This was my first-time visiting Chicago and I managed to visit the following in less than 8 hours - Millenium Park, Shoreline Architecture Boat Tour, Giordano’s Pizza, and the 360 Chicago Observation Deck.

I’m always finding cheap flights with Frontier — The cost of this roundtrip flight was less than $50 with Frontier’s Denver pass. Short trips like this never require a carry on, so I can always get by with my free personal item bag!

Month Traveled: May

Weather: Sunny, 75 degrees

Where I Stayed:

I stayed at the Arlo Chicago, formerly known as Hotel Julian, located at 168 N Michigan Avenue.

My Thoughts on the Arlo Chicago:

As a solo traveler, I’m always looking for hotels that are centrally located with excellent reviews. All of the Arlo reviews I found were 5/5 for cleanliness, location, service, and value. And, I concur! The room was clean and the bed was extremely comfy - the pillows just swallowed my head! The room came with a fridge and complementary water. Also, in the room was a robe and some Arlo slides for a fee. The location was perfect, because it was within walking distance to Millennium Park and some other great sights! The service I received at both check-in/out was great! Also, I was able to leave my bag at check out which helped me out tremendously, because I didn’t have to bring it along with me when I did my activities.

If you would like to book a stay at this hotel, click here for more information!

Where I Dined:

Before heading out to Chicago, I did my homework and found that Chicago is best known for their deep-dish pizzas, Italian beef sandwiches, and hot dogs. Since I love a good pizza, it was a no-brainer for me to research who had the best pizza near Michigan Avenue. I got lucky when I found Giordano’s, located at 130 E Randolph Street. This pizzeria was literally only a block over from the Arlo Hotel.

• Giordano’s : I ordered their Classic Chicago deep dish pizza, personal size. And, since the wait time on their pizza is 45 minutes to an hour, I ordered their Italian beef and giardiniera stuffed risotto balls served with beef au jus and marinara to help pass some of the time. And, let me tell you, when it all came out … The food was delicious! I give both a 10/10 😚🤌🏾

What I Did:

Before I decide on what I want to do, I always use social media, as a tool to help me plan things out. My go to platforms are TikTok and Instagram, because not only do I get a video, in most cases - I also get to read the thoughts and opinions of others, which is extremely helpful. And from there, I go to the Viator app to book my activities. I enjoy using the Viator app, because it gives me the flexibility I need to book. Whether I’m looking to pay now or later or over time with either PayPal or Affirm, the payment options are there. So, you never have to feel stressed about planning an activity.

• Millenium Park - I visited the park, before I went on my architecture boat tour. The purpose of visiting the park was to see The Bean (Cloud Gate), but the area where it sits remains under construction.

• Chicago Architecture River Cruise: I truly enjoyed this 60-minute activity by Shoreline Sightseeing, because the tour guide was very informative about Chicago’s architecture and its waterways. I will say, I started the tour seated in one of the chairs. But, once the tour got going, I moved over to the rails and sat on the bench that stored the life jackets for a more unobstructed view from the other passengers standing or moving about on the boat.

• 360 Chicago Observation Deck Sip and View: Like any other observation deck, the tour always starts with a brief history about the building and how it all came to be. And, in my opinion, the history of a building is always pretty interesting, because there’s always something cool to learn. After the brief history, you follow the line to have your picture taken, then off you go to the 94th floor to see the 360 degree view of Chicago!

Disclaimer: If you should decide to book an activity using any of my links, I will receive a small percentage from the total of any activities booked.

How I Got Around:

I used Lyft to get around during my stay in Chicago.

Contact Information:

For any inquiries, please feel free to reach out to me via e-mail at thiswomantravels@yahoo.com.