these photos are from all the way back in february. in the middle of the semester i had the chance to visit chicago and attend the annual conference of the college art association. i am so glad i went. i had never really visited chicago before and it had been at the top of my list for a long time. it was a great trip because i loved getting to attend conference sessions with my art history friends, but i also had a lot of freedom and flexibility, so i was able to explore a lot of the city on my own. if you know me, it's probably not surprising to you that i made trying chicago's best donuts a priority and visited no less than three donut shops during my trip. i also loved the art institute, which has a really incredible collection and is of course featured in this classic scene from ferris bueller's day off. i loved seeing american gothic in person and those stained glass windows by chagall are amazing. my other favorite thing was anish kapoor's cloudgate aka the bean. seriously, so awesome. what was not awesome was walking around in front of the bean and asking a dozen different tourists to take my photo before i finally got one that was decent (the story of traveling alone haha). i had such a great time in chicago, so i thought i'd share some things to do below! a lot of these i owe to the wonderful alex steele, a friend of lauren's who sent me the greatest and most comprehensive email guide to chicago before my trip. thanks, alex! here are my recommendations (most of them are food... sorry not sorry)
THINGS I DID:
art institute of chicago—do not miss the art institute! so fun to explore and see such familiar artworks
john hancock observatory—it's cheaper and faster to just get dessert in the restaurant at the top and you get the same view!
millenium park/the bean—great photo opps, anish kapoor is awesome
frank lloyd wright's home and studio—i highly recommend this tour, esp. if you love architecture
chicago theatre—walk by to get the iconic photo, it's right by magnolia bakery and do-rite donuts
mag mile—aka michigan avenue, best-known shopping area, fun to wander
madewell—my favorite store, this one was in a really nice shopping area
THINGS I ATE:
glazed & infused—best donuts i tried, great selection of flavors and you can sit down and eat inside
do-rite donuts—also awesome donuts, mostly i never met a donut i didn't like
doughnut vault—had the longest line and they were sold out of some flavors but it was worth it
jeni's splendid ice creams—so worth the train ride to get there, my fave was the buckeye pb
magnolia bakery—skip the cupcakes and get the banana pudding
lou malnati's—authentic chicago deep dish, the pizza was good but the bruschetta was the best
portillo's hot dogs—popular chicago dogs, but i've heard hot doug's is way better
epic burger—great burgers and shakes, comparable to shake shack (my fave)
roti mediterranean grill—fast casual mediterranean, was great for a quick lunch
potbelly—sandwich chain, another good option for a cheap and quick breakfast or lunch
bongo room—amazing brunch, humongous portions, so glad i went here
THINGS I DIDN'T DO/EAT BUT OTHERS RECOMMENDED:
hot doug's (i think they're closing soon!)
little goat dinerdmk burger bar
city dough
bang bang pie shop
sprinkles cupcakes
hope this is helpful! chicago is a really cool place.
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