Chicago: “Must See” Sights & Tours

My Kind of Town, Chicago: Three “Must-See” Sights and Tours

21 ladies including my mom and I headed from Vancouver to Chicago as part of our Women With Wings “Mothers, Daughters & Friends” tour for six days in May. Led by our experienced leaders and Travel Concepts owners, Cindy & Ellie, we were treated to many fascinating tours, amazing architecture, unbelievable food, sights and of course, shopping! Here’s a peek at three of my highlights from the tour!

1. Chicago Food Planet Tour

This was my favorite tour of all the ones we did in Chicago! We took the Bucktown/Wicker Park tour, and we visited 6 local food vendors to taste a variety of fantastic foods. At each vendor we learned about the owners, how they started in Chicago, and about their “food beliefs”. Our guide, Colleen was fantastic! Having such an energetic, friendly, funny and incredibly knowledgeable guide made all the difference.

Here’s a list of our tasting locations, and the delicious food we enjoyed!
1. George’s Hot Dog’s – true Chicago hot dog
2. Hot Chocolate – signature “iced hot chocolate” with a house-made marshmallow
3. The Goddess & Grocer – a gourmet, local vegetarian Mediterranean salad
4. Piece Pizza – New Haven thin crust pizza and in house brewed beer
5. Sultan’s Market – fresh falafel with house-made hummus
6. iCream – custom-ice cream frozen by liquid nitrogen

We also did a neighbourhood walk through Wicker Park and learned about the history of the area. The food was absolutely to die for – we didn’t need to eat dinner that night because we were still full. My overall favorite was the “iced hot chocolate” Yum! It’s definitely on my list to visit when I come back to Chicago!  

2. John Hancock Tower Observatory

Drink in the view from Chicago’s highest café, over 1,000 feet up to be exact! We had heard the ladies restroom at the Hancock Tower had the best view of the city, but we had to see it for ourselves! Yep, floor to ceiling glass and a view of downtown and the surrounding area – we were all amazed. We went up while the sun was up and stayed until it set, so we really enjoyed all the view had to offer. Enjoy a glass of wine or a light dinner overlooking the heart of downtown Chicago.

3. Millennium Park

A great place to spend a sunny afternoon! With an abundance of public art installation pieces, a waterfall display at the Crown Fountain, “The Bean”, amazing architecture and landscape design, and the unique Jay Pritzker Pavilion as well as the beautiful Lurie Garden, Millennium Park certainly has a lot to offer! Located in the heart of the city, Millennium Park is extremely accessible and is a destination for Chicagoans and visitors alike. The Chicago Art Institute is also just steps away! It’s a perfect place to bring a picnic and a great novel.

Also took tours of the Gold Coast, Lincoln Park, the South Side, the Architectural Boat Cruise, University of Chicago, Chicago Art Institute, Frank Lloyd Wright Home & Studio and visited the Chicago Field Museum and Navy Pier.

Until we meet again Chicago! It’s been a blast.

Shannon