How We got There

This past weekend, my sister in law and I, headed out for a quick weekend trip to Chicago. We decided to do things on the inexpensive side so that we could conserve every penny for shopping! Taking the train to Chicago seemed like the best route due to price and ease of getting into the city and not having to rent a car. It was only 69$ roundtrip for one ticket. That’s not bad! I had no idea what to expect because I have never taken the train, but I gotta say, for a weekend trip that’s semi near by, it’s the way to go. There is pretty much no regulation for the train. You can bring however many bags, food/drink, and seating is open and quite comfortable. Way better than an airplane, in that regard. I didn’t have t stress about my bag being over the weight limit, woohoo!! Especially since I’d be shopping, I knew it would come back even heavier lol.

The train going to Chicago was running very late. That was ok at first, but by 2pm, we just wanted to be there already. They left STL late and that pushed us to the lower end of the totem pole and we had to wait for several trains to pass along the way. We finally made it into Chicago around 4. The train home was the complete opposite. It was on time and even got us home early. I would definitely take the train again. It would also be a great option for little ones traveling, because you wouldn’t have to worry about air pressure for their ears, and they could stand up and roam around, if needed. It was a very laid back experience.

Where We Stayed

We wanted to stay at a centrally located hotel that wouldn’t break the bank, and it was important to us to be able to walk to shopping. Specifically Michigan Ave. We looked into using hotel points, but decided to keep those for another time. I stumbled upon the Best Western River North and liked how close it was to our designated area of shopping, the price, and amenities. Our room was absolutely perfect for Ali and I. It was clean, nice decor, and the beds were super comfortable. It was close to great restaurants, and most importantly, Starbucks 😉 It was actually right across the street from mcDonald’s, if you prefer their coffee! It was about 5 blocks to Michigan Ave, which was definitely doable. I enjoy walking when I go on vacation. It’s a great way to see the city, and also to find places you might not have seen if you were driving. We walked for 6 hours straight on Saturday! The only thing I would say was a drawback of the room, is that there was no mini fridge. other than that, it was perfect. I’m sure they have rooms with Fridge’s, so if that’s important to you, just specify. They also have a nice pool and rooftop area that looks awesome but due to the freezing cold weather, we didn’t get to utilize that. Definitely need to go back and enjoy that in the summer! If you want an affordable but quality hotel, this would be it.

What We Did

We were pretty much there for one thing, and one thing only. SHOPPING! We didn’t even care if we ate. In fact, we didn’t eat at all the first day and ended up getting lightheaded and nauseous from shopping on an empty stomach haha! We did eat some tasty meals, but majority of the time was dedicated to finding those gems that only Chicago retail can give you!

The first night we ate dinner at Gino’s East and got some tasty deep dish pizza. It was highly recommended and did not disappoint. We even got seated immediately, which I felt was a miracle. The second day we ate lunch at Velvet Taco (see pic below) and OMG you must eat there if you go. It was a favorite taco place of ours in Dallas and I leaped when I saw there was one in Chicago! I got the shrimp and grits taco, SO GOOD, and Ali got the kobe beef taco, and she loved it!

For dinner we could not decide where to go, and at the last minute I suggested we try our luck at RPM Italian. I knew that it takes a while to get a reservation there, so I figured it was a pipe dream, but we got there and was able to score 2 seats at the bar and had the BEST meatballs I’ve ever had in. my. life. No joke!! We ordered the truffle garlic bread with them and goodness it was outta this world. I wish I could go back and try more dishes because everyone’s around us smelled and looked amazing! Definitely on my list for next time.

What I Bought

I didn’t have anything specific in mind to buy, other than a pair of red booties. I wanted to see what jumped out at me, and what I couldn’t find at home. Most importantly, I was excited for Zara and TopShop. I have missed having a Zara at my disposal. I ended up finding my red booties at TopShop and some other goodies. I love their jeans. They fit me great and almost feel like I’m wearing spanx. They just suck it all in! So I picked up a pair of denim. Actually, a pair without any distressing because I didn’t have any haha! There was still quite a few stores we didn’t get to. We ran out of time and money. But, I scored some great pieces and I can’t wait to style them! See below for exactly what I got.

A few more pics from the trip, including one of my OOTD’s

My outfit details here:

We had a wonderful weekend and I can’t wait to go back!! Let me know if you have any questions or need recommendations for anything. As always, thanks for reading!

XO,

Mary ♥

*This post is partially in partnership with The Best Western Chicago. All opinions are completely my own.

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