48 Hours in Chicago

It's no secret that Chicago is one of my fave cities. We lived there for a while. And we got married there - FYI, in one of the coldest days of the year. 

I had such a great time there. I met nice people from all over the world, learnt proper English, experienced snow for the first time (and hoped that it would be the last), had good food and shook hands with the President. 

Unfortunately, since we moved to DC we hadn't had the opportunity to go back until some weeks ago.

View over Chicago

In order to enjoy Chicago you have to visit it during late spring or summer. Otherwise it gets too cold to walk around and very likely everything will be frozen. Including the lake. 

River walk

Chicago is not as touristic as DC or NYC. It doesn't have as many cultural attractions as any of those cities but it deserves some credit.

River walk 

There are sculptures from famous artists in every corner. Street art is a plus.

You can't miss the Art Institute. It was voted the #1 museum in the world by TripAdvisor reviewers. The Asian collection was my fave. 

Cloud Gate

Millenium Park is a must see. You'll come across Frank Gery's master piece, Jay Pritzker Pavillion. The Cloud Gate (AKA bean) reflects the beautiful skyline. 

And the BP pedestrian bridge that connects the downtown area with the lakefront and it's also a viewing platform for the park.

BP pedestrian bridge

Chicago's Architecture Foundation organizes a really nice boat tour in the river. The guides are very knowledgeable and they reveal very interesting details about more than 50 buildings and how the city grew. Make sure that you take a hat, sunscreen and sunglasses.

Architecture Foundation boat tour

Chicago is home to some of the most acclaimed chefs in the world. 

It's a food(ie) city.
Since I don't live there anymore it's hard to keep up an accurate list of restaurants. BBQ is a big thing in Chicago. Our fave is Smoque BBQ, the brisket is to die for.
For contemporary American cuisine, Rubxin never disappoints. 

Ruxbin