Chicago Day Trip
Goals of Trip: Tour the highlights of Chicago while visiting my cousin
Keywords: Lucky 🍀, Blustery, Hustle
Time visited: St. Patrick’s Day! March/Spring
Don’t forget to pack:
Rain Gear
Coat and scarf or hat
Something green
Travel:
Fly into O’Hare International Airport (ORD) or Midway International Airport (MDW)
Drivable from many adjoining states – be warned that driving a vehicle means you will be spending time searching for parking and paying heftily for said parking once found!
Explored the windy city on a weekday which happened to be St. Patrick’s Day! No parade, since it took place the previous weekend. We still glimpsed plenty of tartan kilts, partygoers bedecked in green, wailing bagpipes, and Chicago’s signature green river.
10am – Brunch at Honey Berry
Honey Berry Pancakes and Cafe was a delicious way to kickstart our trip once we, you guessed it, finally found parking. Staying on theme, we leaned into the Irish-inspired menu for the holiday and enjoyed delicious Irish coffees with mountains of whipped cream, corned beef hash, and, Honey Berry’s specialty, an enormous stack of pancakes.
Katie enjoying a cozy irish coffee on a cold Chicago morning
11am – Chicago Public Library
Our group of bookworms wanted to explore the historic Chicago Public Library! We were impressed by its elegant, heavy stone architecture on the exterior, with floor after floor of books on the interior.
We journeyed up to the top floor, which was an incredibly beautiful space. The light streamed in through the multi-windowed ceiling and dramatic wall-length windows. People quietly studied at tables dotting the marble floors. There was also an interesting exhibit featuring information about the building and history of the library.
12pm – The Art Institute of Chicago
Famed for its extensive collection, this museum was large enough to be a multi-day affair.
We especially enjoyed viewing traditional tea sets and ceramics. And sculptures of chunky horses, can’t forget those…
Horse, Japan, 5th–6th century
3:30pm – Coffee Break in Millennium Park
Stopped for matcha lattes and baked goods! We picnicked in Millennium Park before meandering over to snap a picture with the iconic sculpture of Cloud Gate, affectionately known as “The Bean.” Afterwards, we took a short walk by the river to admire its emerald green color.
5pm – Dim Sum at MingHin
Parked at Chinatown Square (finding a parking spot was a feat of Olympic proportions) and explored the plaza, which was stacked with restaurants as well as stores selling candy, jade, and silk clothing! Marveled at the statues of Chinese zodiac animal signs and posed for photos with our personal zodiac animals.
Jessica posing proudly with her chinese zodiac representative, the esteemed Monkey
Dim Sum is the ultimate in Chinese comfort food – a must-have when traveling anywhere with a Chinatown. MingHin did not disappoint!
If you’re new to Dim Sum – here are three things to know:
Order a pot of hot jasmine tea for the table – you’ll thank me later when your stomach is groaning from holding a massive amount of savory goodness. Helps with digestion and will give you the slightest kick of caffeine under the table when you feel like nodding off.
Restaurants may vary, but for the most part there are small plates and large plates – both are for sharing. The small plates may be paraded around on carts and you will have to either point to the item you want or know the name of the item so you can indicate to the server what you will be having.
Don’t be afraid to ask for forks – don’t let one bit of this food get away from you and your ravenous self.
Favorite items from our meal:
Har Gow – Piping hot shrimp snugly embedded in rice wrapper! Dip in soy sauce and try your best to let it cool before eating. My personal favorite item.
Shu Mai – Savory, soft, delectable! Traditionally contain a mixture of pork and shrimp.
Shrimp Crepes – My cousin’s suggestion and they were divine, soft rice crepe wrapped around tender shrimp! Pour a tiny bit of soy sauce over it and enjoy! I like to use the side of a fork to cut mine into bite-size pieces. This one’s slippery! Do not let it escape!
Our spread, featuring everything from mapo tofu to tripe! Shrimp crepes pictured on the right hand side, just below the teapot.
After dinner, we browsed the plaza and purchased obscure candies we hadn’t seen before – you can find unique flavors of kitkat in chinatown!
7pm – Boba Tea at Uni Uni
Ordered at a kiosk and enjoyed my signature order of taro milk tea with boba, light ice, and 25% sugar. It was a great flavor, light but not too sweet, and perfectly nutty in the way that only taro can be.
Popular place, with long lines but they moved quickly. We took our drinks outside to walk rather than stay in the crowded shop. A sweet treat to end a great Chicago day!