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| View of downtown Chicago from Shedd's Aquarium |
Summary
Quick weekend 4 day (technically 2 and a half since the rest were travel days) trip to Chicago. Total out of pocket: $754.29.
Travel Notes (All prices below are USD unless otherwise noted)
Covid Notes
- No testing necessary to fly/return.
- Masks required at airport/airplane unless eating/drinking.
Travel
- Southwest airfare was free after using Amex Airline Credits, 21,046 Southwest points, and a Companion Pass.
- 3 day "L" train and bus Ventra tickets were $60 for our family of four.
- We found that Ventra tickets are not accepted on the subway system.
- We opted to take Uber on the day back to the airport for $52.28.
- We found that Ventra tickets are not accepted on the subway system.
Accommodations
- Radisson Blu Aqua Chicago
- The stay was $58.72 (2 nights "urban fee") after using 2 free night certificates and 70,000 points.
- Our cents per point redemption value was .0076.
- I was able to get one night of the "urban fee" waived due to elite status, but had to pay for the other 2 nights.
- The hotel was in a very central part of the city and it was very easy to get around either by walking or taking the convenient bus system.
Entertainment
- Field Museum
- Fantastic place! Really enjoyed the exhibits, especially the Dinosaur one.
- Shedd's Aquarium
- Huge place with many different levels and animals to enjoy.
- Navy Pier
- Spent time playing in the outdoor fountains and within the Children's Museum.
Mobile/Internet
- Used our usual mobile phones.
- Radisson Wifi was decent at around ~5-10mbps after VPN.
Laundry
- We just saved our laundry until we returned home.
Food
- Tried deep dish pizza from Giordano's, but the crust was burnt and not really enjoyable. Perhaps because it was rush hour and super busy. However, we tried one from Geno's East that was fantastic.
Things that went well
- Flying out of SNA was great. I hope to do more trips out of that airport in the future.
- Ordering food via pickup worked out well for us. There were outdoor tables in the surrounding areas that we got to use.
- Having a full first full day made us exhausted and set us up to sleep well for the subsequent day. This worked out well for us, and we just took the 2nd day at our leisure.
- Really happy with our extension outlet, picked up a 2nd one for future trips. It's great for getting outlets by the bed if they aren't provided and just getting more USB ports.