How to have the best 24 hours in Chicago

This post is sponsored by Choose Chicago, The Fairmont, Art Institute, and many others. Thank you for the great memories.

If you had 24 hours in Chicago what would you do? No Kids. No one other than yourself to take care of! We just had the opportunity to explore Chicago sans kids and I’m sharing some of the must-do’s with you.

1. The Hotel

24 hours is not a lot of time so having a hotel that is not only comfortable but is also centrally located is key. We chose to stay at The Fairmont. The King suite was beautiful with a large living space, spacious bedroom and gorgeous views of millennium park and lake Michigan.

Honestly, the most amazing views I had ever seen in any hotel! Just breathtaking!

The hotel was a quick walk to the park, museums and restaurants and a 5 dollar left rife to the trendy west loop area.

2. Take a nap

If this is a sans kids trip then I highly recommend napping. We unpacked and took a quick 30 minute nap. It was the best feeling ever. And why wouldn't we at an amazing hotel like The Fairmont in Chicago. The bed was so comfortable and it was so quiet. Something my husband and I did not take for granted.

3. Eating

There is SO much food in Chicago and it can be a bit overwhelming to choose a spot. We stuck with a couple restaurants in the West Loop area that are pretty well known. The Little Goat Diner was an excellent spot for breakfast. The Asian twist on American diner food was unexpected and ridiculously delicious.

For dinner we chose to head to Bar Siena. The carne pizza and duck Mac and cheese were amazing. It was definitely an upbeat bar with great muisc and lots of tv’s to catch the opening cubs game on.

4. Activities

There are many things to do and see in Chicago the first we suggest is to walk. Just looking at the architecture is a treat. My husband and I also decided to go to the Art Institute Museum. I would recommend getting the audio guide. You’ll learn a lot about the artists such as Picasso and Rembrandt.

Another fun activity that we did was enjoy drinks at The River City Winery. The winery is located on the river and they have these fun domes you can rent (that are heated) and you can enjoy a glass of wine and the river views in. The staff there are incredibly sweet as well.

However, if you’re going to Chicago you need to catch a play and in our 24 hours there we went to see Hamilton. Yes, it is as great as everyone says. The theater it is held in is very small and I can’t imagine that any seat in the intimate theater is a bad seat.

5. Romance

24 hours without kids is a lot of fun and though eating and seeing the sites is a blast it also important to reconnect with the spouse. Don’t get too busy where you can’t take time for each other. Maybe it is reconnecting intimately, holding hands as you walk the streets, or talking about life, uninterrupted, with each other. Whatever it is that recharges your relationship, do it.