Chicago, Illinois aka, “The Windy City,” is a vibrant city full of music festivals, cultural events and cuisine that will add 10 lbs. to you just in a weekend.  It’s a hotbed for culture and 1 of my ETJ Top 10 Cities to Visit…as long as it’s June or July.  See Chicago has such a small window in which to get outside and enjoy the weather which is a blessing and a curse; a curse for people living there or visiting outside of the Summer months, a blessing for smart travelers that can fly in to experience this 2-3 month free for all of events and outdoor parties.

Chicago in the Summer

So now that we’ve established when to visit Chicago, the next step is what to do. Since there are so many events happening all the time, the first place I look is Time Out: http://www.timeout.com/chicago

Time Out is a good starting point and an easy way to find out what’s going on in the city quickly.  Since everyone is out of hibernation in the summer every event possible is being held one day or another in Chicago.  Festivals for everything imaginable like one of my favorites,

Enjoy The Journey || Last Minute 29th Birthday Trip

My friend Ashley decided to give me an awesome surprise birthday gift and buy me a one way ticket to Chicago.  Flights are super cheap and for $39 I secured the return flight and I was on my way back to Chicago for the 3rd time this summer.  This was a quick 3 day birthday celebration of good food, good friends good fun. Check it out…