The Traveling Michigander

On my many stays in Chicago, I had never stayed north of the river. I suppose the reason was that good deals at the time I wanted to go seemed to be in the Loop. But this time, we ventured across the green water and stayed at the Residence Inn Chicago Downtown/River North.

Residence Inn River North

The hotel is Just a block north of the river and four blocks west of Michigan Avenue, and locations don’t get much better than that. Best of all, we didn’t have to pay the $38 a night, since we took an Amtrak Train and a slightly longer than expected taxi ride. Helpful hint: Mention that the Residence Inn is on Dearborn, otherwise, you may be taken to a different one.

The lobby is on the second floor and there are actually two check-in desks, one for the Residence Inn and one for the Springhill Suites. The RI is on the right. The staff was friendly each time we interacted with them. The lobby was immaculate with views of the corner of Dearborn and Kinzie. A fireplace anchors the center of the room with televisions on either side. I didn’t spend much time hanging out in the lobby, but it was quiet every time except breakfast.

Residence Inn River North

Our room, 405, was a suite. The Residence Inn is an all-suite hotel, but ours was a true suite, meaning with had a door between the living area and the bedroom, very handy since our 3-year old was with us. Each room also has a kitchenette, and the refrigerator came in very handy to store our leftovers from the Grand Lux Café.

Residence Inn River North

Our room was quiet, except for the very-early morning trash pickup. And why was our room quiet? Take a look at our stunning view:

Residence Inn River North

Sadly, this is not the worst view we’ve had from a hotel room. The Hotel Monaco wins that honor. Instead of a parking ramp, it was a blank wall, but at least we could open the curtains and not have people looking into our room.

We had absolutely no problems with noise.  At times, it seems like we were the only ones on our floor. Which I knew was not true, since my parents were staying across the hall from us.

On the 27th floor is the fitness center and pool. Numerous cardio machines look into the pool area which, at the time of our stay, was a haven for small children, including mine.  The water is a little cold, but the view is fantastic. And towels are provided so you don’t have to take the ones from the room.

There is an excellent at the breakfast buffet. Both mornings I went for the waffles. There is also fruit, juice, eggs, sausage, various breads and cereals, and other choices as well. And once again, the staff was exceedingly nice. So tip the wait staff, people.

I would definitely stay at the Residence Inn River North again. The location was great, the room spacious and clean, and the staff was outstanding.

The Wheeler Mansion, Chicago

I’ve already talked about the wondrous, magical feature called “free parking” that the B&B offers. I’m sure they just roll it into your nightly costs, but it was still nice not to arrive and have an extra $40 added onto your bill.

This is our great view of Calumet Avenue from the fantastically named “Room 33″, harking back to the days when… well, I’m not sure when.

View of Calumet Avenue

Okay, the view is not great, but it was quiet. The Metra trains passed just beyond the buildings in the picture, but they were not an issue at all. And we were only a few minutes walk to the station, and beyond that, Soldier Field.

If you’re a business traveler, McCormick Place is only about a five minute walk south of the Wheeler Mansion. Most of the other guests were attending the gigantic food conference being held at the time of our visit.

Room 33, The Wheeler Mansion

Speaking of food, here we have the dining room, where we could enjoy a quiet meal, if we didn’t have a small child with us. Still, a nice space.

Dining Room, The Wheeler Mansion

The Wheeler Mansion is in the Prairie Avenue district, a great place for a walking tour of the mansion once owned by the business barons of Chicago.

Prairie Avenue district

Sweet home Chicago. Andrea departed for the Windy City this morning, one of my favorite places, so I’ll digitally reminisce about visits past, since I can’t be there myself.

Swissotel. Near the eastern end of Upper Wacker was the blue-glassed Swissotel. I had found a great deal on TravelZoo, and liked the location, so off to Chicago I went. The room had a beautiful view of Navy Pier and Lake Michigan. It was spacious, including the bathroom, and had I brought a herd of goats, they would have had plenty of room to roam. Alas, Swissotel had a strict no-goat policy. Balki from Perfect Strangers would have been very disappointed.

Swissotel, Chicago

Being Chicago, parking was expensive, topping (in 2007) $40 a night. $40 for a small piece of concrete? That is usually why I take the train from East Lansing. But for that trip, I also went to Six Flags, so I needed a car.

UPDATE 4/2/10: I just saw that Swissotel offers packages so guests can pamper their pets. Since I really don’t want to share a hotel with dogs, cats, ponies, and chimpanzees, I’ll probably avoid staying there in the future - there are plenty of other hotels in Chicago.

Hyatt Regency. On Upper Wacker between Michigan Avenue and the Swissotel, this was a popular spot for conventions. I liked the fountain in the lobby and the impressive views of the river, Wrigley Building, and Tribune Tower. This hotel was used for auditions in season 9 of American Idol.

Our room faced south and we had glimpses of Michigan Avenue and Millennium Park, though skyscrapers filled most of the view. It was relatively small room, but nicely furnished.

What? A Krispy Kreme store in the basement? Yes, one more amenity that the Hyatt Regency had. Our KK in Lansing closed in 2009, as did the store where I tasted my very first KK, the one located in The Venetian’s food court. So very sad.

The Wheeler Mansion. This was the temporary home for a weekend stay. It was a bed and breakfast not from McCormick Place, and we stayed there because most of the rooms in the city were taken because of a huge restaurant convention.

The Wheeler Mansion, Chicago

We happened to stay there when my daughter was still a baby and sleeping in a pack and play. We were all in one room, and she did not tolerate being in the same room and not sleeping in the same bed as us. And for being so small, she took up a large space. I ended up sleeping on the floor – it was more comfortable. But the room had lots of personality.

Antique furniture, details craftsmanship, and a creaky wooden floor – what more could we ask for. It was a little far to walk downtown, so having a bus schedule was very handy.

And The Wheeler Mansion had what most places in Chicago do not – free parking. Sure, it was a dirt lot behind the B&B, but it was very close. And did I mention free?

Club Quarters. Another TravelZoo deal, this hotel was typically used by business travelers during the week. It was located at Adams and Clark, right in the middle of the loop, and a few blocks east of Union Station. Of the hotels I have stayed at in Chicago, this was the smallest. Not bad, just not a lot of elbow room. It was, after all, made for the business traveler.

Club Quarters, Chicago

This is my kind of fun – a margarita tour. What better way to experience Chicago than by consuming several adult beverages around town? The wife and I had some good ones at The Frontera Grill on Clark Street. The place was packed, but if you can manage to find a table to squeeze into, it’s worth it.

But why go to a big city – if you don’t live in one – to try a margarita tour of your own? Here in mid-Michigan, we have plenty of Mexican restaurants of varying quality. It seems like a great way to enjoy the Christmas season to me.

Of course, you don’t need to limit yourself to margaritas. Brew pubs, wine bars, sushi bars – you know you want to try Saki. Even a sushi tour doesn’t sound half-bad – we’ve got a great sushi place, Maru, literally down the street from us. I’m also a fan of nachos, but you can’t really eat a lot of those before getting full and prematurely ending the fun.

Speaking of nachos, on my many trips to Chicago, I’ve never tasted any of its nachos. I’ll have to do some research to find the city’s best before the next excursion.

Andrea and I are going to Chicago next month. Though only for a night, I’m excited about going, especially since the city will be decorated for Christmas. So in honor of my upcoming (short) trip, I thought I would share some of my favorite Chicago blogs.

I’m a Chicagophile, and one that is especially interested in the city’s great architecture, and I try to keep up with all the happenings in that area. Here are my favorite architecture related blogs:

Chicago Architecture Blog – http://blog.chicagoarchitecture.info/
ArchitectureChicago Plus – http://arcchicago.blogspot.com
Cityscapes by Blair Kamin – http://featuresblogs.chicagotribune.com/theskyline/

If you are in the mood for some pictures from the Windy City, which I often am:

Chicago Photos – http://chicagophotos.blogspot.com/

And for a great all-around blog:

Metblogs Chicago – http://chicago.metblogs.com/

Also, though it is not focused on Chicago, the Tribune has an interesting travel blog that I subscribe to:

http://www.chicagotribune.com/travel/

Anyone have any Chicago blogs they read? I’d love to hear about them, as I’m always on the lookout for more ways to avoid work. Also, any tips for things to do that wouldn’t be on the normal tourist sites and travel guides?