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Trip Report

Tremendous Chicago

Chicago is a city where I would love to live

  • The Bean+ 8
  • Lake Michigan
  • Lake Michigan
  • Tremendous Chicago
sara grr
About Me:Hi, im Sara a 21 year old girl, im from Colombia and I like to travel and discover new places. read more

North AmericaUnited States15 days / August 2019

Highs & Lows

Stan's Donuts are the best

Chicago is an expensive city

Itinerary Overview

This was the first time I visited Illinois, I came from Atlanta Georgia so the flight was only 2 or 3 hours long. I was traveling with my sister and her husband had some family in the city, so I stayed with them for 15 days. The weather in the summer is sunny and hot. My first trip was to see Lake Michigan. The lake is available for everyone and the water is very clean. There is a cycle path on the outside of the lake and that's how I arrived there.  Once you get there, you can see there are always people playing volleyball or other sports at the beach. The day I visited there were some restaurants opened at the beach so I had some amazing cheeseburgers and ice-cream. 

Chicago is a very safe place and the 5th Avenue has everything a city needs. In midtown you can easily find guides who can give you information about the city and tips about places to visit. I also went to try various places to eat. The first one had some delicious donuts, the other one had popcorn and the last one had some delicious pizza. I also went shopping for clothes. There's a variety of cheap and expensive stores so everyone can find something for their budget. You can also visit some places to learn about the history of the most representative buildings of the city, as well as some cathedrals and churches.

There is a public zoo at the center in Chicago. It's located about 15km away from 5ft Avenue. It was about a half an hour walk from the place where I stayed. Since it was a beautiful summer day, we decided to walk to the zoo from our apartment. On the way there, we visited some parks and look at the boats and yachts that anchored to the shores of the lake. As it's a public zoo so the entrance is free.

  • 15 Nights: Lake Michigan
    It's the most representative lake of Chicago
  • Day trip: The Bean
    Iconic figure of the city
  • Day trip: Lincoln Park Zoo
    The animals!
Lake Michigan - It's the most representative lake of Chicago
1

Lake Michigan It's the most representative lake of Chicago

Lake Michigan - It's the most representative lake of Chicago - null
Lake Michigan - It's the most representative lake of Chicago - null
Lake Michigan - It's the most representative lake of Chicago - null

There are bicycles to rent all around so you can move around by bike and not by car. The lake was about a 10 minute walk from the place I stayed in. Although the beach was a bit too far away to walk, so I rented a bike and cycled to the beach. The beach is quite big and it's divided by zones: places to do sports like volleyball or running, places to eat and places to relax and get a tan. The beach is open until 10pm and opens early in the morning.

The Bean - Iconic figure of the city
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The Bean Iconic figure of the city

The Bean - Iconic figure of the city - null
The Bean - Iconic figure of the city - null
The Bean - Iconic figure of the city - null2+

That day I rented a bike and rode all the way downtown, I walked around and visited The Bean and the Art Institute of Chicago as it is close to The Bean. If you're hungry look around for Stan's Donuts. You can find it all around the city. These donuts are originally from Chicago and you won't be able to buy them anywhere else. After lunch we signed up for a boat tour. On the boat there was a guide who told us about the history of the city and its architecture. I recommend going on a boat tour when you're in Chicago!

Lincoln Park Zoo - The animals!
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Lincoln Park Zoo The animals!

Lincoln Park Zoo - The animals! - null
Lincoln Park Zoo - The animals! - null
Lincoln Park Zoo - The animals! - null

I am an animal lover, so I wanted to visit the zoo. This zoo is about 30 -40 minute walk from the city center and the admission is free. There is a great diversity of small and large animals but there are no felines and no animal shows. However you can see how they feed the animals. There is a place to have lunch and it is a buffet. Nearby there's a mini farm with some domestic animals such as pigs, chickens, rabbits, and ponies.

Q & A

  • What would you have changed?

    Try to visit more places outside of the city
  • Restaurant recommendations?

    Stan´s Donuts
  • Tips you would give a friend?

    I got around on a bike