Landed in Chicago at 4pm
The posh popular restaurant inside Restoradion Hardware’s Chicago flagship store.
The Second City to Chicago is like SNL to New York. We booked ourselves an 8pm show.
Richard Dreihaus Museum is housed in a wealthy family mansion very representive of the gilded age (late 19th and early 20th century) architecture and interior styles. $20 admission + $5 audio guide. The house cost $450K and 4 years to build in 1880s (average American families make ~$400 a year) commissioned by Samuel Nickerson Family (president of First Bank of Chicago). The family left and sold the house in 1900 and it changed hands several times and last bought by Richard Dreihaus, a financier and philanthropist, in 2002 ... the house underwent significant renovation from 2003-2008 and opened to public as a non-profit museum
A big collection of Impressionism (a lot of works by Monet and Renoir). For Monet, multiple pieces of the same motif/collection (e.g. Waterloo bridges, stack of wheat) could be found together to compare and contrast. The Institute also houses Edward Hopper's famous Nighthawk and a few great pieces from John Singer Sargent.
Nice atmosphere ... food was decent but a bit pricy.
Huge breakfast at sunny side up cafe ... I couldn’t finish half of my plate and I didn't want to have any food until 5pm in the afternoon
Magnificent Mile is right outside Peninsula so we watched the light parade (530-7pm) right from our room without fighting our way through the crowd.
A unique dining experience prepared and serviced by culinary school students. Great experience and value ($29 3-course prix fix dinner). Dessert was the highlight of the meal as different from a small restaurant, they have students specialized in pastry come up with those desserts.