Chicago posts

by Katie Hammel (RSS feed) (2 days ago)
Nov 6th, 2009 at 3:30PM: Did you hear the new rumor about Oprah Winfrey? No, not that one! This one says that come 2011, her daytime talk show will leave Chicago and be based out of Los Angeles.
According to Deadline Hollywood, the big O planned on calling it quits way back in 2002, then again in 2006. At that point she renewed her syndication contracts through 2011. But now, it looks like she'll be moving the show ...

by Katie Hammel (RSS feed) (17 days ago)
Oct 22nd, 2009 at 10:00AM:
tweetmeme_url = 'http://www.gadling.com/2009/10/22/abc-news-and-hotels-com-list-best-us-cities-for-hotel-deals/'; tweetmeme_source = 'Gadling';
On most trips, your two biggest expenses will be your transportation and your accommodation. You don't have much control over the price of your flight, but you can balance out that cost by picking a destination where you are more likely to score a deal ...

by Katie Hammel (RSS feed) (20 days ago)
Oct 19th, 2009 at 12:30PM: Last January, my husband and I took a trip to the Rioja region of Spain. We sampled Rioja wines and visited underground cellars by day, and hopped from bar to bar snacking on tapas and drinking Rioja wines by night. We found that there were several Rioja wines that we loved, at that the tapas served there (while not incredibly creative like those offered in the Basque country) were simply ...

by Jamie Rhein (RSS feed) (23 days ago)
Oct 16th, 2009 at 6:00PM: During this week, the start of Gadling's 5th birthday celebration, we've also highlighted aspects of eco-friendly travel and have continued to ferret out travel bargains. Brenda found a screaming deal on a trip to China. Heather's weighed in on how to get free beer from a flight attendant and provides a reminder as to what NOT to do as well. I haven't been given free beer on a flight, but I have ...

by Katie Hammel (RSS feed) (23 days ago)
Oct 16th, 2009 at 11:00AM:
When you stay at a resort like The Abbey Resort and Spa on Lake Geneva, Wisconsin, chances are that you'll eat many of your meals at the property's on-site restaurant. This can sometimes mean dining on uninspired dishes like rubbery "hotel chicken" or resigning yourself to the fact that you'll be spending a fortune on each meal in order to avoid heading offsite in search of better or cheaper ...

by Tom Johansmeyer (RSS feed) (23 days ago)
Oct 16th, 2009 at 8:00AM:
digg_url = 'http://digg.com/food_drink/Felony_Franks_and_other_restaurants_help_ex_cons_help_you'; If nobody hires ex-cons, then we shouldn't be shocked when they return to lives of crime. So, for the good of Chicago, go pick up a couple of hotdogs at Felony Franks. James Andrews, who owns the West Side dog joint, makes it a point to hire people who have done time, seeing it as a service to a ...

by Katie Hammel (RSS feed) (1 month ago)
Oct 8th, 2009 at 2:30PM:
tweetmeme_url = 'http://www.gadling.com/2009/10/08/man-sues-chicago-hilton-for-50-000-after-tripping-over-luggage/'; tweetmeme_source = 'Gadling';
It seems there's no end to the ridiculous things people will sue over these days. There was the alcoholic who drunkenly fell down the stairs and then sued the hotel for over-serving him, the guy who got electrocuted while trying to sneak onto an ...

by Katie Hammel (RSS feed) (1 month ago)
Oct 6th, 2009 at 3:30PM:
tweetmeme_url = 'http://www.gadling.com/2009/10/06/escape-from-chicago-with-low-fall-rates-at-the-abbey/'; tweetmeme_source = 'Gadling';
Several weeks ago, I had the chance to check out The Abbey Resort and Spa on Lake Geneva in Wisconsin. 80 miles from Chicago and even less from Milwaukee, it's the perfect Fall escape from either city. Chicago residents don't even need a car to get there; the ...

by Jeremy Kressmann (RSS feed) (1 month ago)
Sep 27th, 2009 at 6:00PM: Is the water dirty? Do I want to get wet? Sometimes these questions are irrelevant, particularly when you're a kid and looking for amusement. Flickr user Cazimiro does a masterful job capturing the playful energy of a day in the park in today's shot. I particularly liked the movement, the silvery texture of the puddle and splashes of water, frozen in mid-air. You almost feel as though you were ...

by Kraig Becker (RSS feed) (1 month ago)
Sep 20th, 2009 at 9:00AM: Looking for something to do today as the weekend quickly comes to a close? Then look no further than Outside Magazine's list of 100 Urban Adventures. As you can no doubt tell, it contains some of the best activities to do in the great outdoors while remaining well within some of the largest cities in the U.S. Outside turns its attention on such urban centers as New York, Boston, and Chicago, ...

by Katie Hammel (RSS feed) (1 month ago)
Sep 11th, 2009 at 10:30AM:
Billing itself as "the only full-service resort" on the shores of Lake Geneva in Wisconsin, The Abbey Resort and Spa is one of those places where you can almost feel the ghosts of the past whispering around you. The resort was completely renovated in 2005, but its timber A-frame and low-slung bungalow style buildings look much as they did when it was built nearly 50 years ago, when the ...

by Brenda Yun (RSS feed) (2 months ago)
Sep 7th, 2009 at 6:00PM: Welcome to a special Labor Day edition of Gadlinks! For me, this holiday is all about celebrating the end of summer with family and friends -- and eating a lot of good food. Check out these travel reads to find out what other cool Labor Day haps are going on around the world.
Should we be surprised? According to this article, the number of Labor Day travelers is down 13 percent. [via MSNBC]
...

by Katie Hammel (RSS feed) (2 months ago)
Sep 7th, 2009 at 12:30PM: Navy Pier, Chicago's biggest tourist trap, is offering visitors a new way to see the city. If riding the elevator to the top of the Sears Willis Tower or relaxing as a giant Ferris wheel slowly inches you skyward doesn't satisfy your thirst for getting airborne, maybe this one will. A 120,000 cubic-foot helium balloon, called the AeroBalloon, promises to float you 350 feet above the ground.
The ...

by Tom Johansmeyer (RSS feed) (2 months ago)
Sep 4th, 2009 at 1:00PM: Six Iraqi-American passengers sued American Airlines, claiming that racism drove the cancellation of their flight. The men were all residents of Michigan and were employed by a security contract firm and had been participating in training with members of the U.S. military. Their flight was canceled, they believe, because of their nationality.
U.S. District Judge Paul Borman decided that the ...

by Katie Hammel (RSS feed) (2 months ago)
Aug 31st, 2009 at 12:00PM: When most people think of going on a wine-tasting trip, their thoughts tend to head west - to California, Washington, and Oregon. It's not surprising. From Napa Valley in California to Walla Walla in Washington, these states are some of the biggest producers of wine in the US. But if you don't live in one of these states, there's no need to venture far from home for a weekend of swirling and ...

by Katie Hammel (RSS feed) (2 months ago)
Aug 25th, 2009 at 11:00AM:
It's Green Travel Month here at Gadling, so to get into the green spirit, I booked a special dinner with Chicago's City Provisions Catering and Events, an eco-friendly catering company. City Provisions works with local farmers and suppliers, sends its organic waste back to farmers for composting, and sources all of its ingredients from organic and sustainable providers. The company offers ...

by Katie Hammel (RSS feed) (2 months ago)
Aug 20th, 2009 at 2:00PM: Okay, the name induces a slight eye roll - I'm not broke and I'm certainly no hipster, I just love a bargain - but the premise behind one of Chicago's best new websites is pretty awesome. BrokeHipster collects all the top upcoming deals, from happy-hour specials and dining discounts to promotional parties and boutique sales, and puts them all in one place.
On any given day some of the freebies ...

by Katie Hammel (RSS feed) (2 months ago)
Aug 19th, 2009 at 2:30PM: We've been talking a lot about green travel this month. Well, here's one more way you can do your part to reduce the impact your travels have on the environment. Book a room at The Blackstone in Chicago through October 31, and you'll be given two Strida bikes to use for the duration of your stay.
"Bike Chicago" package prices range from $199 to $269 per night and include overnight accommodations ...

by Grant Martin (RSS feed) (2 months ago)
Aug 17th, 2009 at 10:00AM: Summer is a fantastic time to enjoy the upper Midwest, the few months where temperatures are warm enough to wear shorts, roll down the windows and even maybe (gasp) go for a swim. And there's no better way to explore the region than on The Great Lakes Circle Tours, a series of lovely drives around the massive inland lakes, visiting coastal towns, drinking in the charming culture and enjoying the ...

by Annie Scott (RSS feed) (2 months ago)
Aug 14th, 2009 at 10:30AM: Progress is being made. An eco-friendly hotel used to mean a sparse, mildly uncomfortable place to "rough it" and feel superior, but bit by bit, things are changing. By now, you probably know that you don't have to sacrifice luxury for eco-friendliness when hotel shopping anymore; even the big chains are stepping up with green initiatives. One thing most people do expect to sacrifice though? ...
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