Summertime Chi, Good Vibes and My Bachelorette
I know I’ve been gone for some time now! I’ve been enjoying life so much that I haven’t had much time to even document all that has been going on! I kinda wish I had a camera following me around 24/7 capturing all the action! Unfortunately, I don’t! But if you’re new here or you haven’t been following me for a very long time, I’m getting married this fall and I just recently went on my bachelorette in Chicago with a few of my bridesmaids.
I did not capture a whole lot of pictures during the bachelorette because the bridesmaids that went with me do not like to take a whole lot of pictures. Which is totally fine, because I wanted to enjoy being present in the moment. However, I wanted to write a blog about the trip because a lot of people were questioning me on why I decided to go to Chicago for my bachelorette as if I don’t watch the news.
First off, I would never ask my friends to go anywhere with me if I thought their safety would be at risk. I’ve went to Chicago three times prior to my bachelorette and everything was fine. Also, summertime Chi is a whole vibe! Once I seen that flight sale I knew it was a go for me!
When did we go to Chicago?
We went when the weather was perfect and the vibes were even better, known as Summertime Chi. More specifically, August 20th – 23rd.
How much was the flight?
The flight was $197 roundtrip on American Airlines from Richmond, VA to Chicago O’Hare International Airport. If you’re staying in downtown Chicago, I would suggest flying into Midway which is closer. I did not check a bag. All of my clothes and shoes had to fit into my carryon luggage as I did not want to spend the $30 check bag fee!
How much was the travel from the airport to the hotel?
Once we landed we took the train to the downtown Chicago to our hotel for $5. Thrifty Tip: I would suggest calling your hotel ahead of time so that you know where to get off the train ahead of time. We had about a 9-minute walk to our hotel once we got off the train. Because we were so far from the hotel an Uber/Lyft would have costed us about $70. I also want to mention that we did not use an Uber the whole weekend. We walked everywhere we had to go.
Where did you stay?
We stayed at the Hampton Inn! The rooms were newly remodeled and the beds were comfortable. This hotel was right in the middle of everything. Anything in the loop and near Buckingham Fountain is a good location and will put in walking distance to everything. The hotel was $169 a night plus taxes because we paid in full ahead of time. If we did not pay in full ahead of time it would have been $200 a night plus tax. The total ended up being $592 for the three nights. Two of us stayed in a room, so each of us paid $300 for the hotel.
What did you all do in Chicago?
We tried to pack as much as we could into one weekend. For the sake of saving time I’ll mention a couple of my favorite things! I’m a rooftop type of woman! I love views and vibes! I also love water! The peace that water gives me is unmatched! I literally can sit by the water all day, so I had to take a boat ride while I was in Chicago. We booked the Chicago River Floating Tiki Bar Cruise on Viator for $50 per person. My drinks on the cruise were actually free because I told them it was my bachelorette! Was the river cruise worth $50? Probably not. But it’s actually cheaper during the week days. One of the other things that I really enjoyed was brunch at Freemont. We tried to book brunch at Freemont prior to the trip but it was all reserved. Our hotel just so happened to be next door to Freemont, so I decided on Saturday, I would just walk up to security and ask them if they had room for four ladies to have brunch and they actually had a table for us! This was the best brunch experience I ever had! The brunch was $75 but it was sooo worth it because it included a full buffet, bottomless mimosas and a lit DJ and party! It was great! Even my girls thought that the brunch was worth the $75 and enjoyed themselves! On Sunday we also went to another brunch at Godfrey’s rooftop which was about a 10-minute walk from the hotel. It was ok, views were nice, but Chicago has way more to offer. Below is a list of other things to do if you go to Chicago which was compiled by one of my friends:
Navy Pier
Buckingham Fountain
Overall, I highly recommend Chicago in the summertime, and I highly recommend it if you’re considering it for your bachelorette! We ran into so many other future brides that we also having their bachelorette that weekend! There is so much to do no matter what type of vibe you’re going for! Always remember to plan ahead and make your reservations especially during COVID or if you’re anything like me, you’ll just take your chances on getting in. Just keep in mind that most places cost more to visit on the weekends. The hotel rate goes up and so does travel. Even our train ride back to the airport on Monday was $3 which was $2 cheaper than Friday.
Let me know in the comments if you’re planning to go to Chicago in the future!
Spend wisely ~ Live lavish
