Chickery's Travels

Chickery's Travels logo. A blue-green Earth globe with continents surrounded by dots with an arrow denoting movement or travel and "Chickery's Travels" as part of the dotted circle. Next to this is a photo of their blue and white Arctic Fox 5th Wheel with the awning out.
  • Home
  • Campground Reviews
    • Alternatives To National Park Campgrounds
    • Best Luxury RV Resorts For All RV Types
    • Best Waterfront Campgrounds For Every Budget
    • Alabama
      • Gunter Hill Campground (Montgomery, Alabama)
    • Arizona
      • Best Campgrounds in Arizona
      • Aspen Campground (Payson, Arizona)
      • LazyDays KOA (Tucson, Arizona)
      • Lost Dutchman State Park (Phoenix, AZ)
    • Arkansas
      • Catherine’s Landing (Hot Springs, Arkansas)
      • Downtown Riverside RV Park (Little Rock, Arkansas)
    • California
      • Best Campgrounds in California
      • Crescent City Redwoods KOA (Crescent City, California)
      • Sea Breeze RV Park (Seal Beach Naval Weapons Station)
    • Delaware
      • Cape Henlopen State Park (Lewes, Delaware)
    • Florida
      • Best Campgrounds in Florida
      • Blue Angel Naval Recreation Area (Pensacola, FL)
      • Jonathan Dickinson State Park (Southeast FL)
      • LazyDays RV Resort (Tampa, FL)
      • MacDill AFB FamCamp (Tampa, FL)
      • Military Camping in Key West
      • Patrick AFB FamCamp (Cocoa Beach, FL)
      • Rainbow Springs State Park & Campground (Ocala, FL)
      • Walt Disney World’s Fort Wilderness (Orlando, FL)
        • Halloween at Disney’s Fort Wilderness
        • Chickery’s Travels Podcast Episode 5: Fort Wilderness Campground Review
    • Maryland
      • Cherry Hill Park (College Park, Maryland)
    • Michigan
      • Port Huron KOA (Kimball, Michigan)
    • Nevada
      • Las Vegas RV Campgrounds: Nellis Air Force Base and Lake Mead RV Village
      • Boondocking Near Las Vegas
    • New Hampshire
      • Lincoln / Woodstock KOA (New Hampshire)
    • New York
      • Round Pond Recreation Area (West Point, NY)
    • North Carolina
      • Outer Banks West / Currituck Sound KOA (Coinjock, North Carolina)
    • Oklahoma
      • Oklahoma City East KOA (Choctaw, Oklahoma)
    • Texas
      • Best Campgrounds in Texas
      • Alsatian RV Resort (Castroville, Texas)
      • Maverick Ranch (Lajitas, Texas)
      • Texas Wine Country Jellystone (Fredericksburg, Texas)
    • Tennessee
      • Camp Margaritaville (Pigeon Forge, TN)
      • Crossville I-40 KOA (Crossville, TN)
      • Midway RV Park (Memphis, TN)
    • Virginia
      • Fort Belvoir Travel Camp (Alexandria, VA)
      • Harrisonburg / Shenandoah Valley KOA (Broadway, Virginia)
      • Luray KOA (Luray, Virginia)
      • Lynchburg / Blue Ridge Parkway KOA (Monroe, Virginia)
      • Shenandoah River State Park (Bentonville, Virginia)
    • Washington
      • Crescent Bar RV Resort (Quincy, Washington)
    • West Virginia
      • Harper’s Ferry KOA (Harper’s Ferry, West Virginia)
  • USA
    • Arizona
      • Apache Trail: A Crazy, Scary, Beautiful Drive
      • Lost Dutchman State Park (Phoenix, Arizona)
      • Phoenix Faves
    • District of Columbia
      • Budget Friendly Fun in Washington D.C.
      • Favorite Hikes near Washington DC
      • Indoor Skydiving and TopGolf: Just Another Day of Family Fun!
    • Florida
      • Best Walt Disney World Festivals For Adults
      • Blowing Rocks Preserve – Jupiter Island, Florida
      • Bok Tower Gardens
      • Daytona Beach – The World’s Most Famous Beach
      • Epcot International Food & Wine Festival
      • Gasparilla – Tampa’s Pirate Invasion
      • 3 Days on the Nature Coast 
      • Florida Freshwater Springs on the Nature Coast
      • Halloween at Disney’s Fort Wilderness
      • Kennedy Space Center – Cape Canaveral
      • Island Hopping at Honeymoon Island and Caladesi Island State Parks
      • Must See Sights in St. Augustine, FL – America’s Oldest City
      • Rainbow Springs State Park & Campground (Ocala, Florida)
      • Sunny Sarasota
      • Tampa
        • Get Back to Nature in Tampa Bay
        • Take Me Out to the Ball Game – Spring Training in Tampa, FL
        • The 5 Best Beaches in the Tampa Bay Area
        • Why We Love Tampa
      • Tarpon Springs – The Gulf Coast Town with Greek Flavor
      • Top 5 Things to Do on Florida’s Space Coast
      • What Not to Do When Kayaking on the Weeki Wachee River
      • Wizarding World of Harry Potter – Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure
    • Georgia
      • Visiting Atlanta? Don’t Miss These Civil Rights Museums
    • Illinois
      • One Day In The Windy City – Chicago Itinerary
    • Maine
      • Coastal Maine Vacation
      • Monhegan Island Maine
      • Two Days in Acadia National Park
    • Nevada
      • Planning an RV Trip to Nevada
      • Las Vegas RV Campgrounds: Nellis Air Force Base and Lake Mead RV Village
    • Tennessee
      • Burgess Falls: 3 For 1 Waterfall Special
      • National Civil Rights Museum – Memphis, TN
      • Window Cliffs, TN – I’m Not Afraid of Heights, But I am Afraid of Falling!
      • WWII History in Tennessee
    • Texas
      • Best Eats in Fredericksburg
      • Enjoy a Bird’s Eye View of Texas Hill Country
  • RV Resources
    • 3 Simple Steps to Find the Best RV Campgrounds
    • 5 Years Full-Time RV: Lessons Learned & Biggest Regret
    • Boondocking – What We Learned From Our First Dry Camping Experience
    • Tips for Boondocking Success
    • Essential RV Gear
      • Essential RV Gear Guide
      • DIY RV Power & Solar Upgrade
      • RV Must Have: Tire Pressure Monitoring System
      • RV SnapPads Product Review
      • RVLOCK Keyless Entry Door Handle Installation and Review
      • Shop “RV Local” With TechnoRV
      • Top RV Gadgets & Accessories
      • WeBoost Cellular Booster Review
    • Living in an RV
      • 9 Lessons From 2 1/2 Years on the Road
      • Biggest Regret Full-Time RV Living
      • Dealing with my Biggest Full-Time Travel Struggle, Missing Family While Traveling
      • Downsizing: 3 Areas That Make The Biggest Impact
      • Full-Time RV: 2019 Year in Review
      • Full-Time RV: 2018 Year in Review
      • Full-Time RV Travel – 2017 Year In Review
      • How Full-Time RVers Celebrate the Holidays
      • How to Prepare for Full-Time RV Travel
      • Internet Solutions for RV Travelers
      • Learn How to RV Full-Time
      • Living in a Tiny, Traveling Home
      • Making Friends (and reconnecting with old friends) While Traveling Full-Time
      • Pros & Cons of Full-Time RV Travel
      • RV Organization & Storage Ideas
      • Short-Term RV Storage: Leaving The RV Behind
      • Top 3 Lessons Learned & Biggest Regret: 3 Years Full-Time RV Living
      • What We Wish We Knew Before Full-Time RVing
      • What You Need To Know Before Selling Everything And Moving To An RV
      • Why We Are Traveling Full-Time In Our RV
    • Maintenance Tips
      • DIY Power Upgrade – “Solar Ready” Arctic Fox Fifth Wheel
      • DIY RV Power & Solar Upgrade
      • Easy DIY Project to Protect Your RV Water System
      • An Easy Way to Protect Your RV Water Heater
      • How to Reduce the Likelihood of Tire Blowouts on your RV
      • Odor Free RV Black Tank Tips
      • RV Condensation: What It Is, What It Does, and How To Stop It
    • Must Read Books Before Becoming A Full-time RVer
    • RV Organization & Storage Ideas
    • RV Remodel
      • Planning an RV Remodel
      • RV Kitchen Cooking Videos
      • Painting Your RV Interior
      • Update the RV Kitchen – Backsplashes & More
      • Updating Your RV Window Treatments
      • RV Bedroom Makeover
      • RV Remodel Costs with Before & After Photos
      • Vintage Camper Renovation
    • RV Holiday Tour – Decorating Our Small Space
    • RV Hurricane Evacuation
    • RV Misery Can Be Overcome By The Generosity Of Others
    • RV Travelers: How to Read Books While Saving Space and Weight in Your RV
    • Slow Travel
    • Small Kitchen Cooking
      • Cooking Videos
      • Eating Healthy on Travel Days
    • Staying Healthy
      • Traveling with Fibromyalgia, Arthritis, and Other Chronic Pain Conditions
    • Trip Planning
    • Traveling with Pets
      • RVing with Your Cat
      • Traveling with Restricted Breed Dogs
    • Why I Prefer RV Travel Over Flying
    • Your Guide To Planning The Best Family Vacation This Summer
  • Travel Finance
    • 5 Tips to Save on RV Travel
    • 5 Ways to Fund Full-Time Travel
    • Full-Time RV Expenses
      • Annual Full-Time RV Expenses – The Big Three
    • Five Credit Card Strategies To Improve Travel
    • How Much Do Campgrounds Cost?
    • How Much Does it Cost to RV Full-Time?
    • How to Camp for Free
    • How to Start a Profitable Blog
    • How to Save Money on RV Fuel Costs
    • How to Save on Food While Camping
    • How We Earn A Living While Traveling Full-Time (And How You Can Too)
    • How We Paid $139,000 of Debt in 2 Years While Full-Time RVing
    • Learn How to Finance Your Dreams
    • The Top 7 Ways to Save Money While Traveling Full-Time
    • Roadmap to Financial Freedom
      • Roadmap to Financial Freedom: Accountability Report April 2018
      • Roadmap to Financial Freedom: Accountability Report May 2018
      • Roadmap to Financial Freedom: Accountability Report June 2018
      • Roadmap to Financial Freedom: Accountability Report July 2018
      • Roadmap to Financial Freedom: Accountability Report August 2018
      • Roadmap to Financial Freedom: Accountability Report September/October 2018
    • RV Purchasing
      • RV Purchasing: Understanding RV Types
      • Benefits of Renting an RV
      • Should I Buy A New or Used RV?
      • The Costs of RV Ownership
      • The True Cost of Financing an RV
      • Why You Should Attend An RV Show
    • Save Money Using the Public Library (On More Than Just Books)
  • Military Travel
    • Guide To Using Military Campgrounds
    • Health Care for Retired Military Full-Time RVers
    • Why Military Retirees Should Fly Space-A
  • Videos
  • About Us
    • RV Shows We’re Attending
    • Contact Us
    • Follow Us
    • Why We Are Full-Time RVers

February 16, 2018 by Julie 3 Comments

One Day In The Windy City – Chicago Itinerary

I tagged along with my husband on a recent business trip to Chicago. Sadly, I only had a single day in the windy city, but I did my best to make the most of my first visit. I’m a planner and like to save money so I spent some time trying to find the best deals for the activities I thought I’d enjoy the most. I’ll share with you my successes and failures in this endeavor and you can decide, which is better for one day in a big city: plans or improvisation.

How Much Sight Seeing Can You Do In One Day?

I knew right off the bat that there were a few things I wanted to accomplish on this trip like visiting the Sears Tower (it’s not called that anymore), taking a selfie at the “Bean” (that’s not really its name) and eating deep dish pizza (also not called that on the menu–geez I had a lot to learn about Chicago). Outside of that, I wasn’t entirely sure what I should include in my one-day itinerary. After a quick look on the internet I realized that the big question really was, how much sight seeing could I do in one day? I’ve learned over time that an overly ambitious schedule stresses me out because it starts to feel like work.

Purchasing A “Money Saving” Attraction Pass

If you’ve been following our blog, you know that we are always looking for ways to save money. In my research I found two programs that seemed like a great deal for visiting the typical tourist attractions: Chicago City Pass and Go City. So what is the difference between the Chicago City Pass and Go City you may ask? Well, they both advertise up to 55% off attractions and have a range of options. The main difference is flexibility. See the City Pass is $106 and allows you to visit six attractions over nine days. I like that pace, but I didn’t have that much time on this trip. The $99 Go City All-Inclusive Pass allows you to visit 25 attractions in one day, but unless you’re just walking in and out the door, I don’t see how that is even possible. However, the Go City pass does have other options (less attractions or more days) at different price points, and I was considering purchasing their $80 3-Attraction Explorer Pass. I just wanted to check one more place–my old go-to: Groupon. Guess what, it had the Go City Card 3-Attraction Explorer Pass for only $67.50! Yay! I had a little trouble activating the Groupon voucher on the Go City App, but I called the customer service number and they resolved it right away.

Fail: Hop On Hop Off Tour

Typically if there is a hop on, hop off tour in the area I’ll take it. It usually provides a great overview of the city and a means of transportation. Two for one, good deal right? Not so great a deal with the Chicago Big Bus this cold February day. I used their app to try to locate the pick-up point nearest my first stop. Couldn’t find it, so I used their app to see when a bus was coming next thinking I’d just try to keep an eye out for it. Well, that didn’t really work out well. The real-time tracking didn’t show any movement on buses for over 15 minutes. That may not seem like a long time, but I was in Chicago in FEBRUARY! It was cold! Freezing actually! So I decided to start walking the 1/2 mile to the next stop on the bus route. Guess what? Never saw a bus or bus stop anywhere near that location either. In fact, although their website said they were operating, I never saw a Chicago Big Bus all day. And I did stay and WALK around the freezing city all day. Why? Because I paid $25 to Uber there and was going to get (the rest) of my money’s worth, darn it! Plus it helped me walk off some calories in preparation for the Chicago Pie I planned to get for dinner.

A Day In Chicago For The Win!

In spite of the cold weather and missed bus opportunity (that I paid for in advance), I still had a great first visit to the Windy City of Chicago! After all, I did get to walk on a glass floor 1,353 feet in the air. I also took a selfie at Cloud Gate (aka “the bean”), spent several hours art-gazing, and ate my fill of some Chicago-style Pizza.

SkyDeck Chicago

SkyDeck is on the 103rd floor of Willis Tower (formerly known Sears Tower). The iconic office building is the second tallest in the Western Hemisphere (the tallest is One World Trade Center). You can walk around the entire 103rd floor to get a view of Chicago, Lake Michigan, and the surrounding area. They say on a clear day, you can see four states: Illinois, Indiana, Wisconsin, and Michigan. It was a spectacular view! The best part to me was the Ledge, basically a glass box that extends out 4.3 feet from the skyscraper and allows you to look straight down all 1,353 feet to the street below! Now I’ll admit, I was a little afraid and didn’t look down until I was out on it. Even then I was pretty scared, but you can’t tell here, can you?!

Skydeck's Ledge on the 103rd floor of the former Sears Tower

The Art Institute of Chicago

See Renoir's Two Sisters at the Art Institute of Chicago
Do you know what famous person claims to have this original painting even though it has been at the museum since 1933?

Chicago is known for its renowned museums and this one topped my list. Founded in 1879, the Art Institute of Chicago is one of the oldest and largest art museums in the United States. It features galleries devoted to the art of ancient Greece, Japan, Africa, and the Americas. I choose it because it is known for having the greatest Impressionist collection outside of Paris and currently has a Rodin exhibit through March. They have a couple of free tours each day as well. I enjoyed the highlights tour because there was really no way I was going to be able to see half of what they had to offer in the 4 hours I had for this particular visit.

Millennium Park

Over 25 acres, Millennium Park boasts an outdoor collection of architecture, landscape design and art. Of course, I had to take a selfie in front of Cloud Gate, the official name for the massive, stainless steel structure that’s become Chicago’s signature landmark. Click here to read some interesting facts about it and see it during construction.

Visit Millennium Park and the Iconic Cloud Gate

I also enjoyed watching the ice skaters at the McCormick Tribune Ice Rink. Now I want to return to visit it in the spring or summer to experience the Lurie Garden, an urban oasis that they say pays homage to Chicago’s motto — “Urbs in Horto,” or City in a Garden.

Giordano’s Famous Stuffed Deep Dish Pizza

Stuffed Deep Dish Pizza Pie in ChicagoWhat better way to end the day than with dinner at Giordano’s? Known for its famous stuffed deep-dish pizza, they actually use Wisconsin cheese and California tomatoes. If this looks good to you, they actually have locations in 7 other states and if yours isn’t one of them, they will ship it to you!

Looking for a Place to Stay?

Check out this awesome guide of Chicago vacation rentals.

What Did I Miss?

Now I realize that there was so much more to Chicago than I was able to glimpse on this short visit. Please let me know in the comments below what I should put on my list for my next trip to Chicago.

Filed Under: Illinois Tagged With: Chicago, windy city

Full-time RV Finance is a program designed to help you find the means to the live the life of your dreams.
Learn how to start a blog for free. This simple course will walk you through the steps you need to make money anywhere.
Learn how to camp for free at over 2500 locations worldwide.

Signup to receive weekly updates and exclusive free content only available to subscribers!

Privacy Policy

Travel Schedule

Recently
Cape Henlopen State Park, DE

Currently
Front Royal, VA

Next Stops
See our RV show schedule

Notice

We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.

top rv blogs
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • Email

Free RV camping guide with over 30 pages of tips and worksheets

Download Now

Never see this message again.