Doubletree Hotel Chicago-Magnificent Mile – Conway Confidential
Is there a hotel in Chicago like this?
This fall, I am planning a reunion, for my 5 best friends, from high school. I have not seen these gals in 38 years!!! (we are 55 years old) Anyway, we want to stay in a hotel in Chicago……around the Gold Coast/Magnificent Mile area, so that we can walk to shopping, eating and bars!! Is there a hotel that has 3 adjoining rooms, so that we can all kind of be together??
How about a 2 bedroom suite with a connecting room? This deluxe hotel is on Delaware, midway between the action on Rush St and shopping on Michigan Blvd:
Has anyone from chicago area in the last year or two taken a family trip on the Historic Rte 66 ?
Did you go all the way to L.A.? and how long did it take? And about how much did it cost in total? What’s there to do in L.A. once you get there? I have a 2 year old and my husband and I were thinking of saving up now for a family vacation to travel the “mother road” and wanted to get some idea of what were in for.
Hi I have driven Route 66 many times and now I live on it. It does take a lot of research to drive the existing road. There is about 2,000 miles left that you can drive. The thing is you have to get off the interstate and find the roads. There is a very good website that I use for all my trips down 66. It has turn by turn directions with the new street names. They are very easy to follow and also list some of the landmarks. They are very accurate. Here is the site:
http://www.historic66.com/
The first time I drove Route 66 from start to finish I took a month to drive it. With some careful planning and deciding on some of the sites you want to see before hand you can do the route and see a lot in two weeks. I recommend about $2,000 for the trip. You have to figure in gas and food. For a trip like this I also recommend that you take a cooler and stock it with goodies. I recommend contact the chamber of commerce for the towns along the way. They are very helpful in planning your trip. If you request it they will send you a ton of FREE information, maps, attraction info, coupons and ideas for things to do. Don’t be afraid to stay at the mom and pop motels most of them are cheap, all that I stayed in were clean and hey you get to stay at a historic place on the Route. .
There are so many great places to stay see. Okay well first let’s start with IL. There is a ton of good places to eat. There is Lou Mitchell’s in Chicago, Dell Ray’s Chicken Basket in Willowbrook. There is also the Cozy Dog Drive In in Springfield IL. The Polk A Dot drive in which is in Atlanta, Scoty’s in Hamel best Horseshoe on the Route! There is also DeKamp Junction which is cool Al Capone and his guys robbed the place. Be sure to check out the Rivera Restaurant, again Al Capone came here in fact his “throne” is here. Located in a basement that is decorated like a cave this place is cool Behind the Rivera is an old diner cart. The National Route 66 Org. has done a wonderful job restoring it! Best part FREE! As for places to see in IL the Atlanta has a great Route 66 Park, there is also the Hall of Fame in Pontiac which is really nice. Henry’s Rabbit ranch is a visitor’s center and museum and yep they have rabbits and lots of them. Very cool place! There was the Pig Hip Museum but on 5/11/07 it burned down. They are rebuilding it and it will be pen soon! Oh yeah and don’t forget about Funk’s Grove been here before 66 they make real maple Surip and yes that is spelled right. Still family owned today!
Okay MO. My favorite place to stay is the Munger Moss Motel. Ted Drews of course has the best custard on the Route located in STL. There is also Route 66 state park which is new pretty nice. Who can forget about Merimac Caverns? You see sings painted on barns for this all over the Route. Also you get to drive through a town called HOOKER, very funny to take pictures of and who could forget a place called that. Right by Hooker is Devils Elbow a very nice drive on the route. There is the Skyline Motel in Springfield MO still looks like it did back in the day. Oh Yeah and Fantastic Caverns is there, a drive through cave how cool is that. Springfield MO is Route 66 crazy and there is a ton of stuff to do here. Check out their website. In Carthage there is a very cool drive in theater that is still working. Very fun to go to. The Castle Court in Joplin is also a nice place to stay at.
OK has some of the best parts of Route 66 all over you will find one lane roads, parts of the old brick road and more. I love going to the Blue Whale and the World’s Largest Totem Pole. Don’t get more touristy than that! There is also Yukon which has a Route 66 Museum, also home to Garth Brooks as the let you know when you pull into town The Rock Café is also a great place to eat at, I believe the girl that owns it was used as a character in the movie “Cars”. In Clinton there is a really nice Route 66 Museum try to go to it each time I drive the Route. The Lincoln motel in Chandler has been there forever and it is a great place to stay. The round bar is crazy it is located in Arcadia; across from it is some restaurant and motel called Hillbilly something. They were closed when we went so we just visited the Barn. There is also the new POPS which just opened. I have not had the chance to go, but it has the world’s largest soda bottle, windows made out of soda bottles, a diner, gift shop and more. They have a website, check them out! El Reno has a Route 66 Museum that is connected to the town museum and it is just cool! Huge fun and we spent hours there! Elk City is home the National Route 66 Museum a must stop for all Route 66 Travelers! Love the place! There is also the new Route 66 Interpretive Center in Chandler OK that just opened up. They also have a very nice Route 66 Museum.
Texas has the small part of Route 66 so I have never stayed there but, the Shamrock Restaurant in Shamrock has a killer chicken fried steak! You also must go to Amarillo, not only is the Big Texan Steak House home of the 72 oz steak there but also Cadillac Ranch. Wow you get to spray paint on these cars, 10 caddy’s nose in the dirt sticking straight up! One on my favorite places to eat is the Adrian Café in Adrian this is the Midpoint of the route. They have the best everything here, get some pie! They also are very nice and answered all of my questions, and told us their stories of the route. Glenrio was this wonderful little ghost town on the border; we got some really cool pictures here. The old buildings are very neat to see.
NM is cool because if you do your research you can drive parts of Route 66 that are still unpaved. The other cool thing that I remember as we were driving these parts in some places you could still see marks from the wagon trains and big ruts on the side of the road that were made by them. Okay there are a couple cool places to stay in NM. My favorite has to be the Blue Swallow. This place is still awesome! The blue neon will knock your socks off. It has been restored and you still even have your own little garage now that is cool! I will never forget this place. There is also the El Rancho Hotel very famous the old movie stars used to stay here and all the rooms are now named after a star. Located in the heart of downtown they also have a really good restaurant in the place. Tee Pee Curios is also in NM an old store still fun to go into! Gallup has the best shopping around and is home to the Native American Nations. They also have the best shopping for Native American jewelry around! I also like Gallup because the El Rancho Kitchen wonderful eats! You also get to see the Continental Divide which runs on the boarder of NM and AR, something you will never forget.
AZ is also a great state for 66 they really have done their best to preserve it and the coolest part of driving Route 66 can be found here. I love the drive to Oatman which was a ghost town but they are bringing it back to life. The drive is very twisty and turny and there is nothing to keep you from falling off the side of the mountain this part of the road is one of the most photographed on Route 66 and is not for the faint of heart. My favorite place to Stay in AZ has got to be at the Wigwams, now how cool is that to sleep in a Tee Pee okay so they are not really but, you do get your own little wigwam made of concrete. There is also the Museum club in Flagstaff been on the route forever, nice bar good music. The Petrified Forest, Painted Desert and The Meteor Crater are all breath taking. Seligman this whole small town is Route 66 Crazy! I love going to the Snow Cap, great food and a ton of stuff showing the pride of Route 66. This place is just hard to describe, they have old cars, signs and all kinds of things! The Route 66 motel is also a very nice place to stay here. Now the funniest part of Seligman has got to be the Roadkill Café, um yep that is what it is called and that is why I remember it! Oh yeah I almost forgot that I stood on the Corner of Winslow AR just like the song! Um it is a nice site to see, don’t know if I would call it lovely.
CA you get to drive through the Joshua Trees and that is really cool. You don’t even have to go to the park they are right outside of your window. Barstow is one of my favorite stops, sorry not because Route 66 runs through it but, this is the first In-N-Out Burger on the Route. Victorville also has another good Route 66 Museum. I really liked it. The Santa Monica Pier is where Route 66 ends, although this was not true back in the day. Still the pier is fun and there is some great food, games and fun. Love ending the trip there. There really is just a ton of cool things to see on the CA drive, you go through LA, and Hollywood. There are a ton of old builds and wonderful restaurants.
There is just too much that I could list here. I spent a while researching it, some things you just stumble upon. Be sure to get off of highway 40 that is not the real Route 66, get directions from the site I gave you and do the turn by turn directions. They really are great and you get to go through the small towns, the interstate goes around them and some are not even labeled on the exit signs. Also keep an eye out for the brown Historic Route 66 sings they will help guide you along your way. Well I hope this helps you, again I just love driving 66 it is a great part of American history, if you need any more assistance just email me I will be happy to help.
This is a wonderful Chicago night light! This light makes a very unique gift and perfect as a stocking stuffer, office gift, or grab bag gift. This is a very popular light and will look great in any room in your house! This photographic image is printed in the USA using high quality inks. **PLEASE NOTE** Unlike cheaper night lights, the light bulb on these decorative lights are fully enclosed! No …
This is a wonderful night light! This light makes a very unique gift and perfect as a stocking stuffer, office gift, or grab bag gift. This is a very popular light and will look great in any room in your house! This photographic image is printed in the USA using high quality inks. **PLEASE NOTE** Unlike cheaper night lights, the light bulb on these decorative lights are fully enclosed! No more see…
This is a wonderful night light by talented photographer Jim Rasmussen! This light makes a very unique gift and perfect as a stocking stuffer, office gift, or grab bag gift. This is a very popular light and will look great in any room in your house! This photographic image is printed in the USA using high quality inks. **PLEASE NOTE** Unlike cheaper night lights, the light bulb on these decorative…
Ports of call from all over the world beckon in this unique collage! Artist Charlie Girard collected travel brochures and posters showcasing a variety of graphic art styles from various eras and cultures. Assembling the puzzle feels like a mini trip around the globe! 1000 pieces. US made. 24″ x 30″….
Clark Griswold’s 00 Chicago Blackhawks Jersey T-Shirt. Official NHL Jersey T-shirt with Blackhawks logo on the front and GRISWOLD 00 on the back. Each screen-printed shirt is made of preshrunk heavyweight cotton. T-shirts are available in a variety of adult sizes….
Clark Griswold’s 00 Chicago Blackhawks Official Replica Jersey . This Official NHL Licensed CCM 550 Replica Jersey is the same one worn by Clark Griswold in Christmas Vacation. It bears the Blackhawks logo on the front and GRISWOLD 00 on the back. Each jersey features embroidered and applique tackle twill sewn on the chest and shoulder crests….
I am going to a Blackhawks game in Chicago and would like to know what part of town to get a hotel room in?
Only in Chicago for one day. Would like to not have a long cab ride. Im not very familiar with the city.
The Blackhawks play at the United Center, which is about a mile and a half west of the loop. Almost all the nearby hotels will be downtown, or in near north side neighborhoods, any of which would be OK and near lots of places to eat. Also, there are probably hotels near the UIC Medical Center, which is only about a mile and a half away from there. The area around the Med Center is a bit rought, though.
If cost is an issue, you’ll probably not want to stay downtown. But remember, the cost of a cab ride from Lincoln Park, or from near O’Hare to the United Center could easily run $30 to $40 one way. Factor that in when comparing costs.
Expedia lets you map out hotels near an address, and the United Center’s address is 1901 W. Madison St. http://www.expedia.com
Director Sam Mendes’s much-anticipated follow-up to his Academy Award®-winning American Beauty found him exploring the period gangster film–but with a moral fiber and undercurrent of family tragedy familiar from his Oscar® triumph. As he did with Beauty, Mendes again wisely entrusts the film’s music to Tom Newman, a composer with an instinctive knack for getting inside a film’s characters via i…
The Chicago Stadium ’76 release is a 2-CD soundboard set consisting of above average sound quality and features Elvis in absolutely great form. It’s packaged on a 5″ gatefold digi-pack with an 8-page booklet with many photos from the shows on October 14/15, 1976.
Track listing:
Disc 1:
1. See See Rider
2. I Got A Woman / Amen
3. Love Me
4. If You Love Me (Let Me Know)
5. You Gave Me A Mountain
6. …
Elvis – Live In Vegas features a great complete concert from Elvis’ opening Vegas season in 1969. Elvis received critical acclaim for these shows and now this official release of the August 26 Dinner Show makes it available for fans around the world.
Ann Moses was a correspondent for NME and Tiger Beat publications during this magic time and she had the good fortune to meet Elvis and report on the…
Travel and Tone in no TimeFitness DVD Created for Business and Leisure Travelers to Work Out in their Room (New York, NY)- The creator of a new fitness DVD (NikkiFitness) journeyed around the word to make traveling healthier for everyone.The Fit Travel Workout DVD, a no-equipment workout for fitness on the road, has taken the excuses and the trouble out of working out while on business or vacation…
Architecturally imposing, historically rich, and socially important, Chicago’s magnificent grand hotels have fascinated generations of Chicagoans and have pleased generations of guests. The Palmer House Hilton, The Drake, and The Hilton Chicago have come to represent a collective formal living room for Chicago, where the city’s most important visitors are accommodated, entertained, and made aware …
Blast your favorite tunes with tremendous clarity wherever you are with the Chicago Bulls Portable Speakers ! These mini-speakers are small, lightweight, and both speakers expand and contract to create resonant sound consisting of low distortion and bass comparable to those of much larger speakers. Perfect for any bedroom, dorm, and hotel room needing some added tunes….
chicago hotel package I need suggestions on travel arrangements if I fly into Chicago, from there to the Navy Training Center?
I plan to attend my daughter’s Naval graduation on Oct.13th. in Great Lakes, Illinois. I live in Central NY, and never had to make arrangements before, such as from airport to hotel, from hotel to Navy base. I see there are hotel/flight packages, but I have no clue what hotel is a good choice within the vacinity of the base. How would I find out transportation arrangements from place to place once I do get into Chicago ahead of time so I know my trip is planned out? Any suggestions???
Try contacting the local USO for information pertaining to family visits for graduation. they will have a good idea for hotel/motels and transportation.
here is the info for the USO at the training center.
530 B. Farragut Av., Bldg 27
Second Flr, Naval Training Center
Great Lakes, IL 60088
Phone: 847/688-5591/5593
Fax: 847/688-4432
usogldirector@ameritech.net
There are also USO’s located at the two main airports too.
USO Midway Airport
Terminal F
Phone: 773/582-5852
Fax: 773/582-4393
Robert Stone, Center Director rsusogl@ameritech.net
USO O’Hare International Airport
Terminal 2 Above the Northwest Ticket Counter
Mezzanine Level
Phone: 773/686-7396
Fax: 773/686-7398
Virginia Parenteau, Center Director usoohare@ameritech.net
Any of these should be able to help you with all the info you need.
Congradulations on your daughter’s upcoming graduation.
Chicago Weekend Getaways on a Budget
Chicago is one of the most popular destinations for a weekend getaway. With a bustling shopping district, fantastic sport and a lively theater scene it makes for a very active and exciting weekend in on of America’s most unique cities. Chicago was once architectural marvel of the USA with steel and glass transforming the city into one of the very first skyscraper towns. This rich architectural history is still evident everywhere and many fine hotels can now be found In some of these old steel frame buildings.
Chicago is not cheap. With so many fine hotels, the focus is more on quality and the majority of budget hotels can be found on the outskirts and at the airport. This is less than ideal for a weekend away and if you want to be close to all the excitement that Chicago has to offer, then you need to find a hotel near the city center.
The good news is that many of the hotels in and around The Loop cater predominantly for business travelers – a market that’s very quiet over weekend. This means that you can often find great hotels at very good prices.
Another great way to save is by looking at package deals. If you are going to Chicago for a sporting event, then there are often sporting packages that combines a 2 night hotel with your tickets. The same goes for theater events and many hotels regularly run promotions that can offer great savings.
For family getaways you should look into discount rates for family bookings. Weekend rates can often come at great discount in package deals with access passes to the Aquarium, the zoo and many of the great sights and activities that the city offers to kids and families. Some hotels like the are even pet friendly if you can’t leave your pet at home.
The best way to find a great weekend getaway is to look online. Of course, you can always find great flight deals that are combined with a 2 night stay but it varies greatly depending on where you are flying from.
