Quick chicago getaway

A couple months ago I went to Chicago for a little weekend getaway. I actually surprised my friend for her birthday and it was a perfect weekend of celebration. This was my third time to Chicago and I was determined to see a few main attractions since I had failed to do so previously. Along with birthday celebrations and activities, we went to the Art Institute of Chicago, The Bean, and we even stumbled upon a free Jazz Festival. 

The Art Institute was probably my favorite. It was so cool to roam around and look at these incredible pieces of art, especially since there are a handful of famous pieces there. We spent a couple hours there and had to leave because it was closing. Definitely plan for three hours if you enjoy art and don't want to be rushed. Speaking of art, let's talk about The Bean. If it wasn't one of Chicago’s main identifiers, it would be pretty boring, but since it's so iconic, it's a must see. It is incredibly crowded and if you want to touch it you have to almost push yourself towards it, but you have to see it at least once. Also, I didn't know that The Bean’s official name is “Cloud Gate”... I like The Bean better. The other cool thing about this work of art is its location, Millennium park. This is where we stumbled upon the free Jazz Festival. There were food trucks and hundreds of people brought blankets to sit in the park and listen to some free music. 

Personally, I would say the best time to visit Chicago would be June through August when they have the free concerts and the weather is beautiful and there is lots to do. Now would I ever live in Chicago? No way! There's too much traffic and so many people everywhere and it's too cold in the winter, BUT I love to visit whenever I get the chance.