Chicago Day Trip Guide; The Magic of Exploring a New City

Jul 16

A Change of Scenery

What is is about traveling to a new city that is so inspiring? Is it the tall buildings? The new energy? Ever since I can remember, I’ve been drawn to the city. In a place where you can walk by possibly the poorest and richest person at the same time, it feels as though anything is possible; the world is right at your fingertips.

In this post, I want to share why changing up your scenery is so important to spark new creative thoughts, as well as some tips for seeing the best of the Windy City in just a day or two.

Changing your scenery every once in a while, especially as a creative professional, is so important. It doesn’t have to be a trip halfway across the country either. Just by getting up and going someplace you haven’t been to before can drastically get your creative juices flowing.

“The way the brain works is pretty simple: we operate on autopilot for the vast majority of our days,” Dewett explains. “Working in a place that’s new, you mess up those routines, and the brain tends to kick into conscious processing. The big new location is about … waking the brain up, because you’ve changed the script.”
Settembre, J. (2018, May 15). Want be more creative at work? Get out of town like Kanye.

Sometimes we run into mental blockages, which is completely normal; however, I’m pretty hard on myself about getting my work done and staying on top of things. When I start to feel uninspired, it really shows in my work and instead of finding inspiration, I resort to taking breaks that turn into days or weeks at a time.

This can be pretty damaging to a creative career. Have you ever been sitting in your room and felt completely uninspired, then went to a coffee shop and couldn’t stop your fingers from typing? Even just the smallest change in scenery can uplift your entire mood and inspire you to create.

That’s why leaving LA for a weekend and traveling to Chicago was a complete energy shifter and left me feeling totally inspired to keep creating. I absolutely love traveling for various different reasons, but I have found that one of the main reasons is that it brings out the most creative part of me.

I believe life should be taken full advantage of, which means traveling every chance we get. SO without further ado, here’s a little Chicago day trip guide I put together for you in case you are in need of a change of scenery this weekend.

Chicago Day Trip / Weekend Guide

Chicago seems to have the big city feel of New York, but with a sort of laid back lifestyle that’s similar to LA. It’s also surprisingly extremely clean.

…much cleaner than LA…and New York.

Views of the Trump Tower and the Chicago River

***Eat: The Hampton Social***
The Hampton Social is a MUST. It’s such a cute place for brunch, with nautical, sytlish decór that make for the perfect photo opps.
It’s a breezy, refreshing place to sip on some beach-themed cocktails or just sit back and relax and listen to live music.
What to order: anything from the brunch menu

Stay: J.W. Marriott

We stayed at the J.W. Marriott; however it was right across from the beautiful W Hotel as well.

The J.W. Marriott is in a perfect location in downtown Chicago, and honestly that’s really all that matters when you’re visiting a city with so much to see and do (and eat, of course). It’s located in the West Loop, which is in walking distance to various museums, parks, sporting events, shops and restaurants.

Views: LondonHouse Chicago

The sun was setting just as we got to the rooftop of the LondonHouse. You seriously can’t make these views up. They were incredible; definitely some of the best in Chicago (without having to wait in lines full of tourists). The drinks were also amazing and there are heated lamps outside on the rooftop for those chilly Chicago afternoons when the sun goes down.

Sight Seeing

Go ahead, be a tourist.

One of the most notable tourist attractions in Chicago is the bean; however, we didn’t make it there this trip. Instead, take a nice drive or stroll around the city in less populated areas that still tell a story of a culturally rich city.

On a bright, sunny day this city is booming with locals, tourists, and pretty much everyone in between. This is a shot I took while in the back of a cab, having no idea what building I was taking a photo of, but was vastly impressed with the architecture. Later upon some research, I found out it is the beautiful Tribune Tower located on North Michigan Ave. The Magnificent Mile is right around this area as well, which is said to be a”spectacular showcase of style, flavor, entertainment and fun.”