Chicago: My likes and dislikes

Yesterday I booked a hotel room for the end of March. I am going to the windy city to see my favorite symphonic metal band Nightwish at the Aragon Ballroom. I decided I would rather make the trek to Chicago to see them than haul my ass in a cab or in a Lyft to that shit hole The Myth. Also seeing the band was a good incentive to plan my next trip to Chicago. In lieu of my upcoming trip, I thought I would share my thoughts on some of the places I have visited and stayed at while in Chicago.

Central Loop Hotel - I will be staying at this hotel again in Chicago this spring for a second time. I really enjoyed my stay at this hotel in downtown Chicago. It is just four blocks away from The Art Institute of Chicago. The hotel is also not far from the red line which I will need to take to go to the Aragon Ballroom for the concert. 

Red Roof Inn - Magnificent Mile - My first stay here was pretty decent except for the slow ass elevators and drunk ass people  that greeted me when I checked into the hotel. My last stay there in 2016 was not so great. The front desk folks were rude as hell. They couldn't acknowledge me for a second while dealing with a computer issue.

Old Chicago Inn - I was here last fall for the Belly and Lush shows at The Vic Theatre. I had a wonderful time at this charming little bed and breakfast. David, the caretaker was super nice and helpful, and the free breakfast he provided was delicious. Yeah, the building is old so I could hear people come and go but no big deal. I loved the location since I could walk to the concert venue. Great little restaurants nearby. Lakeview is a beautiful neighborhood. 

Best Western River North - I stayed here in 2015. It was in under renovation so I was not impressed. Okay location. I hated how the rooms were numbered (hopefully that has changed since my stay). Judging by the photos on the website, the hotel looks much better. 

The Art Institute of Chicago - Sorry MIA but you just can't beat The Art Institute of Chicago's wonderful collection of art, especially with its Asian and Mediterranean art in its permanent collection. I just love wandering the halls of the this wonderful museum and getting lost in it for a few hours.

The Field Museum - My second favorite museum in Chicago. There is so much to see there you really need to plan as much time needed to see every inch of the natural history museum. For my  next trip in March, I plan to spend more than four hours there. Four isn't enough. Circumstances at the time prevented me from spending more time there but I saw as much as I could in four hours. This time I am going to take my time and not rush through the entire museum. I love seeing all the exhibits involving every indigenous culture all over the world. It is so beautiful.

Shedd Aquarium - The aquarium at the MOA pales in comparison to the Shedd Aquarium. Where else can you see a nautilus, a cousin to the octopus, squid, and cuttlefish? Not at the Mall of America for sure. I saw a nautilus this past spring. It was so cool. I also loved seeing a tank full of lampreys which essentially are real life vampires in fish form. I find them both creepy yet fascinating. My favorite is going up (or down) to see the coral reefs and its inhabitants. Only dislike is the overly excited school children. 

Lincoln Park Zoo - I spent my day here before the Lush concert. I had a blast seeing all the animals. I might visit it instead of the Shedd before going home if I take the train home in March.

Elephant and Castle  - I had lunch at this British style pub before I went home. Their fish and chips was delicious.  It was fresh and hot from the fryer. The service was excellent too.  Definitely want to go back there again. 

Billy Goat Tavern - Ate at the Wabash location twice this year. Cheap and delicious food. I love Wildberry Cafe but they get packed on the weekends so Billy Goat Tavern makes a great alternative spot for breakfast. I was stuffed from the ham and cheese omelette I had for breakfast before I went to The Field Museum. 

Wildberry Pancakes and Cafe - I love this place for breakfast but because of how busy it is on the weekends, I will only hit it for breakfast on the day I leave to go home. Great food and coffee but some (not all) of their servers need to do a better job at being around for their customers. Just saying.

Epic Burger - I only been to Epic once and it was in 2015. I had a turkey burger, fries, and a strawberry shake. It took forever or so it seems like to get my shake. It was good from what I can remember.