Chicago Travel | Cheap Travel

A trip to Chicago can fast become expensive if you are not cautious from the very beginning. However, this should not be a problem for those who plan their trip well in advance to make the most of special discount offers extended by hotels, air lines and other various travel agents. Just make sure that you have accounted for most of the traveling expenses beforehand and need only petty cash to spend on your rip to Chicago.

Chicago Travel | Chicago Il Travel | Chicago Travel Deals

Whether you are planning in advance or looking for last minute Chicago travel deals, you can find it all online. Buy a Go Chicago Card and you can visit 30 of Chicago's top attractions and tours for a single low price on a single ticket and save up to 55% on the ticket prices if bought individually. The Go Chicago Card allows the holder of the card to see as many of the 30 sightseeing spots as he or she wants for the number of days chosen and comes with a full-color guidebook for the convenience of the tourists.

Holiday Travel in Chicago: Holidays, Vacations, Vacation Packages

The Chicago Hotels Super Savings package priced at $68, the Sofitel Chicago package for $149 that includes 3rd night free and a complimentary upgrade and the Perfect Escapes package for $468 that includes air tickets and 4 days 3 nights stay at a deluxe hotel are some of the top vacation deals for Chicago. Some popular packages offered by high-end Chicago hotels also include special spa treatments or a gourmet meal.

Quick Chicago Weekend Getaway, Chicago's Medieval Times Dinner Tournament Package, Chicago Shopping Excursion and Chicago's Six Flags Great America Getaway are the most popular vacation packages that promise a memorable holiday experience in the Windy City.

Chicago Hotels & Travel Categories

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Healthy Eating! Tips for Spotting Healthy and Authentic Chicago Food

Chicago, as the third most populated city in America, is home for approximately 9.7 million people. All these people will certainly need to feed themselves, but, since America is known as one of the fattest nations in the world, how can we tell if the food we are eating is keeping us alive or was actually pulling us ever so close to our grave?

Let us first start on what healthy eating is. Healthy eating basically means eating according to what and how much your body needs, not what your taste buds want. Organic food is always the first thing that comes to mind when talking about healthy eating simply because it was produced solely by Mother Nature and have no chemical additives and preservatives whatsoever. One easy way to know is the food you are purchasing is organic is to find a label "organic farming" in its package. This means at least 95% of that product is produced by organic methods.

If you're not feeling like cooking, Chicago has some restaurants that are known for serving healthy food. Karyn's on Green is one of the most famous and also expensive Vegan restaurants. It serves pizzas, salads, soups and all are made with organic products. For a cheaper Vegan restaurant you have the Kramer's Healthy Cafe. Other affordable healthy restaurants are Meli Cafe or Brian's Juice Bar and Deli. These two restaurants are not a vegan restaurant so it serves dairy products such as bacons and steaks while still maintaining their status as a healthy restaurant.

Travel Tips from an insider: How to Make Parking Easy and Convenient in Chicago

If you are planning to take your car down to Chicago from any of the American cities outside IL, firstly make sure you have the permit and your papers in place. Finding a parking lot where you can rely on its safety becomes the next most important thing. You will also need to ensure that places which are void of theft and crimes is located at a healthy distance away from your accommodation place.

In Chicago neighborhood demographics usually change in quick succession down a single stretch of road. As a result, after you have availed accommodation in a safe area, make sure that your parking space is not too far away. Chicago's streets have reliable parking lots, serviced by people and installed with electronic systems for your car's safety. Millennium parking garage is a good option for people affording downtown's premier hotels.

Parking services around the Grant Park area and those around the Millennium Park are reliable services offering large parking spaces, specially meant for tourists who come for festivals and concerts. Midway Park and Fly in the southwest part of the city is an equally reliable parking space, manned with ample security and telephonic booking systems. It is also located near Chicago's Midway Airport.

In-house hotel parking services are also a safe option. Most premium hotels in downtown, and others around the West End have convenient parking facilities. In order to ensure that your car is safe, you may need to confirm that the hotel provides you a reliable parking space, with or without charge.

Hello from Chicago - Exciting and Fun Tour Places to Visit in Chicago

Your visit to Chicago is has fun guaranteed at all levels for all ages. From museums of art, culture and science, to the beautiful festival parks and architecture, there is always something new about the city that ends up being a signature element for all tourists to reckon it as Chicago's intrinsic part. With a history of patriots, mafia, rock musicians and fashion designers, Chicago never fails to pardon the visitors even it is winter.

Chicago has a unique system of urban operations. Its L-shaped CTA train system is one of the cheapest and educative ways to get around the city. At the same time, Chicago's best hotels offer you unique vacation plans and transport services for visiting sites like Navy Pier, Millennium Park and dozens of other places. Chicago's museums and ethnic neighborhoods like Little Italy and Greek Town are amongst the best possible places to walk around and learn about the city's culture.

African American History is one of the most prominent subjects addressed through the city's various neighborhoods. Areas like Bronzeville are places that many visitors frequent, owing to a history of famous black Americans including President Obama and Boxing champion Muhammad Ali. Chicago also offers a large number of festivals as cultural illustrations.

If you are planning to visit Chicago in summer, you can witness bright and happening events such as Blues Fest and Gospel Fest in June. For the foodies in town, Taste of Chicago in July is one of the other attractions. Lollapalooza and Jazz Fest August onwards, and Taste of Palonia over the Labor Day weekend are never worth missing.

Considering a Romantic Weekend? Guide to the Most Romantic Getaway Destinations in Chicago Area

Romantic places in Chicago is a result of its unique natural-urban mix between Lake Michigan and the northern hill side areas which thrust down a great amount of temperature dips in the winters. Nevertheless, the area is one of the best recognized amongst tourists and destinations within the city can also be perfect for romantic getaways. Chicago is also called the windy city, which adds to your requisites of keeping the fire alive with your partner!

Romantic BnB's are amongst the very best options for spending serene, yet colorful times with your partner. Victorian Rose Garden in the northern part of the city near Crystal Lake echoes with the 1880's. With decor and facilities perfect for couples, there can be no better getaway place away from the bustle of the city and the population of the neighborhoods.

If you want to stick around the downtown area, but would prefer a little less population around, St. Augustine College BnB on W. Argyle Street by Lake Michigan can be a great option, even in the summers. Rates here are cheap and it is a perfect romantic getaway place for teens. The place may be under an educational institute, but the ambience is nevertheless colorful.

If you are looking for a romantic dining place or an alternative romantic getaway for less than a day, places like Ferris Wheel at Navy Pier or the Signature Lounge on the 96th floor of John Hancock Center are the perfect places to impress your partners. You can also try out the ice skating rink at Millenium Park.

Guide to Famous Music Festivals in Chicago

Chicago's famous music festivals are a manifestation of the supremely rich culture of contemporary music in the city. The summers are famous for rock and blues concerts apart from the famous Lollapalooza in August. The festival is a famous confluence of rock artists from various places in US, as they drift with the times Chicago has dearly preserved as part of its musical heritage. Lollapalooza is a great place for contemporary music as well.

Jazz Festival is another summer attraction for music lovers in Chicago. You can find one of the best options amongst festivals at the Grant Park when legends of Jazz (those alive) come to enthrall a crowd of thousands. A truly international event, the Jazz Festival events are also held in Millenium Park, Randolph Cafe at the Chicago Cultural Center and a number of other venues. Chicago's jazz heritage is one of the most valuable assets of American culture.

Pitchfork Music Festival is a summer festival as well and takes place in July. Featuring dozens of bands and performers, the festival is a grand stretch of musical events at Union Park in West Randolph Street in Chicago. As a visitor to the place, you can always book a parking space, and it is advisable owing to the heavy crowds.

The Hyde Park Jazz Festival and World Music Festival in September are some of the best events for musicians and music lovers in Chicago. Chicago Country Music Festival in October is a grand event for locals and people from the neighboring Midwest regions.

Chicago Dining Guide: Finding Out the Best Restaurants in South Side Chicago

South Side of Chicago has the most astonishing restaurant selections one ever wants to see. There is every cuisine that is made available by the variety of restaurants in the area. You can expect American traditional food, Asian food or Chinese food, there are restaurants that can serve you what you require. There is a great diversified culture that you see in and around Chicago and this is how the restaurants cater to the varied tastes! You can get the sushi in Japanese style and pork cooked the Chinese way.

Sesame Inn, Stir Crazy, Panda Express, Oriental Chop Suey are some of the restaurants that are worth mentioning. These have the classic flavor of the traditional food of the Asian or Chinese regions. There are also restaurants specializing Japanese cuisine like the one owned by Chef Soon.

The traditional American food are served by the Chuk's Cafe, Wildfire, Finley's Grill Room and many more popular branded of hotels too. The hotel in which you stay there may also contain in them the many different Chicago restaurants with different cuisines.

One can easily get out there in the Chicago city and find what he wants. The ambiance of the American restaurants with the cuisine of the native place, just makes this an amazing experience altogether. If you are one who likes to try the different recipes across the world, you can just get into one of the different restaurants every day and you can easily find what everyone has to offer in Chicago!

Exploring Chicago - Popular Tourist Attractions and Activities

Chicago is a very colorful city in the summers, mainly for its festivals and arty neighborhoods like River North. You can be amongst the large tourist crowds that gather in the city's downtown and metropolitan areas to enjoy concerts, art festivals and restaurant feast programs. Some of the popular summer destinations in the city include Montrose Harbor in the northern region, Belmont Harbor a few miles down south, and the famous Navy Pier in Uptown Chicago.

Chicago is also a city of many beautiful parks. Grant Park sees the annual music festival featuring top of the line blues guitarists, gospel musicians and singers. Museums also feature a number of events, and the best part is that they run throughout the year. Millennium Park is one of the major landmarks and recreation areas for locals and visitors in Chicago. Millennium Park is also famous as a concert venue.

Chicago's architecture is also big factor when it comes to the city's charisma as a Chicago tourist spot. Places like Tribune Tower, John Hancock Center and beautiful houses in ethnic neighborhoods like Greektown are simply breathtaking. Places like Willis Tower, Marina City are popular for their heights as well.

Greektown in the western part of the city has a good number of restaurants serving authentic Greek Cuisine. You can choose balmy summer afternoons or the windy and chilly nights to warm yourselves up with delicious seafood, soups and entrees from the Kylix. If you have festivals as the top priority, you cannot avoid crowds, but otherwise spring and autumn are also great times to visit.

Enjoy Your Evening in the Great Night Clubs and Pubs in Chicago

Any party animal is bound to love the nightlife of Chicago not just because it is vibrant, but due to the medley of wide variety of events that are brought to the spotlight by the bright lighting, greatest music and the best drinks. This is precisely the reason why Chicago has so many nightclubs and pubs spread in various regions of the city. Let us have a detailed look at the most lively nightclubs and pubs in the city of Chicago through this article.

The partying in the city never stops, all thanks to its people who love to get out of their homes during the night times. Being the birthplace of jazz, the clubs here are known to perform jazz music. You can see the people shaking and swirling to the beats of music at any of the most famous nightclubs including the Wicker Park, Lakeview and the Lincoln Park. The blues, alternative rock, grunge rock, classical and the Latin music are also played in these clubs apart from the most obvious Jazz. Many a times, the most famed celebrities could also be spotted in one of these Chicago clubs.

Chicago houses the most famous series of bars called as "The Limelight", which are exclusive to only a few cities in the world. The most famous one among them is operated at the Chicago Historical Society, which is now considered to one of the best sports bars in the entire world. Also there are many other modern bars including the comedy bars, music bars and the most classical forms of bars. A few list worthy bars in Chicago include the Excalibur, Buzz and Le Passage.

What's on Stage? Discovering the Hottest Chicago Theatres for the Weekend

Hottest theaters in Chicago are part of the cultural ethos of fun and serious art in Chicago. Places along the Lake Michigan border are known for one of the biggest collections of art houses, theaters, bars, venues for live musical experiences, cabaret venues and much more. Chicago Theater LLC is a highly respected venue, known for its repertoire of hosting shows by leading artists and groups.

Chicago Theater LLC also has a box office located at its premises on N. State Street. Monday through Friday, you can visit the box office any time between 12 and 6 pm for information about what is on. Some of the attractive events in the coming weekends include Sufjan Stevens, Margaret Cho and Celtic Thunder. Other places like Lyric Opera of Chicago on N. Wacker are Friday evening special venues as well.

Briar Street Theater and Cabaret is also a popular weekend venue besides being renowned for innovative shows. However, the theater is rarely open for big shows, but attracts a lot of the youth's attention for its experimental takes on theater and cabaret. If you are interested in theater of social and cultural importance other places like Steppenwolf Theatre is going to be great venue for the September - October period in 2010. To Kill a Mockingbird and the sixth Annual First Look Repertory of New Work will be the biggest attractions in November.

Court Theater at The University of Chicago is a major place for the theater enthusiasts and the literati. The plays here are one of the most prestigious stage events in Chicago, and call for serious attention.

Music Lovers Must Read! Discovering the Best Venues for Concerts and Bands in Chicago

If you are an avid concert musician or listener, you must be interested to know that Chicago hosts one of the biggest assortments of concert venues and halls. Places like Double Door, Metro-Smart Bar, Aragon Ballroom, Grant Park, Riveria Theater and a few others are the most popular places for artists and music lovers to visit while touring Chicago.

Grant Park is one of the jolliest and vibrant tourist destinations amongst places of entertainment in the United States. Moreover, it is a versatile experience for everyone, especially when you are traveling with families and friends in different age groups. With a highly appreciated sound and lights system at the place, it can be one of the best options when it comes to pop concerts.

Aragon Ballroom in Chicago is one of the best experiences for concertgoers. A perfect places for jazz and blues type of music, Aragon Ballroom is the archetype of a medium size concert venue. A great arrangement of seats and sets, Aragon Ballroom also delivers more than what is expected in a public concert. Popular places like Paramount Art Center and House of Blues have made Chicago a reputable city for hosting prestigious concerts and musical events.

If you like the Blues, never forget to miss Buddy Guy's Legends where you can shop blues memorabilia, private parties, concerts, and a delectable menu of sandwiches, fishes, salads, entrees and dessert. Soldier Field is also an interesting concert venue providing for the best of sports, games and festival music.