What are the very best places to go in Chicago on a relatively limited budget?|127758

I_m thinking about heading to Chicago this weekend, and I_m looking for some things to do. I_ll be driving from Ann Arbor, MI. I_m very interested in doing some photography as well as sightseeing, so what are some of the highlights of the city I should explore?

Downtown Chicago
Navy Pier
Lakefront
Millennium Park
Buckingham Fountain at night is beautiful
They have free trolley rides mostly at all these locations.

Hit the lakefront, north of where it_s busy. I_d start around the area of Montrose or so; there are some beautiful parks up there, and some picturesque slabs of rock bordering Lake Michigan. You could get some great photos out there.

If you_re looking for a really great Thai restaurant which was pretty cheap last I looked (full dinner for about $20/person), check out Pingpong. It_s on Broadway a little north of Belmont.

There_s a nice little Guatemalan restaurant at Roscoe west of Damen that_s cheap. The actual intersection is Roscoe and Hoyne. Just down the street from where I used to live.

There_s a great Mexican restaurant called Tecalitlan on Chicago avenue way out west, I want to say between Damen and Western. You can eat there with drinks for less than $20 a plate, too.

Will_s Northwoods Tavern, on Paulina and George, is a good small bar for a drink. Relatively cheap booze. I also like Fizz in that area, and they have surprisingly good food.

This weekend is the start of Taste of Chicago where you can get some good food and free music, but get there early to beat the crowds. You_ll also have to park somewhere and take the train in, unless you want to spend a bunch of money on parking.

There is a lot going on along the lake - North Avenue Beach is the hot spot. Or head up Michigan Ave / State Street for the standard shopping.

Architectural Boat Tours are also great for sightseeing.

The website I write for put together a top value attractions (places where you get a lot for your money) round-up with spots like Millennium Park, the Magnificent Mile, and the Oak Street Beach.

There_s also a list of attractions that are always free, which is a good thing to know about. For instance, the Chicago Museum of Contemporary Photography, the Lincoln Park Zoo, and Navy Pier. All free!

You can find the whole rundown here:

http://www.smartertravel.com/travel-guid��

Grant Park (Buckingham Fountain), Millennium Park, Navy Pier, Oak Street Beach, North Ave beach, as well as other parks scattered across the city are very photogenic. The area around the Museum Campus (Shedd Aquarium, Field Museum, Adler Planeterium) is especially nice. Also just riding on the elevated train can give you a good photographic experience. The various trains pass through all of the neighborhoods of Chicago. The museums will cost you if you decided to go in, and the train is about $2 a ride, less if you buy a visitor_s pass. You might also want to check out Wicker Park. It_s hipster heaven but there are still some parts that are OK.

There are other parts of the city too that are good to explore (like Pilsen), but I don_t recommend a new-to-Chicago tourist go alone, but take a local friend. Not because it_s especially dangerous, but you could get all turned around and lost.

Pick up a copy of Time Out Chicago Magazine when you get here. It lists all of the inexpensive things to do, from inexpensive restaurants, to free comedy shows, etc. and it even tells you how to get there on the bus so you don_t have to go broke riding cabs.

I would recommend SummerDance, Millennium Park and the free days at the Museums (Tuesdays, sponsored by target) There are also new free exercise classes on Saturday Mornings in Pritzker Pavilion in Milennium Park. And the Gay Pride Parade is in BoysTown (Wrigleyville) on Sunday at noon. That is all free.

I don_t like Lincoln Park Zoo because so many animals die there and it isn_t kept up well. If you really want to see a zoo go see Brookfield Zoo.

You can read more about the events I recommended at the link below.