{Guest Post}: Green Fashionista

I love today's guest post topic, and I have the perfect blogger/traveler to share with you one of my newest and most favorite cities with you! Kate blogs about daily life, fashion and travel (and she has an adorable little pup, too!) Check out her blog if you haven't, but first, take a look at her trip to Chicago last year!

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Good Morning Going the Distance readers, my name is Kate and you can find me over on my little piece of the internet at Green Fashionista where I blog about fashion and beauty reviews, recipes, weekend shenanigans, and my favorite of all - travel recaps. Which is just what I have in store for you all today. Since the fabulous Jenn just got back from an amazing trip to Chicago, I thought I'd share my first trip to the windy city last year.

I have been a lifetime lover of NYC, but everyone has always told me that if I love "the city" then I'll love Chicago even more. I never understood how that could be true until last September when I finally got up there. I'm absolutely in love with Chicago, and can't stop raving about all the amazing food and incredible site seeing.

We arrived on a Friday morning and packed as much as we could until our flight back home Monday morning. We took the train into the city from Midway (only $3 each way and the train connects directly from the airport to downtown Chicago), and when we arrived at our hotel our room was already ready for us. So, we dumped our stuff as I took a quick "ready to hit the ground running" selfie and a pic of the city view from our room. We stayed at the Hard Rock Hotel which was in a great location and we even had a view of the river from our room.

First thing we did was head over to the Sears (Willis) Tower, then we just explored the city before stumbling upon the Plymouth Restaurant & Roof Top Bar for some happy hour drinks, and to meet up with Emily and K to officially start our vacay. Next stop was Millennium Park to see the infamous Bean.

That evening, we celebrated K's birthday, and started off with some pre-dinner drinks at The Signature Lounge on the 96th floor of the Hancock Building (absolute MUST DO when in Chicago). Drinks are a bit pricey, so go for a drink and enjoy the views before heading elsewhere for the evening. Emily and I also took a pic in the bathroom with floor to ceiling windows, and magnificent city views.

After drinks at the Signature Lounge, we walked to dinner at Ditka's where the birthday boy was sang to, and capped off the evening with some roof top drinks at Vertigo Sky Lounge. 

Saturday morning, H and I walked around a bit before grabbing the best donuts we've ever had and a gingerbread latte at Glazed & Infused. We also walked back over to Millennium Park to check out the Bean again, and this time it was super crowded.

Then it was time for my first deep dish pizza experience at Giordano's, and it was absolutely delish! Emily and I met up with Nikki who lives in the city, and enjoyed a round of cocktails while chatting over pizza while the guys had lunch at a rooftop bar. 

The rest of Saturday afternoon consisted of an architectural tour (we booked through Shoreline Siteseeing), a spin on the ferris wheel on the Navy Pier, and some drinks at the hidden tiki bar Three Dots & a Dash.

We had heard from several people that Cantina Laredo was the best Mexican place, so we checked it out for dinner, and they couldn't have been more right. Amazing fresh table side guacamole, margaritas, and entrees.

Sunday morning, H and I grabbed brunch at Wildberry Pancakes before taking the red line train to Wrigley Field to meet up with Emily and K for our first Cubs game. Afterwards, we hung out in Wrigleyville and grabbed some more drinks before heading back into the city. We knew we needed to grab a real Chicago dog so we headed over to Portillo's, and of course the dogs were delish! This is coming from a girl who hates raw onions and relish, but all the ingredients together was amazing!

My Chicago Must-Do's:

~ Drinks at the Signature Lounge in the Hancock Building

~ Roof top bar hopping

~ The Bean at Millennium Park

~ Catch a Cubs game at Wrigley Field

~ Architectural River Cruise

~ A drink at Three Dots & a Dash

~ Deep dish pizza at Giordano's

~ Donuts at Glazed & Infused

~ Ride the ferris wheel at the Navy Pier

~ Eat a Chicago style hot dog

~ Sunday brunch

What are your must-do's in Chicago?

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And don't forget to hop on over every 2nd Wednesday of the month, and link up your favorite travel recaps and wish lists for Wanderlust Wednesdays with Kerri, Emily, and I. Our next linkup will go live on Wednesday, September 9th. You can also check out my Travel Tab where you'll find the rest of my documented travels over the years from Fiji to Europe to the Caribbean and U.S. Cities.

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If that doesn't have you craving a trip to Chicago, I don't know what will! I hit up so many of the same places that Kate did when I was in Chicago and it was seriously THE best time!

Thanks, Kate, for taking care of my blog while I'm away! :)