It is finally the time to end this series you guys! I can’t believe it took me so long. At this point I almost wish I had condensed it a little bit in order to get it maybe in two parts, but I wanted to include things that I look for in a travel blog post. I usually end up reading about 4-5 in order to find everything I’m looking for, and then double check the info. So here’s the last part of my What to do in Chicago in December.
So here we are, into the new year, and since I left you hanging due to a really intense flu situation that left me without any energy to finish this off before the end of 2019, I have made for you a cute checklist of all the things I did and things I missed (which where a lot).
continuing where i left off.
Last post I ended with the speakeasy bar crawl we did (you can read pt. 1 and pt. 2 here) and so we continue on to our third day there. We had breakfast at my BIL apartment and after that we biked again towards Navy Pier. We where hoping to catch the architectural sightseeing boat tour but we missed the last tour, which was around 3pm. I don’t think I have mentioned this before but the city bikes are $3 for a half hour. We loved biking around the lake shore, but biking in the streets can be a bit stressful. So, unless, you’re with somebody that knows where they are going, I wouldn’t suggest using them in the city. Biking around lakeshore was a delight and I hope we can do that again in the summer.
THIS FOR THAT…
Where were we? Oh yes, the architecture boat tour. So, we missed that but we did something super nice instead: visit Molly’s cupcakes. As you know I am not a fan of super sweet stuff, but these cupcakes are really a treat. L was in his own version of heaven. Molly’s cupcakes, was the winner of Cupcake Wars at some point (that show on the Food Network). They have a make your own cupcake option, but honestly, the winners are their signature center filled cupcakes. We picked 5: Cake Batter, Peanut Butter Nutella, Cookies n Cream, Flourless molten chocolate, and another chocolate salted caramel-y one. They where all really good but my very favorite was the Cake Batter one, because, duh. Molly’s has several locations around Chicago, we visited the one closest to Navy Pier, which was about 3 blocks in.
AFTER THAT SUGAR COMMA…
Now, of course after that sugar comma we wanted something savory really really bad. And after all that biking we were getting hungry anyways so we decided on tapas. The restaurant was like 20 minutes away by foot and was very recommended so along we went. At this point you know that we love walking when traveling and try to skip Ubers or trains if we can. Cafe Iberico I would say is more of a locals spot, but the food is amazing and it feels very homey. We ended up ordering like 3 orders of Patatas Ali-Oli, which are basically patatas bravas. Absolutely delish. They have a lot of plates to share (very well served), and a lot of vegetarian and a few vegan options.
After eating way too much food, we now decided to take an Uber towards Lincon Park. We wanted to check the Zoo Christmas Lights. Now, I don’t like visiting zoos because I don’t agree with keeping animals in captivity, but I really wanted to see the lights. The entrance is free so you can go straight in. The lights look really cool but it was packed. It was very hard to get any decent pics. Aside from the lights you can of course see the animals.
By the time we finished it was already about 9pm so we decided to head back to the apartment. We walked around really pretty streets with beautiful buildings and homes in the Lincoln Park area towards the metro station.
Last Day in Chicagoland
The next morning we woke up early-ish to get our luggage ready to go. We had plan that morning to go back and get on that architecture boat tour. You can take it at the Navy Pier or on Michigan Ave, just by the Apple Store by the DuSable bridge. Because of the schedule, we grabbed the one on Michigan Ave.
It was a fairly cold day and it was slightly windy and drizzling, but we still sat at the very front of the boat. There was space in the back with a little roof situation, where most people sat. The boats also have a bar and restrooms and I think an area below that is fully covered in case you don’t want to sit outside.
The tour is amazing. There are so many architecture styles and so many stories that the whole time you are just ooohing and aaahing. I definitely recommend it if you go. I took that tour during the summer and of course it was better, but doing it in winter’s cool too. The tour takes about an hour, it takes you over the river and then back to the lake for a full skyline view. All the while the guide is talking about the different buildings and giving back stories about them.
AND TO CELEBRATE OUR TRIP…
We still managed to get lunch at an awesome pizza place that we were hoping we could try before leaving. Pequod’s is a little pizza restaurant that is super famous, but I had never heard of it before. Well, I have to say that the pizza is absolutely delicious. it is just another kind of deep dish pizza . The toppings, the crust, the cheese, tomato sauce are absolutely delicious. The restaurant in itself looks a bit old and from the outside you can’t really see much.
Now, this restaurant is loved by locals and tourists alike. So during peak hours there is always a long wait time. And since the pies take about 30-40 min once you order, you have to keep this in mind. If you are going around dinner time, specially on weekends, expect a line. We strategically waited for Monday after lunchtime to go and it was perfect. Hardly any people there and our pies arrived in about 30 mins.
Before that feast, the Uber that took us there was sooo nice. He asked if we had a few minutes so he could take us around an area that he thought we would like. Well, I think I went to heaven and back. The houses on that area where absolutely gorgeous! I don’t even know the exact area but it was somewhere in Lincoln Park. I think at some point he mentioned one of the houses was the governor’s sister or something. This probably gives you an idea of the size of the houses we were looking at. Majestic. It was a nice little treat to see all those gorgeous homes, specially with their Christmas decorations. I wouldn’t say this is an area you could walk around, since it is very residential, but it was a real nice treat. This was a highlight for me.
AND OF COURSE WE COULDN’T MISS THIS…
Now, we continue, onto our final stop of this trip. United Center, aka the home of the Chicago Bulls. Michael Jordan is my hunny’s basketball hero (aside from Kobe of course) and it was his dream to go. It would’ve been fun to watch a game, but he mainly wanted to see the MJ statue. Its supposed to be on a used-to-be bad area of town so you just have to be careful. It was empty when we went so we didn’t have to worry much and were able to get lots pictures.
And that is how our trip ended. After that we went back to the apartment, picked up our stuff and left towards the airport by train. Since it was around rush hour 4-5 pm, driving there would’ve been chaotic. Midway airport is about 40 minutes away from Roosevelt station (which was the closest station from my BIL’s apartment) but I know this changes depending on time of day. So we kept checking it throughout the day to make sure we wouldn’t be late.
NOW HERE’S YOUR TREAT!
Now, as promised, here’s the checklist I created with all the spots we visited. Plus I added a column with all the things we want to do when we go back. Some of them are more summer friendly. Enjoy!
