Chicago in winter probably isn't everyone's first choice for a destination, but I was determined to make it a fun trip and see how much Chicago has to offer, while also staying warm. The way the trip ended up time-wise meant I had 3 days to experience as much as I could, resulting in me seeing parts of Chicago I never had before (which is the case every time I go).
Itinerary Recap
Friday
Flight to Chicago
Hotel - Hotel Julian
Field Museum
Flight and Arrival
I took one of the first flights out of Omaha to Chicago, putting me in Chicago by 8 on Friday morning. This was the first time in the O'Hare (ORD) airport that wasn't just for a connecting flight. Maybe it was because it was so early in the day, or my eagerness to get my trip started, I didn't think that O'Hare was as bad as people make it out to be. I found it easy to find my way around and there were plenty of signs pointing the way to baggage claim, ride shares, Chicago Transit Authority (CTA, public transportation), and anything else you could need. I made my way to baggage claim for my bag and then to the CTA ticket kiosk to buy a 3-day pass.
While purchasing my 3-day pass, I made a mistake by using the wrong kiosk and ended up buying a single-trip ticket ($5) and then after realizing my mistake bought the correct pass ($15). The 3-day pass grants access to the CTA as frequently as you need, with unlimited transfers and distance. This makes it a great resource for keeping transportation costs down while in Chicago. With the correct ticket in hand, I was able to board the Blue-line CTA train and start the 25-minute trip to the heart of the Loop in downtown Chicago.
I got to the station that I thought was the closest to my hotel, which is hard to tell based on the official CTA map (for some reason they didn't put street names on the map, just station names). The walk from the station I got off at to my hotel included walking an older part of the Pedway (tunnels connecting downtown buildings), which was the first time I have felt remotely uneasy while in Chicago across all my trips there. Once out of the Pedway, and above ground again, I immediately saw Lake Michigan in the distance and felt at ease.
When looking for a hotel for this trip, I knew I wanted to make use of the CTA or be able to walk everywhere, and with a January trip, that meant being close to everything I wanted to do, which meant that this time I was staying south of the river - a first for me. Hotel Julian fit the bill for being in the right location and being well-priced. It had decent reviews, the bad ones were for billing issues and guests having problems with the view from their room, which are both things that are usually out of the hands of the people working there. I checked my bags with the bellhop since my room wasn't ready, being only 9 A.M., and then started my day of adventure.
When I got back to the hotel at the end of the day, I collected my bags, officially checked in, and went up to my room. One feature of the room that I need to mention is that the elevator was secure, you had to have a room key to call the elevator. I booked a "Vista King" room, I didn't upgrade to a city view, so my view was the building across the alley, which didn't matter to me because I didn't spend much time in the room. The room was small but furnished in a way that didn't seem like it was small. It had a small desk, TV, closet, and a larger-than-normal bathroom for a hotel, especially in Chicago. The biggest critique I have for the hotel is that the thermostat was set to 74°, which was easily fixed, but was a bit of an adjustment walking into that after the 25° outside.
The Field Museum is an iconic Chicago attraction and is one of the largest natural history museums in the world. If you have ever been there, you will understand what this means, you can easily spend an entire day (9-5 that they are open) going through the exhibits, even if you stop to read only half of the signs. From the permanent exhibits of Ancient Egypt and an extensive animal collection across several exhibits to temporary exhibits of "Death: Life's Greatest Mystery" or 3D movies, there is something for everyone.
Even having been to the museum before, and having spent a full day there last time, I spent about 6 hours wandering the halls and exhibits. I spent the most time in the Ancient Americas, Evolving Planet, and Native Truths exhibits, each of which was story-based in the way they were laid out. Ancient Americas takes each guest through the history of people in the Americas, from the earliest peoples to the settling of European explorers. Evolving Planet takes guests even further back in time, to the first organisms on the planet, through 6 mass extinctions, and the story of the dinosaurs. Towards the end of this exhibit you are able to see Sue, the largest, most extensive, and best preserved T-Rex ever found. Native Truths was a newer exhibit that focused on the Native American and Indigenous people telling their own stories in a way that is consistent with their cultures: story telling, music, dance, and art. The differences between the different communities and Tribes were fascinating to walk through, read, and hear about.
I knew when I was planning this trip that the museum would be an all-day event, so I planned on eating at the cafe in the atrium, what I didn't plan on was it actually being decent food and enjoying it as much as I did (for a full review, please see my Eat the City: Chicago 2023 post in the coming weeks).
After lunch, I went through a ticketed, temporary exhibit "Death: Life's Greatest Mystery." This exhibit, while a somber one, was fascinating and thought-provoking. The exhibit walked through the physical, emotional, and spiritual aspects of death as seen by people around the world in several different cultures. It compared the funeral rituals of Ancient Egypt to modern day societies and really focused on the differences between them, not that one is better than the other, just that they are different.
The Field Museum has so much to do and it would be easy to miss entire sections of it if you don't plan ahead. My biggest tip for visiting is to look through the website before going so you know what you want to do first, which ticketed exhibits you want to do, and how to get around the museum. In warmer weather, there are outdoor gardens to walk through that include amazing views of the Chicago skyline, Lake Michigan, and other points of interest nearby.
The CTA Again and Wandering Chicago
At the end of the day at the museum, I walked to the nearest CTA station and headed for the hotel to officially check-in and get to my room before finding dinner. My recommendation is don't just walk to the nearest station because not all CTA stations are as safe as others. After this ride, I learned that the Red Line stations (where I was) are typically the worst/most unsafe of all the stations. So unless you have to take the Red Line, try to avoid it. Once I safely made it back to my hotel, I decided on a place for dinner because of a misheard restaurant name at the front desk (see the Eat the City post in the coming weeks).
After dinner, I went exploring to find a store to buy a bottle of wine, which resulted in a mile-plus walk, one-way, to a small wine store and then the walk back to the hotel. During this after-dark walk I saw Christmas lights still up, heard wonderful street performers, and watched as others hurried to their destinations. One word that isn't used to describe Chicago often is "peace" but there was certainly peace that night as I walked through the close-to-empty streets. By the time I got back to the hotel, I was exhausted from a day of travel and exploring.
Thanks for joining me and be sure to come back in the following weeks for more on my Chicago trip.
See you next time!
Sami
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