The Swamp

Spur of the moment trip to Chicago for this weekend. Yes I know it's the holiday and there will be a lot of tourists, but I'm a tourist so fuck it.

We are staying a block from Millenium park by the river. Any family friendly suggestions? Already bought tickets for Cubs-Marlins Sunday. After never having been to a stadium other than the Reds (Riverfront&GABP) I will check off Progressive and Wrigley in one month.

If you're really hungover and you go with your friend who lives in Chicago to pick up breakfast at a Lincoln Park spot that looks really nice from the outside and he says not to worry about wearing a shitty t-shirt and pajama pants inside to grab the order, don't believe him. The bar is as nice as it looks from the outside and everyone is attractive and well-dressed and you'll look like a goddamn idiot. Also, don't go out the same way that night when you have to get up the next day for an AM flight because that same friend will end up too hungover to drive you to the airport but will assure you the L will get you there on time. It won't and you're going to miss your flight and end up eating Burger King in the airport and it'll be the last time you ever eat Burger King because just the thought of it will make you sick now.

mister d wrote:...because just the thought of it will make you sick now.

I enjoyed the initial edit to to add the details of the next day, but the edit to add the above to the ending was unnecessary. We got it.

Also, no pajamas for AB. He finds clothing restrictive when he sleeps. At least that was what he told me the one time we shared a room.

Sears Tower (whatever it's called now), Cubs game, check out the Seurat painting at the art museum, get in a random parade....

Rex wrote:Sears Tower (whatever it's called now), Cubs game, check out the Seurat painting at the art museum, get in a random parade....

Don't forget rent/borrow a Ferrari.

It is so choice. If you have the means, I highly recommend picking one up.

the Navy Pier is family friendly, and you can parlay that into a boat ride. The bike tours are good too--the streets are super flat so it's pretty chill.

Rex wrote:the Navy Pier is family friendly, and you can parlay that into a boat ride. The bike tours are good too--the streets are super flat so it's pretty chill.

Yeah we are not far from Navy Pier at all. That's our fireworks watching plan as well.

rass wrote:

Rex wrote:Sears Tower (whatever it's called now), Cubs game, check out the Seurat painting at the art museum, get in a random parade....

Don't forget rent/borrow a Ferrari.

It is so choice. If you have the means, I highly recommend picking one up.

Go down to Abe Froman's for a sausage sandwich. He's the sausage king!

Do know that this is the weekend of the 'final' three Grateful Dead shows? You're going to encounter a ton of tie-dies while your there. Try not to choke to death on patchouli oil.

Don't know ish about Chicago but everyone raves about the architecture tour you can take on the river.

Take the kids to Alinea. Just walk in.

This is owned by a mate of mine: http://www.piecechicago.com/

In the Wicker Park neighborhood. Great pizza (New Haven style...not deep dish). Killer beers made on location.

Oh, and his business partner? This guy...



Sometimes he sits in with the band on "Live Band Karaoke" nights...

cool earplug. Always loved that dude, Rick's all right!

My late brother's favorite band, so always a soft spot for me.

North Avenue Beach... youll get great pics and a quick relax close by
Fireworks by the fountain
Lou Malnatis pizza (though there are numerous others)
walk down michigan ave for touristy stuff
any river cruise just to get on the water and check out the buildings
Taste of Chicago if its going on
John Hancock Tower has a observation deck and for free is the view from the restaurant if you buy a drink at the bar
Definitely explore on the L... views are pretty decent and youre safe on brown or red to Wrigley even late
Vienna Chicago dogs
Old Style

I got an HJ at a place called Velvet (I believe) in 2008. Check that shit out doug

HaulCitgo wrote:North Avenue Beach... youll get great pics and a quick relax close by
Fireworks by the fountain
Lou Malnatis pizza (though there are numerous others)
walk down michigan ave for touristy stuff
any river cruise just to get on the water and check out the buildings
Taste of Chicago if its going on
John Hancock Tower has a observation deck and for free is the view from the restaurant if you buy a drink at the bar
Definitely explore on the L... views are pretty decent and youre safe on brown or red to Wrigley even late
Vienna Chicago dogs
Old Style

I'll agree with 99 percent of this and just say instead of a Vienna hot dog, get an Italian beef sandwich (and get it wet). (Or just get the sandwich and the hot dog. Fuck it, you're on vacation.)

A good hot dog you can get just about anywhere -- a great Italian beef sandwich you can pretty much only get in Chicago.

Oooo, what's the place where they're dicks to you while you order? Go there. So much fun to see (1) the people who try to talk shit back and fail and (2) the people you know are either mad or unprepared.

mister d wrote:Oooo, what's the place where they're dicks to you while you order? Go there. So much fun to see (1) the people who try to talk shit back and fail and (2) the people you know are either mad or unprepared.

Well, there's The Weiner's Circle you might be thinking of but honestly the food isn't that great there I don't think and it's kind of in a shitty neighborhood. Should be able to get a good Italian beef at any of a bunch of places around downtown. I'm partial to Al's but it's kind of gone downhill since they started expanding. Best Italian beefs are from crappy looking buildings on the outskirts of the Loop.

mister d wrote:Oooo, what's the place where they're dicks to you while you order? Go there. So much fun to see (1) the people who try to talk shit back and fail and (2) the people you know are either mad or unprepared.

Ed Debevics

Yeah, I guess Chicago has a bunch of places where they're dicks to you on purpose. What's up with that?

Wiener Circle is where I'm thinking. Perfect for AB the Drunk, no?

mister d wrote:Oooo, what's the place where they're dicks to you while you order? Go there. So much fun to see (1) the people who try to talk shit back and fail and (2) the people you know are either mad or unprepared.

The Weiner Circle, in Lincoln Park. Only go there when hammered drunk at 2am. The Cheese fries are so good, and make you feel so bad about yourself and your life decisions in the morning.

We had a good trip. Thanks for the tips everyone.

We spent July 4th on Navy Pier. I do NOT recommend this, and in fact would recommend never going to Navy Pier. It's just not that much of a destination in my opinion. I'm sure it's better when it's not just tourists like us and isn't so crowded - they estimated 120k on the pier and immediately surrounding it.

Of course, some of that is due to how our stay on the pier ended. We were there from about 3 until 830 and were working our way closer to the exits to be able to leave more easily when the fireworks concluded. We found a decent spot to stand/sit about 100 feet from one of the main exits and at this point the Pier had reached capacity and they were letting no one else in. My wife and oldest daughter decide to go to the restroom because the lines were about 45 minutes long and they figured they could be back in time for fireworks. So my younger daughter and I stand as big as possible and try to save spots for when they get back. About a minute after the women went to the restroom the crowd about 200 feet further in start screaming and stampeding towards the exit...people are screaming "He's got a gun!" and just trampling people. No joke it looks like the scene from the Jurassic World trailer with people jsut screaming and running.

Well, I have two women who just went that way, so I grab my youngest by the arm and start running against traffic towards where my wife was heading..after about 50 feet I find them and they are running towards the exits, which are JAMMED with people and cops running the other way as well. We head towards the exit as people are still stampeding but we get locked up against a bench and a lady with a stroller that is wedged between the bench and the onrushing crowd...a security guard, myself and my wife form a barrier to try and let this lady get her stroller loose and it is a hard crowd pushing against us. The guard and I force our backs strong enough to let my wife help the lady lift the stroller and about this time, a new wave starts screaming about gunfire and rushing towards us again.

Cops are trying to do the best they can to calm people down, and in fact do a damn good job but it's still a rush to get out. We decide to cut our losses and finally make it out, having to stop and help another lady with two small toddlers who got knocked down.

Anyway we finally get out and there is now a big bunch of people just outside the gates but we aren't getting crushed at least. Then there's a group of teenagers who forma big circle and two girls inside start to fight and we get jostled by people trying to film it. A guard pushes through that and separated the girls, but at this point my youngest is having a panic attack anyway so we bust tail to get out.

It finally thins out and we are able to walk to the hotel in relative peace and it turns out it had been two kids fighting and someone threw firecrackers into the crowd, or at least that's what the police were saying along the streets. There was a rumor on the news later that a kid that got shot just outside navy pier right after the fireworks was one of the kids involved in the fight, but I am not so sure how accurate that was. Twitter was a mess afterwards and it was hard to know what was true.

Anyway, that's my fun Chicago experience. Did get an italian beef (fine, but not great) and a hot dog (Excellent!) as well as a deep dish at Gino's East (really really good). The architecture river tour at night was outstanding. The whole city lit up from the river was a cool experience. Lincoln Park Zoo monday was solid as well.

And oh, yeah, Wrigley is badass. Loved that place.

THanks again for the recommendations.

DaveInSeattle wrote:This is owned by a mate of mine: http://www.piecechicago.com/

In the Wicker Park neighborhood. Great pizza (New Haven style...not deep dish). Killer beers made on location.

Oh, and his business partner? This guy...



Sometimes he sits in with the band on "Live Band Karaoke" nights...

One of my good friends went there over the weekend, loved it. Especially the New Haven style, he's from CT.

Rush2112 wrote:

DaveInSeattle wrote:This is owned by a mate of mine: http://www.piecechicago.com/

In the Wicker Park neighborhood. Great pizza (New Haven style...not deep dish). Killer beers made on location.

Oh, and his business partner? This guy...



Sometimes he sits in with the band on "Live Band Karaoke" nights...

One of my good friends went there over the weekend, loved it. Especially the New Haven style, he's from CT.

Glad he enjoyed it!

"I think people should be able to say 'he's got a gun' because if you draw the line there, what other arbitrary phrases won't be allowed? 'He's shooting a needle of AIDS blood at people'? 'I don't believe in Jesus Christ'? Where's the line?"