Fun Things To Do During A Cold Winter Day In Chica …

23 Jan Fun Things To Do During A Cold Winter Day In Chica …

The last weekend in January is here! We won’t be seeing much of the sun anytime soon, but the snow we didn’t get at Christmas is finally here. Our first 100% Spanish language tour is here too! This Saturday we are going on a round trip from the Loop to the West Loop, with stops at Casa Humilde Brewery and the B Line Murals. Every guest gets a free pint glass, samples of great craft beer, and an amazing hot chocolate! This 3 hour walking tour departs at 11:30 from Toni Patisserie, tickets are $36, hope to see you there!

Further out in the week, screenings of films from the Latino Film Festival continue at the Chicago Cultural Center. The Claudia Cassidy Theater will screen De Pez En Cuando at 6:30 on the 29th. Like most cultural center events, this one is totally free.

Chicago in the winter has superb, I mean superb, hotel deals! Staycations, daycations, whatever you want to plan, there are deals galore! I suggest the Publishing House Bed and Breakfast. The space – rooms and shared dining spaces – are really stylish, the location is excellent, and I cannot say enough about how friendly and accommodating the owners are. They even have a blog with recipes. Rooms here fill up fast though, so move quickly! If you are driving and you absolutely need parking, the Ohio House Motel has rooms for less than $100 (before taxes) and free parking! I cannot give enough props to this place. Why anyone with a whip would stay anyplace else downtown is beyond me… but I am balling on a budget, so MIAMI (Money Is A Major Issue) for a modest mouse like myself.

The Lunar New Year kicks off on Sunday, Jan 25th. The Lunar New Year Parade isn’t until Sunday, February 2nd though. The parade is fun, but only on your terms. If you don’t do it on your terms, you are at the mercy of poor transit, large crowd behavior, long waits to eat, etc. So game-plan early – parking in Chinatown will be an even hotter mess than usual – and take a thermos, one of those good ones like you get in an Oscars Awards swag bag. Fill it as you see fit.

The pictures in the gallery are from our fall hike at Matthiessen State Park. We had a full house, but sorry we missed you! Next year hope you join us on our autumnal stroll. Until then enjoy your weekend, and as always, Chill Or Be Chilled.