Experiencing Your City: Chicago and Albuquerque!

Today I'm excited to partner up with Kendra Thornton (former Director of Communications at Orbitz....aka:  A Big Deal!) to talk about "Experiencing Our Cities."  We each wrote a little blurb on our cities to give you some pointers if you're ever visiting.  (Since I just recently moved to Texas and am not totally versed in all that my new local has to offer, I will be talking about my former city of Albuquerque!)  Here we go!



Kendra Says...



I love to travel, whether to a different area around the United States or in my hometown of Chicago, Illinois. I know you’re probably thinking that ‘traveling’ involves going outside of where it is you call home, but that is not the case! You can ‘travel’ throughout your hometown and end up finding new, previously hidden spots all the time! Below are some of my personal favorites that I’ve uncovered in Chicago.  

Shopping that Matters 

When you are looking for a fantastic place to shop, go to Chicago’s “Magnificent Mile.” This stretch of land has a huge number of stores to visit for people of all ages. There are high-end and other top name brands to shop in. While this sounds touristy, when you have a place like this at your disposal, it is best to take advantage!   

Millennium Park 

When seeing pictures of Chicago, you will often see photos from Millennium Park. This special park, which is located in the heart of downtown, has a number of beautiful architectural designs with things to see. The park features the sculpture Cloud Gate, unofficially called “The Bean,” due to its shape. It is a famous tourist attraction and has a special, mirrored surface that distorts faces and images. Millennium Park is a part of the larger Grant Park, which is often called “Chicago’s Front Yard.” 

Photo via Tiffany - 2010

 

The Skyline 

One reason I love Chicago is due to its incredible skyline. The beauty of the buildings when they light up at night is spectacular. With the many things to see and do in the Windy City, keep in mind that choosing the right place to stay overnight is quite important. Use a site like gogobot to review how others enjoyed their stays at hotels you are considering. Any hotel is not the right hotel when you can stay in the center of downtown or desire a historic hotel that may have even housed a famous celebrity.  

 

Photo via Tiffany - 2010

Real Chicago Pizza 

Whether I have just finished visiting Millennium Park or have concluded watching a Bears football game, I love my Chicago deep-dish pizza. While some restaurants around the country claim to have the real thing, Chicago has the real pizza. Lou Malnati’s is the place to go when you want to have deep-dish pizza like a Chicagoan would.

Tiffany says....

I'm a New Mexican through-and-through, but I have to admit that until I moved to Albuquerque, I hadn't spent too much time there.  But there are great events and lots of fun things to do and yummy food to eat!

New Mexican Food

The most important thing to know about New Mexico is that you will be asked at just about every meal the official state question.....red or green?  Meaning which color of chile sauce you'd prefer on your food.  (If you've not had it before, you might order it on the side because it's pretty spicy!)  Whether you have enchilladas, stuffed sopapillas, chile rellanos, or posole, you'll fall in love with New Mexican food for sure.  A couple of my favorite spots are Los Cuates and Casa de Benevidez.

Balloon Fiesta

This is THE event of the year in Albuquerque.  Each October hundreds of balloonists descend on the city and the sky is full of beautiful colors.  You get up early in the morning to head to the field, grab a hot chocolate and a breakfast burrito (with green chile of course), talk to the pilots, watch the balloons prep, and then just before sunrise they all take to the sky in Mass Assention.   Seriously, add this to your bucket list, kids.  It's amazing.  To see some of my favorite photos I snapped at the Balloon Fiesta, click here!
 

State Fair

If you have read this blog for a while, you know all about my absolute love for the New Mexico State Fair.  I've been there for the junior livestock shows (I grew up showing pigs and lambs and my family raises show lambs and steers!) for 18 years in a row.  IN A ROW.  There are huge barns full of animals, livestock shows, rodeos, concerts, fair food, shopping, and carnival rides.  It just wrapped up for this year, but next September it'll be back again!  (To read about my family's State Fair history, click here!)

State Fair circa 1996.  I'm the one dresses like a table cloth from
some country picnic!

 

Brunch

Albuquerque loves brunch.  Well, maybe it's just me and my friends who like brunch....whatever.  There are some yummy options for sure!!  If you're looking for something a big more on the expensive/fancy side, hit up Farm and Table.  They grow all their own food and have a super fun menu!  Plus it's in a beautiful setting in the North Valley.  My go-to spot is The Grove on Central.  We used to eat there all the time on Sunday mornings.  Be sure you try the cupcakes.  To.Die.For.  

The Tram

 

Lastly, we have The Tram, which is a major Albuquerque attraction.  It runs from the foothills of the Sandia Mountains to the peak and is the longest tram in the world.  It's not super expensive and gives you great views of the city, especially at night!  Riding the tram was one of the list items I included on my 30 by 30 List.  To read about that experience, click here!