Day 1

Make a museum weekend stress-free with a Chicago CityPass. For $84, passholders can skip the long entrance lines (especially important on holiday weekends!) and get right to the goods at several big attractions: the Shedd Aquarium; Field Museum; Willis Tower Skydeck; the John Hancock Observatory or Museum of Science and Industry; and the Adler Planetarium or the Art Institute. David Burke’s Primehouse serves absolutely fantastic dry-aged steaks in a city known for great beef. (Don’t miss the fill-your-own doughnut holes for dessert.) In the same River North neighborhood, Hotel Felix offers contemporary furnishings and friendly staff. Top off the evening with a comedy show at The Second City improv comedy theater, where big names like Jim Belushi and Bonnie Hunt got their start.

Day 2

It’s hard to top Eleven City Diner’s decadent breakfasts. We love the challah French toast with strawberries, bananas and toasted coconut. Chicago is full of history, and discovering it is fun on the many available tours: Chicago Architecture Foundation, for instance, offers colorful 90-minute river cruise history-architecture lessons. At chef Rich Bayless’ Xoco, fresh Mexican food and superb hot chocolate are well worth the wait. (Don’t worry, the line moves fast!)

For information: Choose Chicago (312) 567-8500 choosechicago.com [1]