Things to do in Chicago, USA: One day three ways

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This was published 8 years ago

Things to do in Chicago, USA: One day three ways

By David Whitley
The Frederick C. Robie House designed by architect Frank Lloyd Wright is the star campus building at the University of Chicago.

The Frederick C. Robie House designed by architect Frank Lloyd Wright is the star campus building at the University of Chicago.Credit: Raymond Boyd

Penny pinch

Tuck into steel-cut oatmeal in Panera (panerabread.com, $6) at 2 Michigan Avenue, before taking a free one hour introductory tour of the downtown area with Chicago Greeter (chicagogreeter.com). Then take the pink L train to 18th Street in the Pilsen neighbourhood ($3) and beeline it to number 1515, where local favourite Nuevo Leon serves up Mexican feasts for lunch. A trio of tacos costs $8.

Spend the afternoon ambling around Pilsen, taking in the extraordinary mural art splashed up on the walls. Finish more formally at the National Museum of Mexican Art (nationalmuseumofmexicanart.org, free entry). Take the number 49 bus towards the chalet-esque Table, Donkey and Stick in Logan Square for a $20 Alpine burger. Then get the train back to the centre ($3) and stay at the Best Western Grant Park Hotel (bwgrantparkhotel.com, A$116).

TOTAL: $156

Take it easy

Take the L south ($6 return) to spend a day in the Hyde Park neighbourhood. The $10 cranberry and turkey walnut bread sandwich at Medici (medici57.com) should do nicely for breakfast.

From there, have a stroll around the handsome buildings of the University of Chicago. The star is Frank Lloyd-Wright's Prairie School masterpiece, Robie House (flwright.org, $38).

Swing by Barack Obama's heavily guarded house at 5046 S Greenwood Avenue on the way to a people-watching lunch on the terrace at A10 (a10hydepark.com). Try the $28 Great Lakes whitefish and asparagus.

After an afternoon of educational button-pushing inside the Museum of Science and Industry (msichicago.org, $24), get back for the free guests' happy hour at the Virgin Hotel (virginhotels.com, $219. Read Traveller's review) between 6pm and 7pm.

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Get the L to Logan Square ($6 return) and seriously good Macau-influenced dishes while sat at the bar in Fat Rice (eatfatrice.com, $35).

TOTAL: $366

Splash out

In the morning, take a four hour Frank Lloyd-Wright architecture pilgrimage to Oak Park with Chicago Private Tours (chicagoprivatetours.com, $428). This includes his studio and around 20 homes he designed in the area.

Once back, hop in a cab to Wicker Park ($27 return) for a $37 leg of lamb, garlic sausage, rhubarb and dried cherry lunch in Trenchermen (trenchermen.com) – a former Turkish bathhouse.

In the afternoon, explore Wicker Park and Bucktown's booming craft beer scene on a multi-stop tasting tour with Chicago Beer Experience (chicagobeerexperience.com, $81). It digs out a few lesser-known bars that may be worth returning to later…

Home for the night is a lake view suite at the Loews Chicago Downtown (loewshotels.com/chicago-downtown, $779, including breakfast). The Rural Society restaurant downstairs dishes up the chef's selection of grilled meats from the Argentine parrilla – with wine pairings – for $195.

TOTAL: $1547

The writer was a guest of Choose Chicago (choosechicago.com), Loews Downtown Chicago and Virgin Hotels.

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