positive yelp reviews on this cafe. I ordered their signature bliss pancakes but to be completely honest I wasn’t blown away. I thought it was way too sweet and nothing extraordinary. This definitely isn’t better than the blueberry pancakes from Clinton Street Bakery in NYC but it was still decent and satisfying. I was expecting it to be a 9/10 but I think I would rate it a 7/10. I’m the type to try foods after reviewing positive reviews but maybe I had too much of a high expectation. Regardless I think it’s still worth visiting because there was a lot of buzz around this place and if you love sweet pancakes maybe you’ll enjoy this place a little more than me.
• The Bean/ Millennium Park: This is a must see in Chicago as I am sure all of you have heard of it or seen photos. It’s basically a huge sculpture that is shaped like a bean with reflection/ mirror feature. It was cool to take photos of it and the park is beautiful if you want to take a stroll and just enjoy the sun.
• Wendall Architecture Boat Tour: I was originally planning to take the boat tour at Navy Pier but my server at Primehouse recommended this tour instead. It was 75 minutes in total but it was a great way to get to know the city and see it from a different perspective since you are on a boat. You also learn a lot since the tour guide points out the history and architecture of different buildings so if you want more information about the city, this is the tour for you! 
• Magnificent Mile:  I stayed at the Marriott hotel and it was on the strip of the Magnificent Mile, which is a great shopping area. This is considered downtown Chicago which is the center of everything so I highly recommend booking a place around here. There are a lot of shops and restaurants so it’s a good way to kill some time or have a relaxing afternoon.
• Wrigley Stadium: Now let’s not forget that I’m a huge Yankees fan but everybody kept encouraging me to visit the Wrigley Stadium or attend a cubs game. It so happened that the cubs were playing when I was there so I bought last minute tickets. I didn’t have the best seats in the house but I wanted to go more for the experience and it was a lot of fun!
• RPM Italian: I found this restaurant on yelp and didn’t know that Giuliana Rancic and her husband owns it but it was a beautiful place with chic interior. I’m not a huge fan of Italian food but the spaghetti was delicious. I would recommend visiting if you love Italian food and if you want to have a romantic night with your significant other.
• Quartino Ristorante: This is another Italian restaurant that I saw on Yelp and it was a nice last meal for Chicago. Their pizza was delicious and light and it’s a fun, upbeat atmosphere. This is a great place to go with friends before heading out for the night.
• Chicago 360: I confused this place with the Willis Tower so it was a bit of a bummer since this is just the observatory deck that allows you to view Chicago but doesn’t include the ledge that you see in photos. I will say that they have a tilt feature which is worth visiting if you want an Adrenaline rush.
• Willis Tower:I’m sure this is also a top tourist attraction but I couldn’t leave Chicago without visiting here. It’s essentially a ledge that overlooks the city but the windows and floors are all transparent. I will have to admit that this doesn’t measure up to the Burj Khalif in Dubai but it’s still a photo worthy trip! A great tip is to go in the morning on a weekday so you won’t have to wait because I ended up going towards sunset and it took forever to get upstairs and I felt rushed to take pictures since they were closing at 10 pm.

As you can see, I did a little bit of everything including eating, shopping and visiting tourist attractions. Overall, I had a great time at Chicago and the people were very friendly. I’m happy that I took the time to visit another state and hope to do this more often. Let me know if you’ve ever been to Chicago or what your favorite state is.