A couple years ago, I decided that daughter needed a little daddy time – and vice versa – and I swept my little girl to Chicago for a holiday getaway during which we could focus on having fun and "quality" time with each other.
When spring had sprung, she wanted to know if – nay, when – we were going to do the next one. Hence, the summer version.
Though there are countless ways to enjoy a weekend in Chicago with your kid(s), here are 10 great experiences for dads (or moms) to bond with their daughters (or sons) in the Windy City:
Horse-drawn carriage ride
Every little girl wants a pony at some point and most of them won’t likely get one. While a carriage ride around River North isn’t cheap – I spent $40 on 20 minutes, though you get more for your buck if you choose a longer trip – it’s a pretty memorable experience. The carriages lay over on East Tower Court, a short street that lies in the shadow of the Water Tower. Stop over and let your girl pick her favorite.
City Summer Camp at The Thompson
There are dozens of hotel packages on offer in Chicago at any given time and a number of them offer American Girl-related deals, but be more creative and check in at The Thompson – located on Bellevue Place, one of River North’s loveliest streets – for the City Summer Camp package, which offers a range of options for summer fun.
We chose the picnic lunch and the ice cream crawl.
The acclaimed Nico restaurant in the lobby will assemble a sumptuous lunch in a picnic basket – we took ours to the beach (see below) and felt like royalty as we enjoyed gourmet sandwiches, fruit, chips, bottled water, granola bars, chocolate chip cookies and more.
The ice cream crawl is just what it sounds like – visits to a range of mouth-watering ice cream shops – in the hotel’s Lexus.
The hotel itself, located on Rush Street near copious dining and retail destinations – is understatedly luxurious with a quirky and engaging collection of art adorning the lobby and the guest rooms. The view from our room was pretty incredible, too.
Oak Street Beach
A five-minute walk from The Thompson – down Bellevue Place, past an array of gorgeous row houses – Oak Street Beach is packed with families enjoying the sun and surf. On the south end, there’s a refreshments venue that looks like it was flown up whole from Key West (though it’s a bit more adult-oriented). We hit the beach twice in two days and my kid quickly made a friend and commenced to building sand castles. It was the trip highlight for her. And it was free.
Pizza at Davanti Enoteca River North
Located on Hubbard Street just north of the river (there's another location on Taylor Street in Little Italy), Davanti is a family-friendly Italian eatery that offers fine service and delicious dishes for adults as well as a small kids menu that packs a flavorful punch.
The kids pizza is wood-fired delicious and at about 12 inches – and just $6 – it’s perhaps the best pizza deal in town.
Dad especially enjoyed eating the octopus entree, but also offering it to his daughter, drawing the response, "euw, no way, it looks like tentacles."
Though the cheese-filled focaccia di Recco appetizer might look expensive at $17, it’s huge and insanely delicious.
The two of us devoured the whole thing but it would easily satisfy four or more diners.
Riverside boat-spotting
After dinner, we headed across the bridge to Wacker Drive and then down the steps to the Chicago riverwalk, which is really finally starting to take off. There’s a City Winery down there with a small but quality selection of wine and Goose Island beer for dad and sodas for daughter. Keep her away from the water line because there’s no fence, but she’ll love watching the kayakers, the water taxis, the pleasure boaters and all the action on the river, as well as the people watching on the riverwalk. You can also rent boats next to City Winery if you’re so inclined.
Bread pudding French toast at Osteria Langhe
We headed out to the neighborhoods – specifically Logan Square – for brunch on Sunday morning, where we landed at Osteria Langhe, a Piemontese restaurant with a Scottish chef and a co-owner from the Veneto.
There is no real Piemontese brunch tradition, so Chef Cameron Grant and his restaurant partner Aldo Zaninotto created one inspired by the cuisine of Italy’s northwestern-most region.
I loved loved loved the bacon with candied hazelnuts – served in a rice can – and my rock shrimp with sublimely creamy polenta, and I balked when my daughter said, "I bet my French toast is better than your breakfast." Then I tried Grant’s bread pudding French toast and it was, without exception, the richest, pillowiest French toast I’ve ever experienced.
Plus, it was a chance for me to talk to my daughter about our family's roots in Piemonte. Definitely worth the subway right out there.
Subway ride
Did I make it sound arduous in the blurb above? No way. Maybe my passion for subways is contagious, but my kids love exploring an underground metro in any town and Chicago’s is right up there.
We rode the red line to the blue line and when we came out into daylight as the subterranean line transformed into an el just before Damen, she was amazed. I, instead, was transported back to my youth, looking down at Brooklyn from the D, M and F trains.
Navy Pier
We’ve been to Navy Pier on a few occasions and despite the limited selection of rides, my kids never seem to tire of it. We rode the free shuttle from State and Grand and then did the carousel, the lighthouse a couple times, drove the boats, wandered through the palm garden ... the usual stuff. And we had a blast. But at $6-$8 a ride, it can add up quick, so, trust me, buy the $49 10-ride pass which you can share among family members.
Pink taxi at The Langham
I’m not sure exactly how you book this baby, but call The Langham to find out. Riding in it is surely an extremely close second to the horse-drawn carriage ride. Plus, The Langham’s worth a visit anyway.
American Girl doll store
Try as I might to avoid it, this place is like a magnet for little girls and despite working hard to keep things sane, I dropped nearly $50 in considerably fewer minutes. And I probably spent waaaaaay less than the average shopper, based on what I saw folks carrying toward the checkout, where there was a line that snaked at least a couple-dozen people long. But it's not about the amount we spent, because we brought more than a few toys and trinkets home with us; we brought life-long memories, too.
Born in Brooklyn, N.Y., where he lived until he was 17, Bobby received his BA-Mass Communications from UWM in 1989 and has lived in Walker's Point, Bay View, Enderis Park, South Milwaukee and on the East Side.
He has published three non-fiction books in Italy – including one about an event in Milwaukee history, which was published in the U.S. in autumn 2010. Four more books, all about Milwaukee, have been published by The History Press.
With his most recent band, The Yell Leaders, Bobby released four LPs and had a songs featured in episodes of TV's "Party of Five" and "Dawson's Creek," and films in Japan, South America and the U.S. The Yell Leaders were named the best unsigned band in their region by VH-1 as part of its Rock Across America 1998 Tour. Most recently, the band contributed tracks to a UK vinyl/CD tribute to the Redskins and collaborated on a track with Italian novelist Enrico Remmert.
He's produced three installments of the "OMCD" series of local music compilations for OnMilwaukee.com and in 2007 produced a CD of Italian music and poetry.
In 2005, he was awarded the City of Asti's (Italy) Journalism Prize for his work focusing on that area. He has also won awards from the Milwaukee Press Club.
He has be heard on 88Nine Radio Milwaukee talking about his "Urban Spelunking" series of stories, in that station's most popular podcast.
