5 things to do with teens in Chicago

By Jess, aged 17:

Over summer, our family spent the most amazing week in Chicago. Though very full on, we all had a fantastic time, and there is not one activity which I didn't enjoy. Chicago is a genuinely beautiful city; busy but not too loud or congested. There were things to do for all the family, and here are my highlights from the trip, which I think teenagers would particularly enjoy.

Baseball

I had really wanted to go to a baseball match as I felt it was a typical American thing to do. Instead of watching the more famous Chicago Cubs, we opted for the White Sox, and I had a really fantastic time. Unlike football games in the UK, the atmosphere was much more relaxed, with people walking around the whole time. I definitely enjoyed this, as I can get very stressed when watching live sports!

[caption id="attachment_4559" align="aligncenter" width="1024"] We really enjoyed watching the Chicago White Sox![/caption]

Despite never playing baseball before, the people sitting around us were more than willing to explain what was going on, and I found myself getting very engaged with the game. The experience felt very American, with an audience cam, lots of adverts for pizza, a fill in the song lyric game, and everyone standing up and singing "Take me out to the ball game" between the seventh and eight innings.

There were other activities in the stadium as well, such a speed pitching test and a free interactive centre for kids. Mum and I collected free badges and certificates to commemorate our first visit to the stadium, and the people sitting behind us were generous enough to give us White Sox temporary tattoos and t-shirts.

I would definitely recommend baseball games to people visiting the US - not only was the game exciting, but I loved getting a taste of what it's like to be a real American. Mum says that it was expensive though - and we were all shocked by the cost of the food and drink inside the stadium (a bottle of Pepsi was over $6!)

Our tickets to the baseball cost around $50 (they were more expensive because we chose to be under cover - a good decision, as it was very hot!).

Second City

Second City is a famous sketch and improvisational comedy troupe, known for producing stars such as Tina Fey and Steve Carell. I am a huge fan of SNL, and it was especially exciting spotting lots of famous names in the programme we were given. Our family saw a production named "Grinning from Fear to Fear", which included two sets of sketches and an improvisational section.

I thought the production was hilarious, and unlike anything I'd seen before. Ranging from meeting your girlfriend's parents to sleepless late night anxieties, the production was very well done, and I laughed more times than I can count. They also used a lot of suggestions from the audience and even brought people up onto stage.

This was definitely one of the highlights of my holiday.

Second City is not for younger children - the show we went to started at 8pm and didn't finish until nearly 11 and there was quite a lot of swearing in it. Tickets cost $52 each.

Cycling food tour

Cycling isn't something we do very often, so I was somewhat terrified at the prospect of cycling around busy Chicago streets. However, I shouldn't have worried: our Bikes, Bites and Brews tour with Bobby's Bike Hike was great. Our guide Ro was extremely friendly and enthusiastic, and she toured us for 13 miles across Chicago.

[caption id="attachment_4560" align="aligncenter" width="1024"] We loved all the food on our cycling tour with Bobby's Bike Hike, and the views were great too![/caption]

We sampled pizza, cupcakes, hot dogs, and drinks from all across Chicago, learning a lot about the city in the process. A particular highlight was eating delicious deep dish pizza from Lou Malnati's, and spending half an hour cycling down a cycle path right next to Lake Michigan. The views were brilliant, and it was very relaxing. The tour was both interesting and exciting, and we definitely wouldn't have had the confidence to ride around Chicago without a guide. The city was easy to ride around and the views were gorgeous.

I would definitely recommend cycling around Chicago, and there are lots of places to rent bikes from. Though we wouldn't have been able to navigate the streets by ourselves, the cycle path by the lake boasted brilliant views and was easy to make our way around.

This Bobby's Bikes, Bites and Brews cycling tour costs $66.75 for adults and $61.75 for students (Mondays to Thursdays) and lasts four hours. 

Disclosure: We were gifted the opportunity of taking part in Bobby's Bike Hire, the Bikes, Bites and Brews tour, in order to write about it. However, the company had no input whatsoever into this blog post.

Escape room

Our whole family loved going to an escape room at The Escape Game Chicago. Though only an hour long, our experience probably provided us with the most fun of anything we did over the holiday. Our challenge was called "The Heist", and our challenge was to retrieve a painting from the office of a man accused of stealing it.

[caption id="attachment_4557" align="aligncenter" width="1024"] We were pleased to find the painting with only two minutes to go![/caption]

I've been to three other escape rooms before, but this one was definitely the best. It was so well maintained, and some of the parts were genius. It was very difficult, but definitely not unmanageable or frustrating, and we were pleased to escape with two minutes remaining!

Escape rooms can be found all over the world and there are a copious amount in the UK alone, but I would recommend doing this one if you're in Chicago. We all had a fantastic time.

Read Rob's post on the Escape Game (he really loved it too!)
The Heist at the Escape Game costs $35.99 per person.

Beach

Chicago is particularly special as it is on Lake Michigan, so there are a copious number of beaches to relax on. We were all struck by the sheer size of the water - it seemed unfathomable that it was only a lake and not the sea! We went to the North Avenue beach, which was great as it was quiet, and there was a lot of space to sit down and unwind.

[caption id="attachment_4561" align="aligncenter" width="1024"] Looking out to Lake Michigan on North Avenue Beach[/caption]

The water was ridiculously cold, but we appreciated that it wasn't salty like the sea. It also didn't get deep quickly, providing ample space for wading in the water and swimming. Chicago's beaches are especially notable as its gorgeous skyline is behind the lake, leading to gorgeous views wherever you look.

Overall, Chicago is a perfect place for teenagers, and I honestly enjoyed every aspect of the trip. Aside from these five highlights, there were so many other fantastic attractions, making the city perfect for all the family. I enjoyed incredible views of the city at the top of the Sears Tower, saw chicks being born at the Museum of Science and Industry, and looked at the largest T-Rex ever found at the Field Museum. Even activities which sounded boring, such as an architecture boat tour, were fascinating!

It may not a common holiday destination for those of us in the UK, but our trip to Chicago was great - both for the adults and the teens.

Read Rob's post on his two favourite activities: 

We also found useful information on the Choose Chicago website and the Enjoy Illinois website.

Murray wins: watching Men's finals day at Wimbledon

[caption id="attachment_4011" align="alignnone" width="1200"] An emotional Andy Murray just after winning[/caption]

There are some sporting events you dream of seeing in person –an Olympics final, the deciding match of a Premier League season or perhaps the last day of a golf major. My sports bucket list also included a Wimbledon Final, but it wasn’t something I ever thought I actually would see in person. Until last year.

And, as I'm a Brit, you’ll know that 2016 was the perfect year to be there for the “Gentleman’s Singles final”. After all, Andy Murray was playing and that’s something you really don’t want to miss.

I have been to Wimbledon a number of times, always getting tickets through the ballot, which you need to apply for in the autumn of the winter before. Anyone can apply for this – you simply need to send off a stamped addressed envelope and then fill in and send back the official form – and you are told if you are lucky enough to have received tickets in the spring. If you are allocated tickets you still have to purchase them, and they rise in price, depending on their importance. The cost of the men’s final was a whopping £175 (but I know I’m never going to get tickets again, so I decided it was worth it!).

Going to Wimbledon on finals day is so different from going earlier in the Championships. For one thing, it’s much quieter. Normally there are matches being played on all the courts, but there were only a few going on – the main action was to take place on one court only. There were far fewer people bustling around and pictures of the main protagonists (Andy Murray and Milos Raonic – the first Canadian ever to reach the men’s final there) on display.

We arrived as we have done before, by tube to Southfields, and then took a taxi from the station (although we walked back later). I was going with my dad, who was then 79, so a taxi seemed wise, at least for one day.

We arrived and took some pictures and then took our seats. The court quickly filled up and I was mesmerised by the royal box. Although I had seen celebrities in there when I had been lucky enough to get tickets before, it had been nothing like this...

[caption id="attachment_4013" align="alignnone" width="1200"] Who can you spot?[/caption]

First up were Nicola Sturgeon, the Scottish first minister, and Sadiq Khan, the mayor of London. But they got better! I was indebted to the excellent zoom on my camera and excitedly told the couple sitting next to us that I could see Bradley Cooper, Benedict Cumberbatch, Hugh Grant, David Cameron, Bjorn Borg, Stefan Edberg and others. I had to pull myself away to watch the tennis – although I did glance back a few times at the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, when they appeared.

The match was terrifically exciting. It may not have seemed like it from the score (Murray won his second Wimbledon title in straight sets, 6-4, 7-6, 7-6), but when you are watching and want someone to win so much, you just want it to be over. Plus two of those sets went to a tie-break, which made it nail biting. I am a big Murray fan and am always amazed by how he handles the pressure. But he played beautifully and Raonic was not quite in his league. Even his big serve wasn’t as big as we were expecting.

The whole match took two hours, 48 minutes and it really was a thrill to see Murray win his second Wimbledon title. I took a lot of pictures, including some which really show his emotions.

I was surprised to see so many people leave after Murray’s victory, especially as we had the possibility of seeing two British winners in one day! Heather Watson was surprised to reach the Wimbledon Mixed Doubles final with her partner Henri Kontinen, as they had not played together before the event. They came onto court soon after Murray and Raonic, in order to play Robert Farah and Anna-Lena Groenefeld and beat them 7-6, 6-4 for their first Grand Slam title. In the process, Watson became the first British woman to win a Wimbledon title since Jo Durie and Jeremy Bates picked up the same title in 1987.

[caption id="attachment_4016" align="alignnone" width="1200"] A very happy Heather Watson![/caption]

It was a joy to watch them – the match seemed less stressful than the previous one – and it was amazing to see them win! Mind you, there weren’t many in the royal box who stayed to see it (round of applause for Hugh Grant, who did stay).

[caption id="attachment_4017" align="alignnone" width="1200"] Spot the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge applauding![/caption]

All in all, it was a fabulous, historic day, and all because we filled in a form. We’d recommend you do the same for next year – although be warned, you aren’t always lucky. We didn’t get any tickets in the ballot for 2017. Luckily we have the athletics world championships in London to come in August instead!

Read my tips for a trip to Wimbledon, written following my visit in 2015