Today I´d like to start with a first overview of my trip to Chicago, Illinois. You might be wondering why I chose the title “Stay Warm!”, but let me tell you: This is the typical farewell when you leave any kind of location. The “windy city” as Chicago is called actually really lives up to its name and welcomed me with very low temperatures (-4° F) and a strong breeze. Nevertheless, it is is a stunning city that I immediately fell in love with, and I am definitely coming back next year.

Chicago leaves nothing to be desired and there are many things to explore: A variety of cultural sights, many good restaurants, beautiful hotels and some of the best shopping possibilities one can imagine…
But let´s start with the hotel I stayed in, the Peninsula Chicago, a wonderful and chic 5 star hotel in the heart of the city.

Located right on Magnificent Mile - the main shopping avenue - this hotel is more than perfect for shopaholics like me. You could say that the Magnificent Mile is like a smaller version of Fifth Avenue in New York, with all the department stores like Saks, Neiman Marcus and several malls very close to one another. The boutiques of famous designers and brands such as Chanel, Prada, Tom Ford, Lanvin can also be found here - in short, all the “important” stores can be accessed within walking distance (a great advantage, if you ask me!).

On my first night at the Peninsula I tried the onsite restaurant “The Shanghai Terrrace”. Being a big fan of Asian food, I can say that I had some of the tastiest treats of my life there; I can highly recommended the lobster, but also the starters are a culinary experience (see the pics above to get a better idea). If you visit the hotel during winter, you can enjoy dinner overlooking the in-house ice-skating ring (unfortunately I didn’t have the time to test it). Plus, the hotel also has an outdoor area that offers a breathtaking view of the skyline - at this point it should be mentioned that Chicago is the birthplace of skyscrapers and therefore one of the architectural highlights in the USA.

For those who need to take a break during their shopping marathon, I can recommend a trip to Howells & Hood at the southern end of the Magnificent Mile. Here you can enjoy typical American cuisine with a modern twist (there is only one burger on the menu!), but since the restaurant is highly popular among citizens, you should get a reservation in advance. I ordered the chicken wings, an artichoke dip and a tasty salad, and everything was very delicious.

One of the highlights of my trip was the Magnificent Mile Lights Festival. Presented by Disney, every year at the beginning of Christmas season there is a big parade with the original characters from Disney World. I was so lucky to be part of this parade and had the pleasure to ride with Chip & Chap of the Chipmunks. Outfitted with large cartoon gloves, we waved for the many children who were waiting to see the famous Disney characters and whose eyes lit up when they saw us on the wagons.

In the second part of my travel diary I will tell you more about my shopping experience, my visit to the Trump hotel and the Rosemont outlet near the airport.