Welcome to Chicago, Illinois. You’re here to see a Cubs game at Wrigley Field, and before you take your seat you’ve got eight hours and $100 to take in this great city.
Chicago is an amazing place to just walk around. There’s so much architecture and public art at every turn. Speaking of architecture, Willis Tower — the second tallest building in the country – is a short walk from most places in the Loop. To really enjoy this iconic piece of Chicago architecture, head up to the SkyDeck.
Up there, 1,353 feet above the street, plexi-glass cubes only 1½ inches thick separate you and Wacker Drive, 103 floors down. On a clear day, you can see four states and 50 miles away.
After freeing yourself of all your fears while hanging out high above the city, head to the original Gino’s East, two miles away and a five-minute drive according to the MapQuest mobile app.
If it’s lunchtime and you’re in Chicago, get a Chicago-style deep-dish pizza at this local institution. In the 1960s, two cab drivers got sick of sitting in traffic and thought, “Forget this! We’re going to start our own deep dish pizza restaurant.”
Gino’s East goes through more than 1 million pounds of aged mozzarella each year. Try the Meaty Legend pizza. It’s an experience. It’s so big you could probably carve it into 75 New York style pizzas.
Up next: the Shedd Aquarium. The 90,000-gallon Caribbean Reef exhibit is home to 500 animals native to the Caribbean, including “Nickel” the rescued green sea turtle. One of the most amazing parts of the Aquarium features beluga whales, dolphins and sea lions, in a facility that overlooks Lake Michigan.
End your journey up in Wrigleyville, the area around Wrigley Field. This is where people go to eat and drink before, during or after Cubs games. One of the iconic places here is the Cubby Bear, where you can get a beer or even try a Cubby Blue Bomb before heading across the street and into the 100-year-old stadium.
Watching a game from anywhere in Wrigley is an experience. But for a real treat, try sitting in the bleachers with some of fandom’s most lovable characters.