She kept looking at her watch and left pretty abruptly after passing around the 'tip bag'. Walked to another restaurant and had some good garlic bread, a half of a glass of wine, and it was obvious Elizabeth had somewhere else she wanted to go.

We were all through by the time she returned, but had to sit and wait while she consumed her glass which was pretty full. Elizabeth got her glass of wine, then disappeared for about 10 minutes. Seriously not something to write home about. We walked to the Marriott where our appetizer was 1 deviled egg. We got a small beverage, and a quarter of a Cheeseborger. Then walked to the Billy Goat Tavern of SNL fame. It started out ok - saw the rocks/bricks in the Chicago Tribune building except it felt like Elizabeth, the tour guide, was a little patronizing with her questions to make us think, like we were in elementary school. I had high expectations for this tour but was severely disappointed. For a 90-minute tour that focuses on a small section of the Loop, this is really recommended. Even as a semi-'local', I learned quite a bit! And the tour-guide was excellent: very friendly and clearly knowledgeable about his subject. You get a good overview of the main periods and styles. It's not a comprehensive tour of key buildings in Chicago (which would take a lot more time.) While this tour focuses only on a relatively small number of buildings (about a dozen or so), each one gets a lot of attention and the discussion is really thought provoking. It's not the kind of tour where you fly by a bunch of buildings and get essentially a list of names. Although we knew a fair amount of what was presented, information-wise, the tour-guide was very good at getting us to think about different eras of Chicago architecture and the context of the times in which particular buildings were constructed. I grew up in the area and was somewhat familiar with the city my wife is not from the city, but knows quite a bit about design. Or, go on a one of their live virtual tours, including: Mother’s Day Brunch Women’s History Tour, The Secret Pasts of Wicker Park Buildings, or the Brains Behind the Chicago Skyscraper tour.We had only a few days in Chicago and wanted to learn a bit more about the local architecture, so we took the 'Best Architecture Tour for Design Lovers' offered by Chicago Detours, and we really enjoyed it. If even thinking about rivers makes you sea sick, give your sea legs a break and check out one of Chicago Detour’s happy hour tours, which such themes as: Chicago Underground Layers Virtual Expedition, FOrgotten Nightlife History Around Viagra Triangle, and Beloved Barflies of Chicago Lore. Register here to go on a one-of-a-kind voyage. The tour sets sail on Saturday, May 9, for $8 per ticket. “Executive Director and Chicago Detours founder Amanda will lead this special tour that delves into the forgotten stories of Chicago’s waterways, environment, transportation history and architectural masterpieces,” the tour description reads. The one-hour tour will not only take you along a smooth passage over Chicago’s famous waterway, but will provide unique insight into its surroundings. You won’t need to wear a life jacket, but you would benefit from putting on your thinking cap. Although that’s not quite in the cards yet, you can get a taste of city and sea life through Chicago Detour’s virtual boat tour.Ĭhicago Detour’s Cruise from your Couch Virtual Boat Tour allows you to go on a float tour of the Chicago River. With the likely extension of the stay-at-home order, Chicagoans are feeling as antsy as ever to get out and roam their city.

Chicago detours