Destination

Go to Belmont Marina and take a sailboat onto Lake Michigan with 'Sail Chicago'. If you want, you can even be part of the crew. If you do the late evening trip on Wednesdays or Saturdays during the summer months, being on the lake will give you the best view of the beautiful fireworks on Navy Pier.

Visit the Shedd Aquarium, one of the largest aquarium in North America and the largest inland salt water tank. Just a ten minute drive from the hotel. There are ever-changing special exhibitions throughout the year. Learn about our water friends not only from our great oceans but from the surronding great lakes with it's varied eco-systems.

Go up to the 96th floor of the Hancock Tower and enjoy the spectacular views of Chicago's skyline and the lake, it will take your breath away. while doing you can sit back and relax and partake of a bevarage or a light snack. The Hancock Tower is considered the grandfather of all skyscrpers because of its inovative design that allowed future buildings to reach up into the sky.

Take a ride on the Chicago's First Lady Architectural boat tour from Michigan Avenue and Wacker Drive and learn interesting facts about Chicago's beautiful buildings and magnificent skyline. Each tour is conducted by a volunteer of the Chicago Architectural Foundation and people have marveled at the depth of their knowledge and insight into the rebuilding of this great city after the fire that left a blank canvass for builder and architects from around the world.

Millennium Park offers endless outdoor entertainment. Most famous is the Cloud Gate, aka ‘The Bean,’ which reflects the city skyline on its shiny surface. Cloud Gate is considered to be one of the largest and most expensive outdoor sculptures in the world. Take in Crown Fountain, an interactive video sculpture over a reflection pool, cooling down visitors with its flowing waters. Other highlights include the Jay Pritzker Pavilion, known for its 120-feet tall bandshell, and Lurie Garden.

Tip: The tour can also be done self guided. You can rent an Ipod Shuffle at the Home Studio and walk the neighborhood at your own pace. The only downside is that some of the homes are inhabited and cannot be entererd except for a private viewing. The audio tour can also be done from your car during inclement weather and you can make a picnic of the day. Chicago is famous for its architecture and one of its great sons was Frank Lloyd Wright. You can see much of his influence around Chicago.

Dating to 1916, the Navy Pier has long been one of the Windy City’s top gathering places. Ride the sky-high ferris wheel for 360-degree views of Chicago and Lake Michigan; then reserve an architectural boat tour to glimpse the city’s monumental buildings from the water.

One of the world’s oldest and most revered art museums, the Art Institute of Chicago® is located in Grant Park. Its new wing, designed by Renzo Piano, adds extra gallery space for its 300,000 works of art, including collections of Impressionist and Post-Impressionist paintings.

Not for the faint-hearted, or those with a fear of heights, 360 Chicago allows you to stand — literally — on the edge of the form John Hancock Center. Step into a window and hold on while you TILT 1,000 feet above Magnificent Mile. Tickets are required to experience TILT and follow the thrill with a cocktail at CloudBar.