TJ and I spent several days in Chicago last week to celebrate our 2nd anniversary, and today I’m excited to talk about some of the things we saw/ate and where we stayed while we were there. First, I have to say a HUGE thank you to the incredibly sweet Sara, who sent me an amazing email with all kinds of tips on things to see in the city. Sara – we’ve kept a list of the things we didn’t get to from your suggestions to do on our next trip!

The hotel:

We stayed at the Kinzie Hotel, which is where we stayed on our honeymoon, back when it was called The Amalfi. We loved it when we were there 2 years ago, but the hotel recently underwent renovations and we were even more blown away this time. The decor was lovely, and the location is perfect. The last time we were in town, we got a 3-day transportation pass, but this time we decided to walk everywhere, and it was very convenient from the hotel. The staff was also incredibly helpful and kind – they even sent up chocolate covered strawberries and a sweet card since it was our anniversary! You know how some people love going to the beach on vacation just to chill? TJ and I like to spend a nice chunk of our trips just chilling in a nice hotel room, and the Kinzie Hotel was perfect for that.

The sites:
Over the course of our walks through the city, we managed to stroll around Millennium Park, go shopping on Michigan Avenue, zoom to the top of the John Hancock, and just take in the beautiful city. These are some of my favorite shots from our walks around town.

The eats:
Chicago has tons of amazing food, and we wanted to try basically everything, so TJ and I had one rule – no leftovers. We didn’t want to waste a meal eating day-old leftovers of a food we’d already tried, so we mostly ordered appetizers and meals we could share. Not only did this help save on costs, but it also helped us from completely stuffing ourselves at every meal.
(from top to bottom)

1. The best grilled cheese and tomato soup from Bin 36
2. “Chicago Mix” of caramel and cheese popcorn Garrett popcorn
3. Tiramisu from Portillos
4. Cheese brat and fries from Downtown Dogs
5. Chicken quesadillas from Cantina Laredo
6. Italian beef sandwich and fries from Portillos
7. Chef salad from Mother Hubbard’s

If you’d like to see more, TJ posted a bunch of really incredible HDR pictures from the trip that he took and edited over on his blog. He’s definitely the photographer of the family, and I’m hoping that I can get him to share some of his skills here sometime soon!

Have you ever been to Chicago? What are your must see/eat places?