48h in Chicago

2 November 2014

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It took a rainy Saturday for me to finally find the time to dive into the pictures from our weekend in Chicago!

I always have some delayed articles in my drawers (the end of NY Fashion Week, the end of my Australian trip with my first flight in a balloon and the underwater pictures of the Great Barrier Reef, for instance…) and I usually put myself under a lot of stress for being late with all these pictures to sort and edit. But lately, I understood that what you really care about are my daily outfits, and that there is no emergency on publishing other articles right away. So I decided not to rush anymore when my articles aren’t about clothes.

And it’s actually pretty nice to take a break between all those outfits once in a while, don’t you think? Well, I really like going back through pictures and reliving my memories…

Since we’re getting close to leaving New York and we haven’t see much of the United States, we decided to spend one weekend of each month in an American town from our bucket list. Atlantic City and Los Angeles? Checked! At the end of August, before the rush of Fashion Weeks, we decided to go to Chicago.

When looking for a hotel to book, we decided to go for the W, since we had loved the one in Montreal so much. We booked a room at the W Lakeshore, overlooking Lake Michigan. We weren’t disappointed! The hotel bar and restaurant are very nice, the indoor pool is clearly an undeniable asset (and it was empty during the two hours we spent there!), the spa is gorgeous, the massages divine, and the rooms are spacious, beautiful and comfortable. The hotel location allowed us to go to many places by walk, and we really enjoyed the view on the lake, the Navy Pier and the Big Wheel. For outlying areas, we took the metro during the day and taxis at night.

We really like Chicago’s atmosphere, the beautiful buildings (unlike in New York, you can often step back and admire them!) and the Loop (elevated train).

We also had the best burger of our lives (seriously, I mean it! The kind of burger that makes you think again about French tourists’ enthusiasm for the Shake Shack in New York… A burger like a firework for your senses! More details below), and many famous brunches… I was so sad we couldn’t spend a few more days there so I could try all the places I had spotted! (it’s always the same problem on weekends : not enough meals to try everything I want!).

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– for a breathtaking view of Lake Michigan and amazing breakfasts in bed : W LAKESHORE – 644 N Lake Shore Dr, Chicago, IL 60611
– for a brunch with a view (the Crab Eggs Benedict with their chili Hollandaise sauce are divine! And the banana stuffed and Nutella French Toast is unbelievable!) : CURRENT Restaurant (W restaurant)
– For the best burger ever (every burger seems so tasteless since then…) It’s like Marshall’s favorite burger in How I met your mother. A burger that is even better than in your wildest dreams. AU CHEVAL Restaurant – 800 W Randolph St – Chicago, IL
– For a massage that will relax you for the whole weekend : BLISS SPA (= W’s spa)
– For a really Eggsceptional breakfast : Eggsperience

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– Take a walk along Lake Michigan, whether it’s sunny or foggy, the scenery will look totally different but in both cases, this Lake is really beautiful.
– Take a walk in Millenium Park and make silly pictures (like everybody else!) in front of the bean, because even though it’s totally crowded and cliché, it’s fun!
– Admire the view on the buildings from the John Hancock Building (= the 360 Chicago) or – we didn’t have time to try that other option – from the Willis Tower and its Skydeck (glass floor, not for those with fear of heights like me!)
– Walk along The Magnificent Mile
– Walk into The Chicago Tribune hallway and read the quotations on Freedom of the press
– Discover Wicker Park / Bucktown, the hipster neighborhood considered to be Chicago’s Williamsburg (a lot of nice second-hand shops)
– Being puzzled by the two corncob-shaped buildings, aka Marina City

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28 comments on “48h in Chicago”

  1. Ah Chicago c’est aussi dans ma bucket list pour découvrir une nouvelle destination des USA.

    Par contre, je tenais à préciser que Shake Shack “n’est pas juste” dans le top des burgers à NY pour les “touristes frenchies” mais aussi dans celui des new-yorkais. 😉 Tu m’as donné envie de tester celui dont tu parles à Chicago mais il ne faut pas sous-estimer Shake Shack quand même je pense 😉

    Toujours aussi belle tes photos en tout cas !

  2. Je te l’ai déjà dit dans un commentaire mais bien que j’aime beaucoup tes looks, j’apprécie encore plus tes posts voyage! Très jolies photos avec de belles couleurs et compositions! Chicago n’est pas une ville qui m’attirait particulièrement aux USA à la base, mais finalement, après avoir lu plusieurs articles sur la ville, ça donne envie de la découvrir!

  3. Tu as raison Pauline, les looks c’est bien mais les voyages aussi, ça nous change ! Merci donc pour cette jolie balade à Chicago. Peut être la future destination de notre “honeymoon”.
    Bises

  4. Ouh super! Moi tes poste voyage m avaient manqué!
    Chicago est aussi sur notre to do list des USA avec la nouvelle Orléans et Miami/Orlando que l’on fera d’ici 2/3ans.

    très belles photos et merci pour les bons plans

  5. Superbes photos. Chicago semble être une très chouette ville. On a loupé le Shake Shack de NYC je suis un peu dégoûtée mais bon. La photo de ton burger donne vraiment envie. Ca donne envie d’aller dans cette jolie ville.

    Laura

  6. Au contraire, je guette avec vigueur tous tes posts de voyage, surtout que tu nous donnes plein de bonnes addresses et d’idées! Merci Pauline, les photos sont supers, ça a l’air génial

  7. salut! les looks c’est bien, mieux c’est les voyages..YES! merci de nous faire découvrir chicago: sympa!! le W: un très bon choix, moi j’ai testé le W à Fort Lauderdale; pas mal non plus…à bientôt pour la suite

  8. J’y suis allée cet été et je suis fan du “bean” ! c’est mythique je trouve et pas si cliché. Tu peux aussi citer le water taxi, qui permet de se promener sur la rivière au coeur de Chicago pr qqs dollars seulement. merci en tt cas pr ces photos qui me rappellent que moi aussi je dois faire faire mon album souvenir !

  9. Moi j’adore tes articles sur tes voyages, car ça me donne envie d’encore plus de découvrir notre jolie planète ! 🙂 – Un mot de mon portefeuille, il ne t’apprécie pas tant que ça d’ailleurs !! ;)-

    En tout cas, photos magnifiques comme toujours .. 🙂

  10. Encore un bel article et surtout les photos, entre architecture, paysage et food, et même photos random, tu as vraiment l’art de choisir celles que tu publies (car du dois en avoir des centaines, je suppose !^^)
    Ce brouillard donne une drôle d’effet, surtout celle sur la promenade, c’est dingue!!

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