This summer has certainly been an interesting one. Being cooped up in our guest house has definitely led to a case of cabin fever, and with the combo of the small space and the summer heat that awaits us outside our door, there has been little relief. Luckily, we recently decided to spontaneously book a trip to Chicago on Ebates’ Travel Thursday and it was the best decision we’ve made all summer. 😉 It literally took us a few minutes while we cooled off at a local coffee shop.
For those of you who are looking to get some cash back from your travels, this is pretty perfect. We booked our hotel and flight through Ebates.com and got close to $75 estimated cash back to take advantage of during our trip. Our hotel was the beautiful, historic Chicago Athletic Association. It is perfectly placed in the downtown area and right across the street from Millennium Park. It was an ideal place to start and end each day. So many of you guys ask how we get to travel often, and points and cash back opportunities are key when we decide to book a trip. Don’t miss out on 10% Cash Back at Ebates Hotels and more for Travel Thursdays! Full disclosure: our cash back went towards ice cream, donuts and coffee. No regrets here, ha!
Let’s get to the important stuff! We were on a mission to eat our way through Chicago, and that’s exactly what we did. We met up with our friend Chris, who recently made the move from the desert to the Windy City, so we were in good company. We were only visiting for two and a half days, so we definitely didn’t get through our whole list, but here is what we did and enjoyed most.
FOOD
LULA CAFÉ
We went for breakfast. They were spinning The Beach Boys’ “Pet Sounds”. The vibe was wonderful, we devoured the lox, everything bagel, and challah French toast. Couldn’t possibly think of a better start to any day.
TIED HOUSE
This place came highly recommended by our friend Chris for it’s beautiful interior design, and attention to detail on their menu. We’re still dreaming about the tasty monkfish, raviolo, and out of this world bread and smears.
JENI’S SPLENDID ICE CREAMS
The weather was delightfully in the 70’s the whole time (sorry Phoenicians!) we were in Chicago, so we walked a ton. An ice cream break was a great idea for a midday snack. Jeni’s has some delicious flavors. We had the Salty Caramel (for him) and the Frose Sorbet (for her).
THE ALLIS
We went for brunch and ogled over their interiors while we filled our bellies with the Benedict Royale. Great atmosphere and interior style were both on point.
PRESIDIO
Last night in Chicago with our pal Chris. We were craving pasta and Chris told us that they make their own daily. It was a no-brainer!
BAD HUNTER
We do not eat a ton of meat and many people recommended Au Cheval (next door), but we opted for the veggie forward, Bad Hunter. Yum!
COFFEE
IPSENTO 606
Obsessed with this place. The espresso was spot on, and we ordered one of each mini donut in their pastry case. We suggest you do the same!
SAWADA COFEE
Military Latte is the winning drink!
CAFE INTEGRAL
Stopped in here after a long walk. This was a really cool spot attached to a hotel and also featured a cocktail bar. I’d imagine this is a pretty great spot for any time of day/night. Loved it there.
LA COLOMBE
They had oat milk, which we love. We sat by the window and people watched before heading to the park for the day.
SHOP
GATHER HOME + LIFESTYLE
Minimal perfection, thoughtful details, and Phoenix brand representation (Hey, Standard Wax!) The shop owner was the sweetest gal, and gave us a great list of places to see on our way out.
PENELOPE’S/GEMINI
These two shops are next to each other and share an owner. They both feature mens and women’s apparel and accessories. Beautifully curated with two different price points. We left with full shopping bags for the road.
JAYSON HOME
Always love checking out interior shops while we travel. Jayson has a great selection of furniture, art work, plants, and so many other things that we wish we had room for in our suitcases. Ha!
SPROUT HOME
Similar to Jayson, we wish we had luggage that fit some of the great finds in Sprout. They have two shops across the street from each other. One of the shops is solely plants. So many plants! The other had dinnerware, candles, and smaller home items. One of our favorites from the trip.
SIGHTS
MILLENIUM PARK
We had to check out “Cloud Gate” (aka The Bean) while we were in Chi-Town. It’s a really cool piece that is worth seeing and grabbing some photos at. Get there early if you don’t want anyone else in your shot. We didn’t do that. Ha!
LONDON HOUSE ROOFTOP
Loved this rooftop bar. The views of downtown are gorgeous… grab a drink and kick back!
LINCOLN PARK
We spent much of our last afternoon in Chicago at the park. Like we said, the weather during our trip was absolutely perfect. The park is filled with beautiful flowers, a zoo, a museum, food, and lots of great views and photo spots. Wish we could be there right now.
Hope these suggestions come in handy for your next trip to the Windy City! There’s a ton more to explore, but we did pretty good for just a few days. 😉
*Thank you to Ebates and ShopStyle for sponsoring this post. As always, all thoughts & opinions are our own.
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Great post! Loved all the places you visit; the food looked amazing. Thanks for sharing! By the way your outfits were 🙌🏻.
Hey ! How do you guys stay in such good shape, especially with how much food/restaurant trying you do while you travel ?
Thank you for showing Chicago the way we locals see it! Well done guys 😊
What a compliment – thank you for the stamp of approval. 🙂 We had so much fun!
Yesss! Love this. I moved to AZ from the Chicago area about 2 years ago. Miss that place so much. You guys hit up a lot of my favorite places!