Teresa in MO Posted February 23, 2011 Share Posted February 23, 2011 my dh has a business trip to Itasca, IL in mid May. I am going with him and his supervisor's wife will be coming to. We are looking for things to do during the day while the guys will be in class. We went a couple of years ago. We went to Naperville when we were there last. Any suggestions on things to do? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HappyCamper Posted February 23, 2011 Share Posted February 23, 2011 :bigear: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
annlaura Posted February 23, 2011 Share Posted February 23, 2011 Just for grown ups, or kids too? Are you interested in heading downtown, or do you prefer staying closer to Itasca? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wabi Sabi Posted February 23, 2011 Share Posted February 23, 2011 Walk down Michigan Avenue looking into shops Art Institute and a slew of other museums are just off of Michigan Avenue Head up to the 'burbs for an IKEA trip Walk around some of the Chicago neighborhoods for a non-touristy, authentic feel of the city. Try Lincoln Park, Wicker Park, Ukranian Village, etc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Teresa in MO Posted February 23, 2011 Author Share Posted February 23, 2011 Just for grown ups, or kids too? Are you interested in heading downtown, or do you prefer staying closer to Itasca? just for grownups. We will be going into downtown all day Tuesday. We are going to the Shedd Aquarium for sure, not sure where else. Any ideas on things to not miss? We are also looking for things close to Itasca. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
prairiebird Posted February 23, 2011 Share Posted February 23, 2011 What sorts of things are you looking to do? Will you have a car? Itasca is in the northwest suburbs and is west of O'Hare. May should be fairly nice out if you wanted to do an outdoor thing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Teresa in MO Posted February 23, 2011 Author Share Posted February 23, 2011 What sorts of things are you looking to do? Will you have a car? Itasca is in the northwest suburbs and is west of O'Hare. May should be fairly nice out if you wanted to do an outdoor thing. yes, we will have a car available. We are driving my dh's work van (very nice 2009 Toyota Sienna) from St. Louis. I will be able to drive the van while they are in class. I DO NOT want to drive downtown Chicago, but saw that there is a train station just a few minutes away from Itasca. We will be staying at the Eaglewood Resort and Spa. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harriet Vane Posted February 23, 2011 Share Posted February 23, 2011 Taking the Metra train into Chicago is easy--definitely plan on using cabs and public transportation in the city. I really like Chicago River tours. You can either go down the river or out onto the lake--I prefer the ones that swing out onto the lake, but have enjoyed both. I love the Art Institute. Browse around there for a while, then go enjoy a formal tea at the Russian Tea Room just down the block. Catch a show at the Royal George or Steppenwolf or Chicago Shakespeare Company. The Royal George leans towards comedy, while Steppenwolf tends to be more introspective and intense. There's also Drury Lane at OakBrook Center for lighter plays (musicals and such)--though Drury Lane tends to be a little lower in quality than the downtown offerings. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
newhsmom Posted February 23, 2011 Share Posted February 23, 2011 Eat!!!!! I absolutely love all the yummy food in Chicago. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
annlaura Posted February 23, 2011 Share Posted February 23, 2011 In the suburbs, I love the Morton Arboretum. If you're in the mood for shopping and the weather is nice, Oakbrook mall is fun. There is an old mill nearby, Graue Mill, that sometimes has fun events. Downtown, I adore the Art Institute. A walk through Millenium Park is nice. The Cultural Center is gorgeous, maintains a small but free art gallery, sometimes has free concerts, and will have lots of tourist info/help. Architecture tours are great, walking or river boat. And Michigan Ave is always fun. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harriet Vane Posted February 23, 2011 Share Posted February 23, 2011 Eat!!!!! I absolutely love all the yummy food in Chicago. Oh yes, definitely eat!!! Two more unique Chicago food experiences: --Try a dim sum lunch in Chinatown. We like the Phoenix. Tiny Chinese grandmas wheel around carts of appetizer-sized selections. They don't speak a lick of English. You point to what you want and they mark it on your bill, which is then tallied at the end. It's REAL Chinese food, and tastes incredible. Plan on about two hours for a leisurely lunch, and make sure you have some pudding before you leave as well. Then browse up and down the main strip and enjoy the little stores, and make sure you take some goodies home from the Chinese bakeries. --Ethiopian cuisine. Be warned though--it's SPICY! Go for dinner and eat as a group. Selections are placed on a revolving platter in the middle. Each person tears off bits of a big, soft, lemony "pancake" and uses the bits to pick up bites of food. Delicious, and really fun. Also, if you want something exotic but a little tamer than those, come to Oak Park. The King and I, on Marion Street, has incredible, authentic Thai food and great service. There's also Khyber Pass for Indian cuisine. Finally, for breakfast fun, try Orange on the north side. Be warned--it's really crowded on weekends and you may have a wait. The selections there are wonderful--it's my favorite breakfast place, ever. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FaithManor Posted February 23, 2011 Share Posted February 23, 2011 The Art Institute is divine! The Museum of Science and Industry is WONDEFUL! Take a walk on Navy Pier and eat at Riva's Cafe if you want to splurge....I highly recommend the halibut served on a bed of roasted leeks, potatoes, and mushrooms and covered with a mild garlic butter glaze. Delightful! Faith Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OnTheBrink Posted February 23, 2011 Share Posted February 23, 2011 We just spent 3 days up there. For shopping, we loved Water Tower Place. Six or seven stories of fun stores. It's on Michigan Avenue. Michigan Avenue is just fun to drive down, period. There's also the Sears Tower (renamed Willis Tower, but I refuse to change) and the Hancock building. Both offer tours to the top. The views on a clear day are amazing. If you want to visit Ikea, the one in Schaumburg is larger than the one in Bolingbrook. Schaumburg is about half an hourish north of downtown Chicago. There is also another HUGE mall very close to that Ikea. Woodfield Mall, I think it's called. The aquarium is fun; we were a bit disappointed in the planetarium. They're redoing a big section so we missed out on a lot, I think. The Museum of Science and Industry was very cool. Plan to spend the day there, if you intend on seeing it all. We love Chicago. It's our kinda town. ;) Dd wants to buy a condo on Lake Shore Dr and live there. LOL I wish! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Teresa in MO Posted February 23, 2011 Author Share Posted February 23, 2011 thanks for all the ideas. We will be about 10 minutes from Schaumburg, so a trip to Ikea is in order. Never been there. Thanks for all the shopping and food ideas. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OnTheBrink Posted February 23, 2011 Share Posted February 23, 2011 thanks for all the ideas. We will be about 10 minutes from Schaumburg, so a trip to Ikea is in order. Never been there. Thanks for all the shopping and food ideas. Oh, then plan to have a meal there. The Swedish meatballs are yummy! DD and I had so much fun. There's even an escalator for your shopping cart. IMO, driving in downtown isn't that bad. I grew up in LA County, though, so maybe that's why--nothing is as bad as driving in LA! (except maybe NY, but I've never been there so I don't know for sure). It's finding street parking that I had a hard time with. We eventually parked in the garage under the Water Tower Place and paid $21 for that little convenience. If I had to do that every day, I'd find some other way to get there! LOL Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
katemary63 Posted February 23, 2011 Share Posted February 23, 2011 Ed Debevic's. Tourisy? Yes, Fun and delicious? Yes We go every time we visit and never get tired of it. The chocolate shakes are out of this world. We like taking the train and buses around town. The aquarium is nice, Centenial park, Michigan Ave, Both zoos are great! and the Lincoln Park zoo is small and like a pleasant walk in a park. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Teresa in MO Posted February 23, 2011 Author Share Posted February 23, 2011 Ed Debevic's. Tourisy? Yes, Fun and delicious? Yes We go every time we visit and never get tired of it. The chocolate shakes are out of this world. We like taking the train and buses around town. The aquarium is nice, Centenial park, Michigan Ave, Both zoos are great! and the Lincoln Park zoo is small and like a pleasant walk in a park. we did go to Ed Debevic's when we were there 2 years ago. It was a fun place! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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