Have you ever heard of a staycation? It’s where you don’t fly or drive anywhere and instead become a tourist in your own town. You may decide to do this because you want to enjoy a three-day weekend without spending those days traveling. Or maybe your city has lots to offer and you simply want to save on flights or gas and hotel lodging because you can. Regardless of the reason, here’s a few great staycation ideas here in Chicago.
Museum Hop
When’s the last time you’ve been in the city’s museums? Spend your week visiting places like the Shedd Aquarium, the Museum of Science and Industry, the Art Institute, the Museum of Contemporary Art, the Adler Planetarium, or your other favorite museums, just as a tourist would. Take a docent or audio tour, or participate in one of the many programs. So often we take these places for granted, but they are popular with tourists for a reason.
Lakeside
We often go to the beach on the weekends when we have time off…how about spending the whole week there? If you get accommodations that are walking distance to the beach, you’ll feel as if you’re on vacation. Spend some time wandering Navy Pier or take one of the shoreline sightseeing cruises. If you haven’t seen Millennium park as of yet, there’s an entire new section for kids. When’s the last time you snapped your own photos of the Windy City Skyline?
Photos
Speaking of photos, consider going on a photography tour of the city. Do like the tourists do and get silly in front of Cloud Gate, do the observation deck at the Hancock Center, get misty in front of Buckingham Fountain. We don’t often take photos in our own city, because, well, we live here and see it often. But why not get creative and show off your love for Chi-town?
