What Goes Into Starting a Tour Company?
Starting a tour company is a daunting challenge! Here Amanda, our Executive Director, shares her experience as an entrepreneur with her tour company in Chicago, which was founded in 2018. In 2020, the tour company became a virtual events company. Here are her thoughts on going into small business in the travel and events industry. […]
Best Stops for Student Performance Groups in Chicago
We often play host to big student performance groups in Chicago for their annual trip. It’s always a kick to guide these student groups. Hanging out with them often feels like time travel, since I’m a former high school drama kid and marching band groupie myself. I’ve also grown to appreciate just how hard it […]
What Working for Rick Steves is Really Like
“What’s working for Rick Steves like?” I’ve heard that question many times since I worked as one of his tour guides in Europe. Rick Steves and his partner, Trish, joined me on the Loop Interior Architecture Walking Tour back in 2016. So I thought I’d answer a few of those common questions for our tour […]
The History of Four Chicago Lighthouses
When one thinks of architecture in Chicago, lighthouses might not come to mind. But Chicago, long a preeminent American port, has an extended history with these vital, vertical structures. We research stories from Chicago history, architecture and culture like this while developing our live virtual tours, in-person private tours, and custom content for corporate events. You can join […]
A Milwaukee Day-Trip Detour
Chicago is, of course, a major transportation hub. So it’s easy to sneak away for a quick “detour” to some fantastic places. My favorite is a Milwaukee trip, which is a short train ride north on the Hiawatha line. When you’re hungry for some travel, a Milwaukee trip provides a hearty lunch, the architecture of […]
Visit the Chicago Neighborhood of Pilsen
Downtown Chicago is known for its business, shopping, and extraordinary architecture. But downtown holds little in the way of truly individualistic expression and a sense of community. For that, you may have to think outside the Loop and the Mag Mile. For that, you can travel a short ways southwest, to the Pilsen neighborhood of […]
Detour by Train from Chicago to Visit Kansas City
We are so lucky to live in the transportation hub of Chicago. While of course Chicago has gazillions of attractions, sometimes we have to get away and travel elsewhere. We can easily do so with two major airports and plenty of highways, but people often forget–or just don’t know–about the beauty of train travel. Kansas […]
Lost Chicago Drinking Poems
We lose things for all kinds of reasons – we’re absent minded, we drop them, or we just plain forget about them. One could make many cases for why drinking poems might get lost over time: 1. People were drunk when they wrote them, so they aren’t worth being remembered. 2. People got drunk after […]
A Historic Home in an Ocean of Brutalism
Among the 1950s and 1960s buildings of the University of Illinois at Chicago campus, one place just does not look like the others! The original Jane Addams Hull House, now a museum, has Italianate cornices and a columned porch. In addition to Jane Addams fame as the “Mother of Social Work,” here you can gain […]
Part Zwei (2) of Christkindlmarket: Tips for a Visit
We’d like to share a few tips to make the most out of your visit for shopping, food, and drinks at the Christkindlmarket. While the size of the Christkindlmarket is by no means intimidating, it’s easy to overlook some of the market’s most authentic offerings. Of course, you can let us lead you through Christkindlmarket […]