Chicago may seem a strange choice for a winter destination --- after all, they don't call it the Windy City for nothing. But those who are willing to dress warm and brave the cold know that Chicago is at its finest in wintertime. From the twinkling lights of Michigan Avenue to the crisp architectural beauty of the winter skyline to holiday traditions like the Nutcracker ballet, a winter day spent in Chicago is a treat you'll look forward to every year.
To begin your day, fortify yourself with a hot chocolate at The Ghirardelli Shop at the corner of N. Michigan Avenue and Pearson St. If you have holiday shopping to do, you're right across the street from the famed Water Tower Place, featuring over 100 shops and restaurants on eight levels. Otherwise, walk south along Michigan Avenue, and turn east at Grand Avenue. At the end of Grand Avenue lies Navy Pier, which every December turns itself into the "Winter WonderFest," featuring an ice-skating rink, children's rides, holiday-themed displays, and live entertainment. You can also take advantage of the year-round attractions that make Navy Pier such a popular destination, including a children's museum, an IMAX theater, an indoor botanical garden, a stained glass museum, and dozens of popular shops and restaurants.
After Navy Pier, head west again to Michigan Avenue, and continue south, crossing the Chicago River. At E. Randolph St. is Millennium Park, a 25-acre public center for arts, architecture, and landscape design. If it's a sunny day, take a moment and stop at Cloud Gate, the 66-foot-long polished metal ellipse that Chicago residents lovingly call "The Bean." British sculptor Anish Kapoor designed the sculpture to reflect the city's famous skyline, and the effect is especially good on crisp winter days, when the sky is a bright blue and there are few crowds to contend with. And if you didn't get your ice-skating fix at Navy Pier, you can rent skates and take a few turns around the Park's winter rink.
If you still have a few gifts left on your holiday list, head west on Randolph Street to the Daley Center Plaza at Randolph and Dearborn Street. Every winter, Daley Center Plaza hosts the Christkindlmarket Festival, a German-style Christmas market where you can buy unique ornaments from Germany and Austria, as well as clothing, artwork, home decor, and hand-carved wooden toys. You can also warm your stomach with traditional sausages and sauerkraut, potato pancakes, and a mug of the festival's famous mulled wine.
But if you'd rather stay on Michigan Avenue, grab a cup of coffee at one of Millennium Park's many concessions and then continue south. From here it's only a short walk to the Art Institute of Chicago, one of the country's premier art museums. Stop in at the Museum and warm yourself while you admire some art, and perhaps have lunch at Terzo Piano, the Italian restaurant housed in the Art Institute's new Modern wing. Or simply admire the famous lion sculptures that flank the Art Institute steps, dressed in their holiday finery of evergreen wreaths topped with red bows.
From the Art Institute, it's only three blocks south to the Auditorium Theatre of Roosevelt University, on the corner of Michigan Avenue and Congress Parkway. The Auditorium Theatre is home to famed Chicago dance troupe the Joffrey Ballet, and their annual staging of the Nutcracker is a Chicago winter tradition. Tchaikovsky's story of a little girl and her magical Christmas gift is performed by the full Joffrey company, plus local children's choruses and over 100 young dancers.
Farther south and east --- you may want to take a cab or a bus to stay warm --- is the Adler Planetarium, whose annual "Star of Wonder" show tells the Biblical story of the star that led the Three Wise Men to Bethlehem, and recreates the night sky as it might have been then, over 2000 years ago. While you're there, you can also take in the Planetarium's three theaters and many permanent and temporary exhibits, which explore and explain the universe in which we live.
