Chicago, IL

We were able to spend a few days exploring downtown Chicago in April 2022. My daughters and I met my mom, my sister, and my nieces there. We also met up with our brother, sister-in-law, and another niece one day. It has been quite a while since we spent much time in a big city, so this was a different kind of adventure than we have had recently. We had a great time and have a list of things to do next time.

What We Did

My daughters and I were the first to arrive in Chicago. First we bought our CTA passes and hopped on the subway. Our first stop was the Art Institute of Chicago. The display of medieval armor and costumes was fascinating. They have many full sets of armor for both people and horses. We spent only a couple of hours total at the Art Institute and were able to find several pieces we were familiar with. We saw the famous painting, American Gothic. Vincent Van Gogh, Claude Monet, Edgar Degas, and Georgia O’Keeffe pieces were among those we found. The museum building itself is beautiful. We loved the exhibit of Thorne miniature rooms on the lower level. They are amazing! They show great detail and the lighting they use to display them makes them look so realistic. Don’t forget to pose for pictures out front with the iconic lion statues.

After the Art Institute, we met up with the rest of our family. We took the bus to the Cloud Gate, also known as the bean, in Millennium Park. This is such an iconic Chicago location for pictures. It was also a very fun stop. Everyone enjoyed posing for silly pictures in the bean and the reflections make for some beautiful photos of the skyline as well. After the bean, we walked over to the Crown Fountain to watch the faces change and take some pictures there. In early April there was no water in the fountain, but it is still a fun stop.

The next morning we headed to the Skydeck at the Willis Tower. We were hoping to beat some of the crowds by going early. I assume it was helpful because the crowds and lines were very manageable when we arrived. There are fun photo ops showcasing the city of Chicago as you make your way through the queue to the Skydeck Elevators. Everyone in our group had a great time looking out over the city. It is such a great way to get a feel for the geography of the city and see many things at once.

Almost everyone in our group stepped out onto the famous ledge for pictures. It was a big challenge for those of us uncomfortable with heights. It was an interesting thing to see though and made for some cool pictures. I think several of us breathed easier once we were finished with that part of the experience.

Around lunch time we visited Navy Pier. We didn’t do the Children’s Museum there this time, but have loved it in the past. We recommend it for all families with kids until about 10 or 12 if time allows. On this trip we had lunch at Navy Pier, did some shopping, and looked around. Everyone enjoyed seeing the ferris wheel from the ground and getting a closer view of Lake Michigan. We enjoyed choosing fun snacks from the candy store and some macarons. A few of us were looking for Chicago sweatshirts as souvenirs too.

Following Navy Pier, we headed to Lincoln Park Zoo. This small zoo is right in the midst of the big city. We enjoyed the primate houses as well as the reptiles. The sloth was also a hit with our family. I think there would be more animals to see here in warmer weather, but for a short visit to Chicago in cold weather I think you could skip this stop.

Later our evening walk down Michigan Avenue included a stop at the Apple Store. We were attempting to make it over to Maggie Daley Park before dark, but decided it couldn’t be done. We did stop by the bean for a few more pictures before heading for dinner and bed.

The next morning, we went to the Maggie Daley Playground at Millennium Park first thing. This is an amazing place for kids to play! There are climbing structures, slides, and swings. None of these are the ordinary variety. There is an area of logs and tree stumps to walk over. It is so much fun and a must do for anyone visiting Chicago with kids of any age.

Then we went to Shedd Aquarium. This is also a must do for first time visitors to Chicago. Some of us had been here before, but it had been a long time and not many people remembered much from past visits. We especially loved watching the beluga whales, the sharks, and the dolphins. They have nice touch pools. The aquarium is large, so unless you plan to spend the full day there you will need to pick and choose.

Next up was the American Girl Place. Everyone has been here fairly recently and knows it well, but we love it. We couldn’t spend time in Chicago with 5 girls and not visit the American Girl store. We enjoy the stories of all the dolls and the details of the items they sell. The store also has fun picture opportunities. Everyone made at least a small purchase and several of the kids added multiple items to their wish lists for upcoming birthdays and Christmas. We did not do the café this time, but have in the past. It is very cute and such a fun experience.

In addition to all the great sights to see, as suburban dwellers, we had fun using public transportation on this trip. I think it is important for my kids to grow up being comfortable using a map or an app to navigate large cities and public transportation. We used buses, the L, and subways to find our way around the city. We also did lots of walking. Before leaving home, we booked and paid for parking near our hotel through Spot Hero. Our vehicles stayed in those spots through our time in Chicago.

What We Ate

Eating on this trip was secondary to touring. We ended up eating several meals at fast food chains near where we were at the time because it was past time to eat. With a gluten free kid and a dairy free kid, our restaurant choices need to be carefully chosen.

We ate at Shake Shack three different times! There were convenient locations, everyone enjoyed the food, and there were good options for our gluten free and dairy free kids. It worked well for us.

Chik-fil-a was the choice for another meal. Again the location was great. When we realized everyone was past due for refueling, Chik-Fil-A was right there. Everyone is familiar with it and we knew they could keep our allergy kids safe and feeling good. Plus we could order through the app and it was quick.

While at Navy Pier, we ate lunch at Margaritaville. This wasn’t our best meal experience. They were short on servers. While the server was doing everything she could do, our meal took a very long time. It was difficult to verify which items might work for our allergy needs. We were able to find some foods that worked and everyone enjoyed what they ate. It was an enjoyable enough meal, but probably not something we would repeat.

One night, needing dinner too late at night, we chose to try TGI Fridays. It was close to where we were and close to our hotel. Being a chain we were able to look up some information online and find that they offered a gluten free menu. This was also not a good meal experience. It was partly because our group was exhausted and hungry. It was late and many things were closed. The allergy choices were very limited for a classic grill style restaurant. Mistakes were made with the allergy meals such that we had to eat only parts of the meals. We didn’t take the time to ask the staff to remake the meals simply because we were all just too tired.

We really enjoyed our breakfast at Stan’s Donuts. The donuts were delicious! They have many varieties. They even had gluten free options and dairy free options. There were many locations and one was right around the corner from our hotel. The staff was friendly, service was quick, and the decor was perfect for a donut shop. We definitely recommend a visit!

My younger daughter and my niece are big Nutella fans. When they saw the Nutella Café on Michigan Avenue that became a must do for them. It is an adorable restaurant. Everything on the menus is Nutella based. This made it a difficult stop for my dairy free niece as Nutella contains dairy. The only thing she could eat was the fruit from the fruit and Nutella plate. There were only a couple of options for my gluten free daughter. She was able to have the ice cream or milk shakes, as well as the fruit. We had a lot of fun here and everything we ate was delicious. They even sell personalized jars of Nutella. How fun is that!

Where We Stayed

For this trip we stayed at the St. Clair Hotel. The location was great. It is located just a block off of Michigan Avenue in the Magnificent Mile. We could walk many places from the hotel and it was convenient to public transportation for going other places. The hotel lobby and elevators were under construction when we were there. The construction project left only one working elevator in the hotel. This elevator had to be shared by guests as well as housekeeping and other employees. It was a very small elevator too. This sometimes led to long waits for the elevator. It wouldn’t stop us from staying there again but was less than ideal.

Our room was very clean and modern. The bathroom was also updated and served us well. The room itself was tiny. With three of us and three suitcases, we filled all available space. It was tight to walk between the beds and the suitcases. It was fine for us, but it was definitely not a luxuriously roomy hotel room. Price was a key consideration for us in choosing our hotel, and the price at the St. Clair was great. We would gladly stay here again.