THINGS TO DO – ADVANCE PLANNING

The Local Arrangements Committee will provide a version of this list when you arrive in Chicago. However, some of these activities and “life experience” restaurants may require advance registration/reservations/ticket purchase; they are noted with an arrow. For those of you who like to plan in advance, we provide this information now.

It is impossible to list the myriad activities around Chicago. Here is a smattering of things relatively close to the hotel. For more information, maps, brochures, transit information, etc., your best bet is to go to the Chicago Cultural Center Visitor Information Center at 77 East Randolph at Michigan Avenue, a few blocks from the hotel, or call their hot line at 1-877-CHICAGO or check out their web site at http://www.chicago.il.org/default.html . For weekend listings, look for the Chicago Reader, a free newspaper distributed on Thursdays and available throughout the area.

MUSEUMS NEAR DOWNTOWN

Art Institute (on Michigan Ave. at Adams)
Museum of Contemporary Art (220 E. Chicago Ave. – near the American Bar Foundation and Northwestern Law School)
Terra Museum of American Art (666 N. Michigan Ave.)
Children’s Museum (at Navy Pier)
Field Museum of Natural History (in the museum campus)
Shedd Aquarium (in the museum campus)
Adler Planetarium and Astronomy Museum (in the museum campus)

OTHER TOURIST STUFF

è Architectural River Cruise and Walking Tours (Chicago Architecture Foundation/ARCHICENTER, 224 S. Michigan Ave., 312-922-3432. Advance ticket purchase is recommended for the river cruise. Tickets are available at the CAF ArchiCenter Shop, the Chicago Water Works Visitor Center at 163 E. Pearson at Michigan Ave., and, if space is available, at the dock location box office down the steps at Wacker and Michigan Ave. in the Chicago Architecture Foundation booth. To buy river cruise tickets before you get to Chicago, try www.ticketmaster.com/illinois).

è Chicago Symphony (220 South Michigan Ave. There will be concerts Thursday through Saturday. Purchase tickets at 312-294-3000 or http://www.cso.org/main.taf?erube_fh=csocom&csocom.submit.viewSearchEvents=1 )

Navy Pier (ferris wheel, carousel, miniature golf, the Chicago Children’s Museum, the Chicago Shakespeare Theater, lots of food, and free fire works on Saturday and Sunday nights).
Art Galleries: The gallery district in the River North area is bounded by Chicago Ave. on the north, Erie on the south, Wells on the east, and Orleans on the west.

è Theater (You can look for half-price tickets at 78 W. Randolph or at 163 E. Pearson (at Michigan Ave., in the Water Works Visitor Center. To buy tickets in advance, try http://www.digitalcity.com/chicago or http://www.ticketmaster.com ).

Shopping: on Magnificent Mile (along Michigan Avenue north of the river)

SPORTS

è Baseball: The Cubs are away, but the White Sox have a game each day of the meeting (866-SOX-GAME. To order tickets, try http://www.ticketmaster.com ).

è Soccer: Chicago Fire vs. Colorado Rapids, Soldier Field, Sat., May 29, 2004, 7:30 PM (312-705-7240. To order tickets, try http://www.ticketmaster.com ).

Biking or rollerblading along the lake front path (rent bikes at Navy Pier at Bike Chicago across from Joe’s BeBop Café – 312-595-9600)

è Bike down Lake Shore Drive, Sunday, May 30 5:30 AM, Grant Park. (Once a year, they close all 30 miles of Lake Shore Drive to traffic for bikers. To pre-register, see http://bikethedrive.org. To reserve a bike, lock, and helmet at Navy Pier, see http://bikechicago.com ).

Jogging along lake front path (go down the steps on the northeastern corner of Michigan and Wacker, run on path along river, turn right when you get to Lake Michigan)

è Lakeshore Marathon on Memorial Day (Monday, 773-765-9030. To pre-register, try http://www.lakeshoremarathon.com )

Tennis: Daley Bicentennial Plaza (337 E. Randolph Street, 312-742-7650)
Golf: The Green at Grant Park (18-hole putting course: East Monroe St. between Columbus and Lake Shore Dr., 312-987-1818)

VENTURES FURTHER AWAY

Museum of Science and Industry (57th Street and Lake Shore Drive, about 8 miles south of hotel)
Lincoln Park Zoo (Cannon Drive at Fullerton – about 3 ½ miles north of hotel).
Oak Park (Frank Lloyd Wright and prairie school architecture about 10 miles west of Chicago)
Chicago Botanic Garden (Glencoe – about 25 miles north of Chicago)

RESTAURANTS – LIFE EXPERIENCES AND VERY EXPENSIVE (Reserve Now):

è Charlie Trotter 816 W Armitage (far). You can only afford it once, so why not now? 773-248-6228 (wheelchair accessible).

è Tru 676 N St. Clair. Maybe the best, and maybe the most expensive restaurant in Chicago. 312-202-0001. (wheelchair accessible).

è Everest 440 S LaSalle. Hang on to your wallet - it is on the 40^th floor of One Financial Place 312-663-8920. (wheelchair accessible).

è Les Nomades 222 E Ontario. Traditional French, the best in Chicago. 312-649-9010.

è Trio 1625 Hinman Ave. Evanston. Usually voted the second or third best in Chicago. 847-733-8746 (wheelchair accessible).

è Arun’s 4156 North Kedzie Ave. (far) One of the most expensive and some say best Thai experiences around. 773-539-1909 (wheelchair accessible).