Travel Recap: Chicago, IL

Last weekend I was able to attend The Blog Societies Conference in Chicago, IL. This was my first TBSCon so I wasn’t sure what to expect but it was everything I hoped for and more!

I think it is very important to continue educating myself (in all aspects of my life) as I grow older and I am constantly trying to learn new things. I am approaching my one year bloggiversary and before attending the conference I was in a little bit of a rut. The conference completely refocused me on what I want my blog to be and where I want to go from here.

I learned so many things about blogging, business, and met some amazing women. Although most of my time was taken up by the conference, the girls are I tried to use every spare moment we had exploring the beautiful city of Chicago. Below is where we went and my recommendations:

Where We Stayed in Chicag

W Lakeshore Chicago – We stayed at the W Lakeshore since that’s where the conference was being held. The hotel has a modern and young feel and is situated right on Lake Michigan (which means incredible views). I would definitely recommend staying here!

Where We Ate in Chicago

Bar Siena – We had lunch here on our first day in Chicago. Betsy (my TBSCon roommate) and I both got salad and we really enjoyed it. Bar Siena is located in Chicago’s West Loop neighborhood and everything on the menu is made in house and from scratch.

Bombobar – After Bar Siena, we had to try out the little ice cream shop attached to the restaurant. We split a scoop of s’mores ice cream and a scoop of the coconut caramel.

Three Dots and a Dash – The cutest hidden tiki bar with unique food and drinks. You can make a reservation online (so you don’t have to wait) and we spent the night enjoying tropical drinks and eating thai peanut tofu noodles.

Stan’s Donuts – We came here for breakfast one morning and had cappuccinos and donuts. I tried the powdered sugar and it did not disappoint. There are multiple locations around Chicago.

Boarding House – On Friday, we had a beautiful lunch at The Boarding House hosted by Marc Fisher. I had the vegetarian option and it was a delicious mixture of lentils, cauliflower, and arugula.

Giordanos – When in Rome, right? We knew we wanted a meal of deep dish pizza so we walked over to Navy Pier from our hotel to enjoy a few slices at Giorrdonnas. I had the house salad (which was really good) and then three of us split a small deep dish (and we had leftovers if that helps you imagine the serving size).

The Hampton Social – After the conference was over, we headed straight to The Hampton Social for a glass of their frose! They had live music playing and it was perfectly refreshing for a hot summer day.

RPM Italian – This was my favorite meal of the trip. We arrived right when they opened so they took us in without a reservation. We enjoyed shaved brussel sprout salad, pasta, and their chocolate pudding!

What We Did in Chicago

Navy Pier – Navy Pier was a short five-minute walk from our hotel. It is definitely a tourist hot spot but we still enjoyed it. We had pizza and then walked around and rode the Centennial Wheel. I highly recommend riding at sunset. The views are amazing and it was one of my favorite things we did!

Beach – We also spent some time on the Lake Michigan “beach”. I put beach in quotations because I’m from Florida and have seen my fair share of beautiful beaches. But for being in a big city, it’s a nice place to relax and enjoy the sun!

Millennium Park – You can’t take a trip to Chicago without walking through Millennium Park and visiting Cloud Gate AKA the “bean”.

I can’t wait to go back to Chicago and visit (and eat at) more places! Do you have any other Chicago favorites that I can add to this list? Let me know in the comments below!