Our Total Rewards memberships also landed us a free hotel room at Caesar's casino in Windsor the night before - even more valuable given our very early morning departure, plus you get the "feeling" of starting vacation a day early!
A relaxing five hour train ride through the Michigan countryside saw us delivered fully rested into Union Station in downtown Chicago. We even gained a fortuitous hour as we crossed into Central Time.
This is the point where we unleashed the most fiendishly clever part of The Plan - not only would we use the Chicago Double-Decker and Trolley open-top tour bus as a way to see the city, but we would upgrade to the three-day pass for slightly more money and use their tour circuit as a cab service! We noted stops at the Willis Tower near the train station, and two other stops within easy walking distance to our hotel. At the risk of repeating myself.....Sign us up for that!!!
We spent most of the first day just getting to Chicago, getting to our hotel, then enjoying the narrated tour of the city. Our room at the Inn of Chicago was ideally situation to everything, including a half-block saunter to the Magnificent Mile on Michigan Avenue. We ended the day with some mandatory culinary goodness - a deep-dish Chicago style pizza at local pie institution Lou Malnati's - followed by a pleasant (and necessary) stroll back to the hotel.
Free room - with a view of the Detroit River!
The Amtrak "Wolverine" pulls into Dearborn Station
Chicago by open-top tour
Chicago River at Michigan Avenue and Wacker Drive
Marina City towers
Soldier Field - home of Da Bears!
City skyline from Lake Shore Drive
View from our room
Inn of Chicago - East Ohio Street
Navy Pier
Fabulous deep dish pie!
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