1,000 Places to See Before You Die

by Patricia Schultz

  MUSEUM CAMPUS—The 57-acre Museum Campus unites three of the city’s oldest institutions. The vast lakefront Shedd Aquarium is home to 32,500 animals; it is the world’s second-largest indoor aquarium. The Adler Planetarium and Astronomy Museum lets you explore the heavens in three state-of-the-art theaters. Established in 1893, the Field Museum’s natural history collection covers subjects as wide-ranging as evolution, ancient Egypt, Great Plains Indian life, and dinosaurs, with top billing going to Sue, the biggest, best-preserved Tyrannosaurus rex ever unearthed. SHEDD AQUARIUM: Tel 312-939-2438; www.sheddaquarium.org. ADLER PLANETARIUM: Tel 312-922-7827; www.adlerplanetarium.org. FIELD MUSEUM: Tel 312-922-9410; www.fieldmuseum.org.

  MUSEUM OF SCIENCE AND INDUSTRY—The Museum of Science and Industry provides more hands-on fun and wonder than any other destination in the city. Tour an authentic WWII German submarine, see your heart beat 13 feet tall, explore an Illinois coal mine, or find out how “Poop Happens.” The museum’s newest exhibit, Science Storms, explains the whys of seven megapowerful weather phenomena—and lets you stand in a simulated 40-foot tornado. INFO: Tel 773-684-1414; www.msichicago.org.

  MILLENNIUM PARK—It opened too late for the actual millennium, but this grand park and public art and entertainment space has quickly become a focal point for the city. The centerpiece is the Frank Gehry–designed Jay Pritzker Pavilion, where the resident Grant Park Orchestra gives free summertime concerts from June to August. Don’t miss the park’s sculpture, such as the reflective “Bean”—officially titled Cloud Gate—by Anish Kapoor, or the McCormick Tribune Plaza, with its free ice skating rink (mid-Nov through mid-Mar) and dining at Park Grill (alfresco in summer). INFO: Tel 312-742-2963; www.millenniumpark.org. PARK CITY GRILL: Tel 312-521-7275; www.parkgrillchicago.com. Cost: lunch $22.

  FRANK LLOYD WRIGHT HOME AND STUDIO—In 1889, 10 miles west of Chicago in Oak Park, the 22-year-old architect Frank Lloyd Wright began designing and building a house for his family. Completed in 1898, this showcase of Prairie School architecture, now open for tours, includes the studio where he designed more than 100 structures (roughly a quarter of his output). Other Wright masterworks, such as Unity Temple in Oak Park and Robie House on the University of Chicago campus, are also open to the public. HOW: Frank Lloyd Wright Preservation Trust organizes tours of the Wright Home and Studio and Robie House. Tel 708-848-1976; www.gowright.org. UNITY TEMPLE: Tel 708-848-6225; www.unitytemple.org.

  OTHER MUST-DOS

  CHICAGO’S COMEDY SCENE—Sketch and improvisational comedy reaches its zenith with Second City, a groundbreaking troupe from the Near North Side. Founded in 1959, the group has since spawned a TV show (SCTV) and supplied a bevy of Saturday Night Live cast members—it counts among its alumni Bill Murray, Tina Fey, and Steve Carrell as well as Joan Rivers. Catch today’s rising stars in hilarious romps and revues in the 290-seat Mainstage or the 180-seat Second City e.t.c. theaters. INFO: Tel 877-778-4707 or 312-337-3992; www.secondcity.com.

  WRIGLEY FIELD—The second-oldest ballpark in the majors (after Boston’s Fenway Park; see p. 805), Wrigley Field is the quintessential place to take in a game. Opened in 1914, this legendary field, with its ivy-covered brick walls, retains a sense of intimacy lost in modern megastadiums. What Wrigley has never seen is a World Series victory by the Cubs, but their fans’ contagious this-is-our-year optimism is a key part of the experience. INFO: Tel 773-404-2827; www.cubs.com. When: regular-season games Apr–early Oct.

  Wrigley Field takes its name from chewing gum tycoon and original owner William Wrigley Jr.

  THE MAGNIFICENT MILE—The 14-block stretch of North Michigan Avenue north of the Chicago River is known as the Magnificent Mile, named for its architectural landmarks, but also for its high-end shopping and swank hotels. Stroll along the wide, bustling street, admiring such buildings as the John Hancock Center (from its 94th-floor observatory you can see 80 miles) and the castellated Water Tower, built in 1869 and a survivor of the Great Fire. Shop till you drop at Neiman Marcus, Bloomingdale’s, and Saks Fifth Avenue, then refuel at a great restaurant such as Tru, which offers cutting-edge French cuisine, or the ultrarefined Spiaggia, the top Italian restaurant in the city. This is Chicago at its most glittering, and never more so than during winter’s Magnificent Mile Lights Festival, when more than a million lights twinkle along the length of the avenue. INFO: www.themagnificentmile.com. TRU: Tel 312-202-0001; www.trurestaurant.com. Cost: 3-course prix-fixe dinner, $98. SPIAGGIA: Tel 312-280-2750; www.spiaggiarestaurant.com. Cost: dinner $120.

  CATCHING THE BLUES—The blues may have been born in the Mississippi Delta, but Chicago is its home. In June, the Chicago Blues Festival draws throngs, but you can catch great performances anytime. Local legend Buddy Guy makes an occasional appearance at his namesake club on the South Loop, while on the North Side is Kingston Mines, the city’s oldest and largest blues bar. The smoking-hot Rosa’s Lounge is a Chicago institution. BUDDY GUY’S LEGENDS: Tel 312-427-0333; www.buddyguys.com. KINGSTON MINES: Tel 773-477-4646; www.kingstonmines.com. ROSA’S LOUNGE: Tel 773-342-0452; www.rosaslounge.com.

  EVENTS & FESTIVALS

  TASTE OF CHICAGO—Chicagoans are famed for their appetite, and one place they’re sure to show up hungry is the Taste of Chicago food festival. A cookout to end all cookouts, this annual 10-day affair in late June and early July takes over Grant Park, with more than 50 restaurants serving a wide range of cuisine to some 3 million people yearly—the quality is as impressive as the quantity. INFO: Tel 312-744-3315; www.tasteofchicago.us.

  RAVINIA FESTIVAL—Highland Park, located 23 miles north of Chicago, opened in 1904 as an amusement park, but today it’s the site of North America’s oldest and largest outdoor music festival, attracting some 600,000 listeners to as many as 150 events from June to mid-September. Classical concerts are the mainstay (the Chicago Symphony Orchestra is in residence), but the festival also includes jazz, dance, musical theater, and rock. INFO: Tel 847-266-5100; www.ravinia.org.

  MILLENNIUM AND GRANT PARK MUSIC FESTIVALS—Chicago’s lakefront Millennium Park serves as venue for both May’s Celtic Fest Chicago and June’s Gospel Music Festival, which features more than 50 performances on three stages. The Chicago Blues Festival—the nation’s largest—follows in Grant Park later in June. Miles Davis, Ella Fitzgerald, and Herbie Hancock are just a few of the musical luminaries who have headlined at the Chicago Jazz Festival, which takes place in both Millennium and Grant parks on Labor Day Weekend. And not to be outdone is September’s ¡Viva! Chicago Latin Music Festival in Millennium Park. INFO: Tel 312-744-3315; www.explorechicago.org/specialevents.

  WHERE TO STAY

  HOTEL BURNHAM—One of Chicago’s architectural gems dating from 1895, the Reliance Building by Daniel Burnham, was transformed in 1999 into the boutique Hotel Burnham. It maintains many of its original details, but the popular Atwood Café, done up in a mix of vintage and contemporary décor, provides a bit of modern sophistication. INFO: Tel 312-782-1111; www.burnhamhotel.com. Cost: from $190; dinner at the Atwood Café, $40.

  DRAKE HOTEL—Anchoring the north end of the Mag Mile is the lavish Drake Hotel, Chicago’s hallmark of vintage luxury—it’s the kind of hotel that attracts both the British royal family and the Pope. Diners can loosen their ties in the informal Cape Cod Room, a classic seafood restaurant with killer crab cakes, or at its bar, where Marilyn Monroe and Joe DiMaggio once carved their initials. INFO: Tel 800-553-7253 or 312-787-2200; www.thedrakehotel.com. Cost: from $179 (off-peak), from $269 (peak); dinner at the Cape Cod Room $60.

  FOUR SEASONS HOTEL CHICAGO—Stylish décor, superb service, luxurious amenities, and the city and lake views are stunning to boot: Guest rooms perch 30 to 46 floors above nearby shop-lined North Michigan Avenue. The hotel’s Spa and Fitness Club has a Roman-baths-like pool and a menu of specialty treatments. Just past the foyer’s 18-foot marble fountain is Seasons, serving sophisticated New American cuisine. INFO: Tel 800-819-5053 or 312-280-8800; www.fourseasons.com/chicagofs. Cost: from $420; dinner at Seaso
ns $70.

  PARK HYATT CHICAGO—A showpiece of the Hyatt empire, the Park Hyatt occupies a great location on the Magnificent Mile and features large rooms distinguished by their chic, modern design. The public spaces are dominated by attention-grabbing modern art, and the sleek NoMI restaurant wins top awards for its wine list and contemporary French cuisine. INFO: Tel 312-335-1234; www.parkchicago.hyatt.com; www.nomirestaurant.com. Cost: from $275 (off-peak), from $525 (peak); dinner at Nomi $75.

  THE TALBOTT HOTEL—The boutique-size Talbott combines old-fashioned elegance, excellent value, and an ideal location just off Michigan Avenue. Rooms are large and tastefully furnished and the mahogany-paneled lobby has the feel of a private club. INFO: Tel 800-825-2688 or 312-944-4970; www.talbotthotel.com. Cost: from $180 (off-peak), from $259 (peak).

  EATING & DRINKING

  ALINEA AND NEXT—At the cutting edge of the kitchen-as-laboratory school of cooking stands Alinea, where chef Grant Achatz presents a mind-boggling sequence of bite-size tastes (the full “tour” offers more than 25 courses). His highly anticipated Next, which opened in 2011, is inspired by a specific place and time (think Paris 1906) that changes every 3 months. ALINEA: Tel 312-867-0110; www.alinea-restaurant.com. Cost: 12-course tasting menu $150. NEXT: Tel 312-226-0858; www.nextrestaurant.com. Cost: You have to bid for tickets online to Next, which start at $45 but have gone well over $1,000.

  ARUN’S—Thai cooking reaches sublime heights with Arun’s, a 12-course chef’s menu that’s personalized for each diner. Chef-owner Arun Sampanthavivat’s presentation is exquisite, and the experience rivals what you’d find in Bangkok. INFO: Tel 773-539-1909; www.arunsthai.com. Cost: prix-fixe dinner $85.

  THE BAYLESS EMPIRE—Through their cookbooks, TV shows, and wildly popular restaurants, Rick and Deann Bayless helped introduce regional Mexican cuisine to the U.S. With flavors that practically jump off the plate, their cooking is inventive yet rooted in centuries-old traditions. Of their three side-by-side restaurants, Frontera Grill is casual, with a lively bar scene whereas Topolobampo (just “Topolo” to regulars) takes Mexican cooking upscale. On the corner is XOCO, a pocket-size dining room serving up zesty Mexican street food. FRONTERA GRILL AND “TOPOLO”: Tel 312-661-1434. Cost: dinner at Frontera Grill, $45; at “Topolo,” $65. XOCO: www.rickbayless.com. Cost: $25.

  GIRL AND THE GOAT—The girl is thirty-something Top Chef–winner Stephanie Lizard, and she promises one of the hottest (butcher block) tables in town (there are seats at the bar too)—a fun and funky place in the West Loop with a vibrant vibe and wonderful food. The ever-changing menu is divided into Veggies, Fish, and Meat, but you can expect imaginative new American cuisine, infallibly prepared, with a Mediterranean bent. The ebullient staff reminds you that Lizard also makes her own desserts, so save room. INFO: Tel 312-494-6262; www.girlandthegoat.com. Cost: dinner $50.

  MOTO—Chicago’s foremost purveyor of what’s known (rather unappetizingly) as molecular gastronomy, moto, which bills itself as a “multi-sensory science experiment” is set among the market stalls of the old Fulton Market. Dinner here is an adventure in culinary deconstruction and experimentation, and Homaro Cantu, whose role is equal parts chef and inventor, is as likely to prepare your meal using lasers and liquid nitrogen as a stove. Don’t be put off by what seems like a gimmick: The food is always delicious as well as revelatory. INFO: Tel 312-491-0058; www.motorestaurant.com. Cost: 10-course dinner $135.

  CHICAGO DINING INSTITUTIONS

  CHICAGO-STYLE PIZZA—Chicagoans love pizza, particularly the hometown deep-dish version made with a thick crust and loads of cheesy topping. Texan Ike Sewell and Italian-born restaurateur Rick Riccardo came up with this Midwest-friendly twist on the classic Neapolitan pie and opened Pizzeria Uno in River North in 1943. The place became so popular that, 12 years later, they opened Pizzeria Due around the corner. While the city has seen pizza elevated to a gustatory art form (there are over 2,000 pizzerias), this is the Chicago-style original. PIZZERIA UNO: Tel 312-321-1000; www.unos.com. PIZZERIA DUE: Tel 312-943- 2400. Cost: large pizza $22.

  HOT DOGS—For a taste of real Chicago, sample a Chicago-style hot dog, or “red hot,” as they’re known hereabouts: an all-beef frank with mustard on a poppy-seed bun that’s been “dragged through the garden”—topped with dill pickle, chopped onion, relish, sport peppers, tomato wedges, and a dash of celery salt. Try the dogs at Superdawg Drive-In, where the magnificently retro exterior includes two 12-foot hot dog statues with blinking eyes, or at Gold Coast Dogs, where they’re char-grilled with a side of the best cheese fries in town. For a haute dog, check out Hot Doug’s, where you may choose to upgrade from the classic to a chicken sausage with duck-fat fries. SUPERDAWG DRIVE-IN: Tel 773-763-0660; www.superdawg.com. Cost:$5. GOLD COAST DOGS: Tel 312-917-1677. Cost: $5. HOT DOUG’S: Tel 773-279-9550. Cost: lunch $10.

  BILLY GOAT TAVERN—Most famous as the inspiration for a Saturday Night Live sketch (“Cheezborger! Cheezborger! No fries, cheeps!”), the Billy Goat Tavern and Grill is also part of sports history. When his pet goat was ejected from Wrigley Field during the 1945 World Series, tavern founder Billy Sianis declared that the Cubs would never win the championship as long as the goat wasn’t allowed in the stadium. The “Curse of the Billy Goat” remains legendary, and so is the old-fashioned dive-bar charm of this beloved basement-level institution. INFO: Tel 312-222-1525. Cost: double cheeseburger $5.

  ITALIAN BEEF SANDWICHES—One thing is certain: Italian beef sandwiches have little to do with Italy. Start with a thick white roll stuffed with shaved-thin slices of wet-roasted beef. Then top it all with pickled vegetables, peppers, and olives. Whether you take it wet (with extra roasting juice), hot (spicy peppers), or cheesy (mozzarella melted on top) is up to you. Always thronged, Al’s No. 1 Italian Beef is, as the name suggests, a top spot to sample this Chicago staple, or check out Mr. Beef, where you eat at picnic tables amid photos of sandwich-munching celebrities. AL’S NO. 1 ITALIAN BEEF: Tel 312-226-4017; www.alsbeef.com. Cost: lunch $10. MR. BEEF: Tel 312-337-8500. Cost: lunch $10.

  Honest Abe: A Man for the Ages

  THE LINCOLN TRAIL

  Springfield, Illinois, U.S.A.

  The Lincoln Trail is the unofficially designated 1,000-mile string of sites that mark Abraham Lincoln’s route from his Kentucky birthplace through Indiana to Springfield, Illinois, where the 28-year-old politician moved in 1837 as a freshly minted lawyer. Lincoln stayed in the central Illinois town, then the state capital, until February 1861, when he left for Washington, D.C., to become the nation’s 16th president.

  The newest Springfield attraction is the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum, the largest repository of Lincoln artifacts anywhere. Opened in 2005, in time for the 2009 bicentennial of his birth, it contains must-see documents like a copy of the Emancipation Proclamation and a draft of the Gettysburg Address and personal items such as his stovepipe hat.

  The city’s other Lincoln sites are within easy walking distance of one another. The Old State Capitol is where Lincoln urged opposition to the expansion of slavery in 1858. Seven years later, he lay in state here, the first American president to be assassinated; he was just 56. Across the street are the Lincoln-Herndon Law Offices, which he shared with his partner, William Herndon.

  The family home where Abraham and Mary Todd Lincoln raised their children is a favorite attraction. Two blocks away is the Great Western Railway’s Lincoln Depot, where the president-elect boarded the train to Washington on the heels of the Civil War, not sure of his return. He did return, of course, to his final resting place, the Lincoln Tomb, an imposing granite structure in Springfield’s Oak Ridge Cemetery, which also holds the remains of his wife and three of their four sons.

  Twenty miles northwest of the city is the New Salem State Historic Site, an authentic re-creation of the village where a young Lincoln received an education in law and politics that would launch him on a history-changing trajectory. With its 23 rustic buildings, folks in period dress, and active farms using pla
nting and harvesting methods from Lincoln’s time, New Salem gets you as close as possible to frontier life in the 1830s.

  The New Salem Historic Site re-creates the Illinois of Lincoln’s early years.

  WHERE: 213 miles southwest of Chicago. VISITOR INFO: www.visit-springfieldillinois.com. LINCOLN LIBRARY: Tel 800-610-2094 or 217-782-5764; www.alplm.org. OLD STATE CAPITOL: Tel 217-785-7960; www.illinoishistory.gov. LINCOLN-HERNDON LAW OFFICES: Tel 217-785-7289; www.illinoishistory.gov. LINCOLN HOME: Tel 217-391-3226; www.nps.gov/liho. LINCOLN DEPOT: Tel 217-788-1411. LINCOLN TOMB: Tel 217-782-2717; www.illinoishistory.gov. NEW SALEM: Tel 217-632-4000; www.lincolnsnewsalem.com. BEST TIMES: birthday celebrations on Feb 12; Tues evenings in summer, when Civil War reenactors perform a flag retreat ceremony at the Tomb.

  A Lifestyle Going, Going . . .

  SHIPSHEWANA

  Indiana, U.S.A.

  Horse-drawn buggies start arriving before daybreak at the weekly Miscellaneous & Antique Auction in Shipshewana, a time-locked town in the heart of America’s third-largest Amish community. The auction and market draw dealers and bargain hunters from as far away as California and New York, but it’s the Amish farmers, whose religion restricts their use of modern machines, who flock here to find crockery, kitchenware, and hand-powered tools—even old wringer washing machines.

  Named for an Indian chief, Shipshewana is surrounded by the farm region of Elkhart and LaGrange counties, home to 20,000 Amish. Experience the bucolic beauty of this area with a slow meander along the 100-mile Heritage Trail, down narrow country lanes, behind unhurried clip-clopping horses pulling black buggies, and past well-tended orchards and horse-plowed farms.