So as an extension of the earlier thread on driving from Chicago to Charlevoix, I have a few questions on Chicago to extend to you all: 1. We will be there late July and as luck would have it my beloved Astros are in town. I have never attended a game at Wrigley, so in your opinion, what is the most kid friendly section to buy tickets in? Our kids are 8, 6, and 2. 2. Where in the area is a good hotel to stay in for one night? 3. Is there parking near the stadium? We will be back the following week on the heels of the Michigan trip and will have 2 full days in town. 4. Where is the best place to stay near the downtown attractions? 5. We have been to Navy pier, the Field museum, Millineum Park(will do this again so the kids can see the Cloud Gate), Sears Tower, and Lego land out in Schomberg. We would love to take the architecture tour, but it is probably not an option with the kids. What are the other can't miss things to see/do in Chicago with kids? Appreciate it!
Try the Shedd Aquarium. The Field Museum will have different features this year and is worth a look . My kids liked going to some of the fabulous pizza joints. They also like walking around out of doors in July without sweating like a pig, so any park or playground will be great for them.
if you stay next to lincoln park you have the zoo and the park, the belden hotel is nice, its a few blocks from the metro rail that can take you straight to addison st and wrigleyville, right next to the stadium.
As far as Wrigley goes, anywhere except the bleachers would be fine for kids. Parking is available, but its costly. Car is probably your only option since the subway/bus will be packed with fans on game days. I don't know anything about hotels since I live here so I can't help you there. They have a architectural boat tour that goes all over the Chicago river which is a boat so I'm sure kids will enjoy it, but they also have boats that just go up and down the lake shore. I saw a groupon for seadogs earlier this week so maybe you can get it for cheap. Willis (nee Sears and hopefully soon United) Tower now have windows that go out from the building. If you haven't been there recently, that's worth a try.
Many, many thanks to all of the recommendations! We are really looking forward to the trip and hopefully a little cooler weather.
Last summer we stayed in Evanston near Northwestern for a game at Wrigley. It was much cheaper than downtown and the train to and from the game wasn't bad.
We got back on Friday. All I can say is Chicago is a great town but Northern Michigan in the summer is absolutely beautiful. We stayed in Grand Rapids on our way to Charlevoix and Beaver Island, but also spent time in Holland and Traverse City. Both are places that we wish we had more time to see and we agreed we want to go back to soon. We spent 4 days on the island and it is a spectacular place. Hiking, boating, beaches, great pubs, and a lot of relaxation. Not to mention it never broke 80 degrees while we were there! On our way back to Chicago, we drove through Gary, Indiana. My wife and I are both fascinated by the history of the town and even more so by the decline that a once great industrial center has experienced. As we followed US 12, we went through neighborhoods that looked like a scene from a post Apocalyptic movie. We spent the last day in Millennium Park as well as some of downtown Chicago. We cannot wait to go again. Well worth the trip. Thanks for the recommendations!