There are lots of walking tours in Chicago, and the choices can be overwhelming. One of the companies I recommend highly is Chicago Detours. If you’re looking for a tour that’s specialized and a little off the beaten path, with highly intelligent and personable tour guides, definitely check them out.
I first got to know about Chicago Detours when I was reading my Rick Steves’ Italy travel guide a couple of years back. I noticed one of the authors, Amanda, was from Chicago and that she was the founder of Chicago Detours -- a dynamic and thriving tour company that offers both private and public tours. For this post, I’ll be talking about my experience on their Historic Chicago Pub Crawl Walking Tour.
I first got to know about Chicago Detours when I was reading my Rick Steves’ Italy travel guide a couple of years back. I noticed one of the authors, Amanda, was from Chicago and that she was the founder of Chicago Detours -- a dynamic and thriving tour company that offers both private and public tours. For this post, I’ll be talking about my experience on their Historic Chicago Pub Crawl Walking Tour.
Here I am enjoying a light beer at the start of our tour at the Billy Goat Tavern
Architecture. Chicago History. Beer. I could hardly wait to begin what was sure to be an unforgettable afternoon. We met our guide, Pawel, in the Chicago Tribune building and that’s where our tour began. He broke the ice by having each of us go around and give ourselves a “jazz name” (composed of our favorite breakfast food and the last name of a president --- I was 'French Toast Kennedy'). With as many times as I’d been inside the Tribune building, Paul still managed to blow my mind with some odd facts about the building and lobby that is not information you’d find in a guide book or on the internet. For instance, I discovered that the map behind the front desk in the lobby is actually made out of macerated dollar bills!
We talked a little about why the Tribune building should be included on this historical bar crawl. Something I hadn’t thought about before was the religious ornamentation of the building itself and what it said about how people thought about newspapers. Freedom of the press represented a path to democracy, and the people of Chicago valued that so highly, the Tribune Building looks just about as holy as a church.
The first bar we stopped at on our way was located underground on Lower Michigan Drive. The Billy Goat Tavern was made famous by the SNL sketch starring John Belushi and Dan Aykroyd in the 1970's and also made locally famous by the owner who was always after the next publicity stunt. You may have heard of the Curse of the Billy Goat which is supposedly why the Cubs haven’t won a world series in forever. The bar/restaurant was also a popular hangout for journalists due to its close proximity to both the Tribune and the Sun-Times. We snacked on some of the famous “Cheezborgers” and grilled cheeses for the vegetarians before heading to our next stop.
We stopped by the very first jazz club in Chicago, now a closed down steakhouse. I was fascinated by the research that went into finding this gem. The original architecture was covered up and the numbers of the street changed, but Chicago Detours discovered its location --- again not something you’d find in a guidebook but by these architecturally minded guides.
Our tour guide, Pawel, talks us through Chicago's turbulent history of having a good time
Another highlight of the tour was stopping in the Intercontinental Hotel into the Michael Jordan’s Steakhouse. I had been inside he lobby of this hotel numerous times, but I was unaware of its interesting history as a private club for the Shriners (an offshoot of the Freemasons) and the interesting Middle Eastern symbolism.
If you look up the side of the Intercontinental Hotel, can you tell what era it was built in?
Discovering all of these interesting little-known facts about Chicago, whether you are a local or someone just visiting, opens your eyes to new ways of thinking and brings insight into the ways people have been entertaining themselves throughout history.
Gorgeous carvings inside the Intercontinental Hotel
Chicago Detours offers a variety of public tours including The Loop Interior Architecture Tour with Pedway (highly recommended!), 1893 World’s Fair Tour with Bars and Food (next on my list!), Best Architecture Tour Since Sliced Bread, and Old Polonia and Wicker Park Walking Tour with food.
To book a tour with Chicago Detours, visit their website at http://www.chicagodetours.com/
To book a tour with Chicago Detours, visit their website at http://www.chicagodetours.com/
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