At the end of March, I took a long weekend trip to Chicago. My mom, an operating room nurse, was attending the AORN Conference in the city, and I decided to join her for a mother-daughter weekend at the end of her convention. I had always heard that Chicago was a great city, so I was eager to check it out for myself. I arrived late Thursday and met my mom at her hotel, Hyatt Regency Chicago. On Friday, we switched hotels and moved to the Hotel Allegro, a Kimpton property that recently underwent a massive renovation. The new hotel was conveniently located, right in the middle of the theater district and close to many of the city sights. We met with GT distribution specialists John and Louie for lunch in Greek Town on Friday. We went to the famous Greek Islands Restaurant and had a great lunch. We spent the later part of the afternoon browsing the Field Museum and its special exhibit, Real Pirates. Later that night we enjoyed another Chicago classic, pizza from Giordano’s. Later in the weekend, we had a chance to sample Gino’s East too! On Saturday we took a tour of the city, stopping by all the major city sights, including Sears Tower, Millennium Park, Grant Park, Navy Pier, the Water Tower, Magnificent Mile and more. We saw it all! It was a tiring day, but we got a great feel for the city — and I agree, it is a great place. Sunday, our last full day in the city, came way too fast. We enjoyed a leisurely brunch in 312 Chicago, one of Hotel Allegro’s restaurants. We had to stop by Garrett’s Popcorn and take some samples home for friends and family. We took in a Sunday matinee of Jersey Boys, which was absolutely fantastic. I highly recommend taking in that musical in whatever city you can! It was a great city and a wonderful weekend. Plus, it is always great spending time with my mom! – Kimberly Krol, eFlyer editor, circulation and public relations executive