Why Chicago should be your springtime escape
By Avery Newmark The Atlanta Journal-Constitution Looking for an easy city escape this spring Chicago is just a quick flight from multiple American cities often at surprisingly affordable rates You ll touch down in a city bursting with incredible art amazing food and experiences straight out of your favorite movies Here s how to live your best Chicago weekend this spring Bueller Bueller Re-create Ferris Bueller s Day Off with a visit to the Art Institute of Chicago This museum spans more than a million square feet and is home to masterpieces like Picasso s The Old Guitarist and Grant Wood s American Gothic For the full Ferris Bueller experience follow the museum s official movie tour which takes you through six key artworks from the film Next take in the city from feet up at the Willis Tower Skydeck formerly the Sears Tower just like Sloan did in the movie And of program no Ferris-style day is complete without catching a Cubs competition at Wrigley Field Built in this legendary ballpark is where Babe Ruth famously called his shot in the World Series After the event celebrate a Cubs win fingers crossed with a drink at one of Wrigleyville s lively bars Float through history on an architecture boat tour Yes it s touristy And you may not even be all that into architecture But this tour is hands down one of the best means to experience Chicago You ll catch one-of-a-kind city views along the river while guides point out architectural gems like the corncob-shaped Marina City towers and the Tribune Tower s dreamy neo-Gothic design If you can opt for an evening tour the city lights reflecting on the water are nothing short of incredible People hang out as Chicago s skyline is reflected in the Cloud Gate sculpture otherwise known as the Bean in Millennium Park on May Erin Hooley Chicago Tribune TNS Snap a selfie at The Bean No trip to Chicago is complete without a stop at Cloud Gate better known as The Bean This massive mirrored sculpture in Millennium Park distorts the skyline and your selfie in the coolest way Laugh the night away at Second City If you need a good laugh head to the legendary Second City This comedy theater launched the careers of Tina Fey Bill Murray and Tim Baltz from The Righteous Gemstones Shows run nightly with a mix of improv and sharp sketch comedy Related Articles Hawaii plans to increase hotel tax to help it cope with context change What is hotel status match and which hotels offer it Movement A Bigfoot- and UFO-lovers guide to Colorado things to eat and drink when you re in Portugal and Northern Spain Reader trip to Portugal and Spain features funiculars fun fabulous food Bite into an authentic Chicago-style hot dog Chicago takes its hot dogs seriously Anthony Bourdain once called them the finest in the land and he wasn t wrong Piled high with mustard pickles sport peppers relish onions tomatoes a dill spear and celery salt no ketchup allowed it s a flavor-packed classic Grab one at a neighborhood stand or hit up local favorite Superdawg Swing by the legendary Green Mill Jazz Club Cap off your evening with live jazz at the Green Mill a historic club that was once Al Capone s go-to hangout during Prohibition The vibe is old-school cool the music is top-notch and if you want the full experience order a whiskey soda or a local beer this isn t a craft cocktail kind of place The Atlanta Journal-Constitution Visit at ajc com Distributed by Tribune Content Agency LLC
