Chicago in the fall

[aspentosh]

H, DD (12), and I are heading to Chicago in the fall for four full days. We are visiting Indiana Dunes one day, but otherwise totally open. Thinking we'll do Lincoln Park Zoo, check out Wrigley, Navy Pier, the Bean, the 606, an architecture tour, etc. 

If you were a first timer, what area would you stay in? Or if you've got a specific hotel, I'm all ears. We're not generally city people but when we do the city, we want it to be walkable and in the fray, lol. 

And if there are any must eat restaurants or must dos would love to hear! I've already bookmarked previous posts and started our loose itinerary. 

[dearprudence]

I did this last fall with my (now) 12 year old.

We stayed at the Omni Chicago, which was great location-wise. Especially because he was REALLY interested in seeing the Roastery and it's just down the street.

I don't know if anything is "must do" but we did Navy Pier and the ferris wheel, the Museum of Science and Industry and the Shedd Aquarium. And when we had some extra time we popped into The Museum of Ice Cream. We spent a night at The Hotel Zachary across from Wrigley Field because he's a huge baseball fan.

In terms of restaurants, we ate at Giodarnos and Ed Debvics. Breakfast at Wildberry and Yolk.

[circa1978]

We visit Chicago at least annually if not more often for various reasons. I was just putting together a possible fall itinerary with my 13YO that happens to be built around some subjects he's studying, but my loose plan is:

Day 1: American Writers Museum/theatre show at night
Day 2: Chicago Architecture Center/Architecture Cruise
Day 3: Adler Planetarium (night)
Day 4: Art Institute
Day 5: National Museum of Mexican Art/Little Village

A hit from last summer was a place with a sushi conveyor belt in Chinatown, and at Christmas, he got a kick out of the market at Wrigley. My ILs have a summer home on the Indiana Dunes and the beaches are really lovely to sit and walk on in the fall. If there are still sailboats operating when you are going, that's pretty much always been a hit with DS. One of my favorite things to do if you like heights used to be the now-closed Signature Room, but going to the top of the Hancock is a pretty singular Chicago experience, and you can still visit the observation deck. (360 CHICAGO)