A week in Chicago, any secret tips on what to do??

[Jona L.]

Hello, all!

I will (with 95% certainty) be in Chicago for 5-6 Days in October this year. Those of you from the US, especially from Illinois or even better Chicago itself: Does anyone of you have good or especially "secret" tips on what to do? Also the general stuff is interesting

My dad fancies to see some of the (old) butcheries that Bertold Brecht wrote about and both of us would like to follow some of those sites of famous robberies and things like that by Al Capone and co.

Thanks already for input and ideas

Jona L.

[Jona L.]

P.S.: is it possible to visit the Wheat -market/-stock exchange?

[slither360]

Don't leave the airport - instead grab one of the hourly flights to Boston and drop by here

But in all honesty, Chicago isn't much of a city for tourists

[Jona L.]

Don't leave the airport - instead grab one of the hourly flights to Boston and drop by here

But in all honesty, Chicago isn't much of a city for tourists

Well... we want to walk around a bit, see some museums [2nd most in America, after NYC where we have already been to], and see some sites of historic interest or today's importance (such as the old butcheries, and the Grain-exchange, Sears Tower, etc.)
and exactly that "etc." should be filled with the help of you guys

[slither360]

why would you want to see a butchery?

[Pilot Oatmeal]

what to do in chicago....hmmm....oh i know...get a connecting flight 

[Jona L.]

why would you want to see a butchery?

My dad want to, coz he read a lot of Bertold Brecht, and he wrote something about them LOL

[Jona L.]

what to do in chicago....hmmm....oh i know...get a connecting flight 

You're too late with those jokes, Jordan....

Don't leave the airport - instead grab one of the hourly flights to Boston and drop by here

Besides that, neither nor were funny, coz I am not intending to fly elsewhere... if I would, I'd go direct with LH, without going through ORD

[slither360]

Not jokes, honest suggestions.

There is quite simply nothing worth spending 5-6 days on in Chicago.

I suggest you pay the change fee and fly LH somewhere else

[Pilot Oatmeal]

You're too late with those jokes, Jordan....

Besides that, neither nor were funny, coz I am not intending to fly elsewhere... if I would, I'd go direct with LH, without going through ORD

Alright calm down, ffs!  were only trying to get fun out of your situation, Chicago really is nothing but a connecting airport...

Germans and their bloody sense of humour! what happened!?

[LemonButt]

Hello, all!

I will (with 95% certainty) be in Chicago for 5-6 Days in October this year. Those of you from the US, especially from Illinois or even better Chicago itself: Does anyone of you have good or especially "secret" tips on what to do? Also the general stuff is interesting

My dad fancies to see some of the (old) butcheries that Bertold Brecht wrote about and both of us would like to follow some of those sites of famous robberies and things like that by Al Capone and co.

Thanks already for input and ideas

Jona L.

In all seriousness, I haven't been to Chicago in 15 years and there is a reason for it.  I'd say a 3 day visit is the maximum I'd suggest because as mentioned, there simply isn't enough to do there to fill up 5-6 days.  Personally, I've been to ~40 out of the 50 states, have lived in 5 different ones, and I grew up in the city (Cincinnati).  The only things to do in Chicago are "man-made" versus being able to go do something in nature.  Heck, even the Chicago River is man-made since they reversed the flow.  If you are renting a car, I suggest spending a few of those days in Door County, Wisconsin (~5 hours from Chicago) or the opposite shore of Lake Michigan (~3 hours).  Door County is where all the people from Chicago vacation and they are commonly known by Cheeseheads as FIB's (F*cking Illinois Bastards)  Since you're going to Chicago, here is my list of things to do:

1. Wrigley Field -- Since you're visiting in October, the Cubs will already be out of playoff contention and tickets will be cheap and plentiful.
2. Sunset River/Harbor Cruise -- Probably not as scenic as it used to be now that former Mayor Daley destroyed Meigs Field.
3. Navy Pier/Boardwalk -- The boardwalk isn't populated with stores like other big city boardwalks, but is a nice trail to walk/run/rollerblade/bike along the shore.
4. Moto Restaurant -- You mentioned you were going to the meat packing district and Moto is one of the more cutting edge restaurants out there in the world of molecular gastronomy: http://www.motorestaurant.com/
5. Ed Debevic''s Restaurant -- One of the restaurants where the servers are rude and treat you like crap on purpose.  Entertaining nonetheless: www.eddebevics.com/
6. Midieval Times -- If you ever saw the movie "The Cable Guy" with Jim Carey you've seen this before.  Since your not in the states, this will probably be a novelty for you.  It's the only place (they're several actually) where you can watch live jousting while eating a whole chicken with your hands and chasing it with a goblet of Coke: http://www.medievaltimes.com/
7. Sears Tower (now called Willis Tower) -- I went 15 years ago when it was the tallest building in the world still.  The elevator ride up was the highlight as it is an express elevator going 100 stories up in a minute or so--if you jump up and down on the way up/down it's really cool.  Seeing Chicago from the top wasn't anything over-the-top or spectacular--if you've seen Chicago from an airplane it's the same thing.
8. Chicago Art Museum -- Art museums bore the hell out of me, but my mom was a member for so many years when we flew for free on American/Delta.  She'd fly up for the day to see exhibitions and it's one of the top art museums in the nation/world.

Today, Chicago is one of the hardest hit cities in America economically.  The corruption of the unions and political leaders has turned it into Detroit Jr.  Chicago in recent years has been known for students getting gunned down at record rates and there are statistics out there showing that you're more likely to get shot and killed as an American in Chicago than in Iraq.

[Jona L.]

Okay, besides the jokings and all.... even the serious Ideas (Thanks, LemonButt) don't really support my thoughts/wishes.... heck I thought I found something

Well, I guess it is best to search elsewhere

I suggest you pay the change fee and fly LH somewhere else

We have not yet booked and are still not 100% sure, that is why I was asking, so we will check... maybe West Coast or Asia, up to the fares and hotel cost

Thanks anyhow
I will update on our final destination, and ask again then.

Jona L.

[LemonButt]

Okay, besides the jokings and all.... even the serious Ideas (Thanks, LemonButt) don't really support my thoughts/wishes.... heck I thought I found something

Well, I guess it is best to search elsewhere
We have not yet booked and are still not 100% sure, that is why I was asking, so we will check... maybe West Coast or Asia, up to the fares and hotel cost

Thanks anyhow
I will update on our final destination, and ask again then.

Jona L.

The West Coast of the US is also economically battered for the most part.  There are exceptions, but in general it's an "everyone for themselves" mentality out west (I used to live in Las Vegas).  All the big cities on the west coast leave much to be desired and are on par with Chicago in terms of touristy things to do.  Don't get me wrong--there is great white water rafting and outdoorsy things to do out there, but it's a completely different culture than you'd experience in the Midwest, Northeast, or the South.

Asheville is beautiful in October.  You can fly into ORD, ATL, and CLT to connect and fly directly into AVL or it's only a 2 hour drive from CLT (3 hours from ATL).  I live here and we're a big tourist spot--so much so Barack Obama actually came here for vacation last year   The leaves are changing around that time, which means most hotels in Asheville are already sold out many months in advance.  We've got the Blue Ridge Parkway, the Biltmore House (largest private residence in the US where George Vanderbilt lived--wife and I are season passholders), Grove Park Inn (includes one of the top spas in the nation), Navitat (one of the top ziplines/canopy tours in the nation) and we hold the title of "Beer City USA" for 3 years running, which would make a German feel at home   We've got the Chocolate Fetish (LA Times called it the best chocolate truffles in the nation) and we're somewhat of a culinary hot spot--every restaurant downtown (besides a single Subway) is an independent, locally owned restaurant.  We've also got "The Swag" nearby which is several lists as one of the top places to see before you die.  Smoky Mountain National Park and Cherokee (Native American reservation) are both nearby also.  Our tap water is so good they actually bottle it and sell it as bottled water in other parts of the country   I highly recommend the La Zoom Bus Tour if you make it Asheville.  Check out the links below...

http://www.blueridgeparkway.org/
http://www.biltmore.com/
http://www.groveparkinn.com
http://www.navitat.com/asheville/
http://www.examiner.com/beer-in-national/beercity-usa-2011-video
http://www.chocolatefetish.com/
http://www.theswag.com
http://www.airasheville.org/
http://www.lazoomtours.com/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asheville,_North_Carolina

The company I work for has a condo on the beach in Charleston and I'll be there in two weeks on vacation myself.  I highly recommend Charleston as well, but the weather is much like Hamburg from what I understand--hot as hell and 100% humidity.  Asheville is much more pleasant

[Jona L.]

The West Coast of the US is also economically battered for the most part.  There are exceptions, but in general it's an "everyone for themselves" mentality out west (I used to live in Las Vegas).  All the big cities on the west coast leave much to be desired and are on par with Chicago in terms of touristy things to do.  Don't get me wrong--there is great white water rafting and outdoorsy things to do out there, but it's a completely different culture than you'd experience in the Midwest, Northeast, or the South.

Asheville is beautiful in October.  You can fly into ORD, ATL, and CLT to connect and fly directly into AVL or it's only a 2 hour drive from CLT (3 hours from ATL).  I live here and we're a big tourist spot--so much so Barack Obama actually came here for vacation last year  The leaves are changing around that time, which means most hotels in Asheville are already sold out many months in advance.  We've got the Blue Ridge Parkway, the Biltmore House (largest private residence in the US where George Vanderbilt lived--wife and I are season passholders), Grove Park Inn (includes one of the top spas in the nation), Navitat (one of the top ziplines/canopy tours in the nation) and we hold the title of "Beer City USA" for 3 years running, which would make a German feel at home  We've got the Chocolate Fetish (LA Times called it the best chocolate truffles in the nation) and we're somewhat of a culinary hot spot--every restaurant downtown (besides a single Subway) is an independent, locally owned restaurant.  We've also got "The Swag" nearby which is several lists as one of the top places to see before you die.  Smoky Mountain National Park and Cherokee (Native American reservation) are both nearby also.  Our tap water is so good they actually bottle it and sell it as bottled water in other parts of the country  I highly recommend the La Zoom Bus Tour if you make it Asheville.  Check out the links below...

http://www.blueridgeparkway.org/
http://www.biltmore.com/
http://www.groveparkinn.com
http://www.navitat.com/asheville/
http://www.examiner.com/beer-in-national/beercity-usa-2011-video
http://www.chocolatefetish.com/
http://www.theswag.com
http://www.airasheville.org/
http://www.lazoomtours.com/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asheville,_North_Carolina

The company I work for has a condo on the beach in Charleston and I'll be there in two weeks on vacation myself.  I highly recommend Charleston as well, but the weather is much like Hamburg from what I understand--hot as hell and 100% humidity.  Asheville is much more pleasant

Much appreciation for that all

Myself I have only been to NYC yet*, but hell, I am turning 18 in a week, so there are years to come, in which I can do "the rest"

My dad has already been to west coast (LAX, SFO) and NYC (2x) and all three times liked it. Always no more than a week, as it is "just" CityHopping. Asia apparently is nearly unaffordable expensive (about 2x as much as the US-flights) South America the same, Africa is not really an option (having been to Egypt before the riots, and seen it...) and South Africa is exactly what a Lufthansa Pilot said upon JNB arrival: "The safest part of your journey or holiday is now over, good luck!"....
So actually US is the best/most convenient solution

Maybe we will see if we do some trekking or so, I remember having worked out a 2hr presentation about the Appalachians, having seemed great for that stuff

Seems like we will have some planning to do

General suggestion: rather Summer [JUL/AUG] or OCT for the US?! (I don't like it too hot so I assume OCT... )

Jona L.

*("only" as for US/non European, having been in Egypt and Turkey as only other non-European stuff, and the rest was all over Europe)

[slither360]

I shall put in my pitch for Boston - plenty of museums (which you seem to like), and the fall foliage is beautiful - October is really a perfect time to visit. It's a historic city, lots to learn about the creation of the US of A, and the waterfront is nice. Also, Boston is a college city, with Harvard and MIT, and also BU, BC, Umass Boston, Berkley School Of Music, etc. which gives Boston a very dynamic feel, which any student would fit perfectly into. Also, since our populace around here is so well educated, the economic issues facing the nation have affected us less. In October, it will be about 10 degrees Celsius, a good temperature to walk around (because Boston is best seen by foot) and there won't be any snow. There is also plenty of nature, and plenty of places to get some good hikes on the Appalachian trail. And there are direct flights from Frankfurt and Munich on United, Lufthansa, and Delta.

I can tell you tons more if you are interested.

Other places I would recommend are Bermuda, San Fransisco, Istanbul, Dubai, Shanghai, Greece, and Fiji (assuming you have traveled through Europe)

[Jona L.]

I shall put in my pitch for Boston - plenty of museums (which you seem to like), and the fall foliage is beautiful - October is really a perfect time to visit. It's a historic city, lots to learn about the creation of the US of A, and the waterfront is nice. Also, Boston is a college city, with Harvard and MIT, and also BU, BC, Umass Boston, Berkley School Of Music, etc. which gives Boston a very dynamic feel, which any student would fit perfectly into. Also, since our populace around here is so well educated, the economic issues facing the nation have affected us less. In October, it will be about 10 degrees Celsius, a good temperature to walk around (because Boston is best seen by foot) and there won't be any snow. There is also plenty of nature, and plenty of places to get some good hikes on the Appalachian trail. And there are direct flights from Frankfurt and Munich on United, Lufthansa, and Delta.

I can tell you tons more if you are interested.

Other places I would recommend are Bermuda, San Fransisco, Istanbul, Dubai, Shanghai, Greece, and Fiji (assuming you have traveled through Europe)

nice, nice.... well, far destinations = expensive... planned budged should not exceed 2000€/Person in total.... so Fijia and that suff is out before looking at it
Having been in Athens [not worth more than 4 days either] and my mom said the isles look all the same
Dubai is not an option, as we are not too much into a) Bathing holidays and b) deserts... Shanghai is also pretty expensive from what I saw (yet) and also... I can't read nor speak Chinese , SFO is what I am looking at, but got damped by LemonButt a bit (see above) and Istanbul I have also been to LOL

Jona L.

[LemonButt]

October is a good time to vacation in the US--most cities are mildly cool and kids are back in school, so travelling is cheaper.  There is a derogatory term for Mexicans who come the US called "wetbacks" (because they swim across the Rio Grande and when their backs are still wet once they get here).  Here in Asheville, we have what we call "halfbacks".  People from NYC move to Florida, decide it's too damn hot, and come halfway back to Asheville.  My wife's extended family is in NYC and I've been to NYC 3 times and absolutely hate going there.  It's one of the most God forsaken places on Earth and I have no idea why people like to visit.  If you like a concrete jungle with streets covered in litter, you'll feel right at home.  Don't get me wrong--there are some cool things to do there, but the people who do live/visit there have zero respect for their surroundings.

I used to work at a lodge on the Minnesota/Canada border and I HIGHLY recommend checking them out.  Not only is it absolutely beautiful pristine God's country, but the Northern Lights come out every night and people who live in Alaska (a place I've never been) said that the lights in Minnesota were better than Alaska: http://www.gunflint.com/  The only downside is that it is a pain in the butt getting there.  Thunder Bay is the nearest airport (Canada), but international flights you'll have to fly into MSP and if you're lucky, hop on a plane to Duluth.  MSP is 6 hours away and Duluth is 3 hours

Beyond that, if you really want to bask in the culture, I highly recommend Washington DC.  Traffic is a pain, but you could easily spend a month in DC and surrounding areas (Jamestown/Williamsburg/Mount Vernon/Montecello/Smithsonian are all amazing) and still not see everything.  My grandparents lived in DC for 30 years and I have an aunt that still lives there.  Furthermore, DC has a decent public transportation system with one of the cleanest/best subway systems in America.

If you're an aviation enthusiast, I highly recommend Wright Patterson Air Force base in Dayton, OH.  If you stay in Middletown, OH you can visit Cincinnati and Dayton within a 30 minute drive to pretty much everything.  I was born in Dayton and was raised in Cincinnati.  The Reds are the oldest professional baseball team and will be in season and Wright Patterson is AMAZING.  Cincinnati also has the Omnimax theater which is incredible if you've never been to one.  Cincinnati also has the world's largest recirculating pool at Coney Island and one of the best amusement parks in the nation at Kings Island (including the longest wooden rollercoaster in the world--The Beast!).  Jungle Jim's is also near Middletown and is the largest grocery store in the nation and actually has a monorail and it's own post office (and amazing food from all over the world).  Cincinnati also has the Underground Railroad Museum where you can learn quite a bit about slavery in the US.  Cincinnati is very German and the second Hofbrauhaus in the world was built there--it's that German!  Wherever you end up going, I can probably give you more tips on what to do.  Note: Cincinnati is VERY hot and humid in October.

San Francisco isn't as great as people make it out to be.  They actually have a law on the books that homeless people can't sleep on sidewalks because it's so rampant there.  Everything costs a fortune and the surrounding areas (Oakland in particular) leave much to be desired.  The French Laundry (top restaurant in the US) is nearby and Napa (wine country) is to the North, but unless you're 21 in the US you can't imbibe

[slither360]

Please reread this part:

I shall put in my pitch for Boston - plenty of museums (which you seem to like), and the fall foliage is beautiful - October is really a perfect time to visit. It's a historic city, lots to learn about the creation of the US of A, and the waterfront is nice. Also, Boston is a college city, with Harvard and MIT, and also BU, BC, Umass Boston, Berkley School Of Music, etc. which gives Boston a very dynamic feel, which any student would fit perfectly into. Also, since our populace around here is so well educated, the economic issues facing the nation have affected us less. In October, it will be about 10 degrees Celsius, a good temperature to walk around (because Boston is best seen by foot) and there won't be any snow. There is also plenty of nature, and plenty of places to get some good hikes on the Appalachian trail. And there are direct flights from Frankfurt and Munich on United, Lufthansa, and Delta.

I can tell you tons more if you are interested.

nice, nice.... well, far destinations = expensive... planned budged should not exceed 2000€/Person in total.... so Fijia and that suff is out before looking at it
Having been in Athens [not worth more than 4 days either] and my mom said the isles look all the same
Dubai is not an option, as we are not too much into a) Bathing holidays and b) deserts... Shanghai is also pretty expensive from what I saw (yet) and also... I can't read nor speak Chinese , SFO is what I am looking at, but got damped by LemonButt a bit (see above) and Istanbul I have also been to LOL

Jona L.

Boston seems to be perfect for you. (we have an omnimax too, at the Museum of Science, and I have to agree with LemonButt completely, they are amazing)

[RushmoreAir]

If you have a day + a night, go over to the west coast of Michigan, via the High-speed ferry from Milwaukee.  The shore is really pretty, and there is much outdoorsy stuff to do.

[Jona L.]

October is a good time to vacation in the US--most cities are mildly cool and kids are back in school, so travelling is cheaper.  There is a derogatory term for Mexicans who come the US called "wetbacks" (because they swim across the Rio Grande and when their backs are still wet once they get here).  Here in Asheville, we have what we call "halfbacks".  People from NYC move to Florida, decide it's too damn hot, and come halfway back to Asheville.  My wife's extended family is in NYC and I've been to NYC 3 times and absolutely hate going there.  It's one of the most God forsaken places on Earth and I have no idea why people like to visit.  If you like a concrete jungle with streets covered in litter, you'll feel right at home.  Don't get me wrong--there are some cool things to do there, but the people who do live/visit there have zero respect for their surroundings.

I used to work at a lodge on the Minnesota/Canada border and I HIGHLY recommend checking them out.  Not only is it absolutely beautiful pristine God's country, but the Northern Lights come out every night and people who live in Alaska (a place I've never been) said that the lights in Minnesota were better than Alaska: http://www.gunflint.com/  The only downside is that it is a pain in the butt getting there.  Thunder Bay is the nearest airport (Canada), but international flights you'll have to fly into MSP and if you're lucky, hop on a plane to Duluth.  MSP is 6 hours away and Duluth is 3 hours

Beyond that, if you really want to bask in the culture, I highly recommend Washington DC.  Traffic is a pain, but you could easily spend a month in DC and surrounding areas (Jamestown/Williamsburg/Mount Vernon/Montecello/Smithsonian are all amazing) and still not see everything.  My grandparents lived in DC for 30 years and I have an aunt that still lives there.  Furthermore, DC has a decent public transportation system with one of the cleanest/best subway systems in America.

If you're an aviation enthusiast, I highly recommend Wright Patterson Air Force base in Dayton, OH.  If you stay in Middletown, OH you can visit Cincinnati and Dayton within a 30 minute drive to pretty much everything.  I was born in Dayton and was raised in Cincinnati.  The Reds are the oldest professional baseball team and will be in season and Wright Patterson is AMAZING.  Cincinnati also has the Omnimax theater which is incredible if you've never been to one.  Cincinnati also has the world's largest recirculating pool at Coney Island and one of the best amusement parks in the nation at Kings Island (including the longest wooden rollercoaster in the world--The Beast!).  Jungle Jim's is also near Middletown and is the largest grocery store in the nation and actually has a monorail and it's own post office (and amazing food from all over the world).  Cincinnati also has the Underground Railroad Museum where you can learn quite a bit about slavery in the US.  Cincinnati is very German and the second Hofbrauhaus in the world was built there--it's that German!  Wherever you end up going, I can probably give you more tips on what to do.  Note: Cincinnati is VERY hot and humid in October.

San Francisco isn't as great as people make it out to be.  They actually have a law on the books that homeless people can't sleep on sidewalks because it's so rampant there.  Everything costs a fortune and the surrounding areas (Oakland in particular) leave much to be desired.  The French Laundry (top restaurant in the US) is nearby and Napa (wine country) is to the North, but unless you're 21 in the US you can't imbibe

Thanks again, I see you put a lot of work in this stuff... but actually a city means a city to me, so if I go to NYC I stay there, or in this case DC would mean DC, and nothing outside PTS-1h-radius from City Center....
Anyhow, as plans may look completely different [my dad is a trekking enthusiast and I am like 50% and he is not more than 10% into Aircraft... and we both have 0% interest in Baseball {Though I have it one term a year in sports...} it is kindof pointing at Boston furthermore (--> I had been looking at that Appalachian Trek as well ) It seems best option... as highest possible timeframe is 1 week (October) or 2 weeks (JUL-AUG) we are pretty limited in regard to big outdoor trips.... anyhow making some miles on some of these treks seems nice too.

I will have a talk with my dad later today [3.45AM he is soundly asleep ] about these ideas...

Jona L.