If you waited until now to make your holiday vacation plans, you will likely encounter a wall of sold-out hotels in the Caribbean, Costa Rica, the Rockies and many other famous winter getaways. But a little creativity goes a long way, and if you travel just a little off the beaten track, some amazing destinations [...]
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Chicago
Insiders’ Chicago: From the Travel Office
The shopping mecca of Michigan Avenue, the Art Institute of Chicago and the uber-crowded Taste of Chicago festival are some of the more well-known attractions the city offers. But there is so much else to enjoy in what Carl Sandburg dubbed the “City of Big Shoulders,” from touring hidden architectural gems and shopping independent designer boutiques to dining at locals’ favorite restaurants. The Andrew Harper Travel Office, along with a few of our Andrew Harper Alliance hotels, share tips and insiders’ secrets for getting the very most out of a visit to Chicago.
From the Travel Office: A More Civilized Oktoberfest
Bavaria’s most famous festival conjures images of overcrowded beer tents filled with stumbling tourists in their kitsch Lederhosen, but it wasn’t always so. Indeed, Oktoberfest had a regal origin 200 years ago, as the public celebration of the October wedding of Prince Ludwig and Princess Therese.
Notable August Events
August 6-7: During the Livarot Cheese Fair, this town in Normandy, France, celebrates one of France’s greatest contributions to gastronomy. Festival-goers can of course sample numerous cheeses and other gourmet products, but this event is hardly the sole preserve of stuffy gourmands. The “Pig Call” and “Biggest Livarot Eater” competitions always draw delighted crowds. August [...]
“Chicagou” Season: Spring and Ramps in Chicago
Locavores in Chicago always look forward to the appearance of ramps, the first locally grown vegetable of the season. A sure herald of spring, deliciously pungent ramps crop up on menus throughout the city each year in April. Chicagoans have a special connection to ramps, which look like a cross between a lily-of-the-valley and a [...]
’Tis the Season for Chicago
Although many people consider visiting Chicago only in the summertime, the city is at its glittering best in the holiday season. An authentic German Christmas Market warms up Daley Plaza in the heart of the Loop. Colorful decorations and lights turn Michigan Avenue into a wonderland, and because the major shops and boutiques are concentrated [...]
Province Restaurant, Chicago
Housed in the Chicago Transit Authority building, the Second City’s only Gold-Level LEED-certified restaurant seems an unlikely venue for a delightfully decadent meal. Nevertheless, it was hardly a sacrifice to dine at eco-friendly Province, a relative newcomer to Chicago’s increasingly chic West Loop neighborhood. In warm weather, patrons have the option of dining on the [...]
From the Travel Office: Andrew Harper’s Chicago
Sitting on a sandy beach, with a yacht-dotted Lake Michigan on one side and a sunset framed by glittering skyscrapers on the other, it’s hard to imagine wanting to be anywhere but the “Second City.” As locals we may be a bit biased, but there is a reason Mr. Harper chose to locate the Travel [...]
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