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Check Out Chicago for COVID Cautious Travel

Check Out Chicago for COVID Cautious Travel

International travel has all but ground to a halt for Americans, but there are places within the U.S. that are open for business, where you can find some COVID-safe diversions and revel in luxury accommodations. And we’re not just talking about sparsely populated places in the great outdoors of the wide-open West.

My daughter and I took a luxurious mini holiday in Chicago, arrangements made keeping COVID precautions in mind. We dined outside, found a rooftop pool, cruised a river all by ourselves and took in some culture without feeling that our hard-earned COVID safety bubble was threatened.

The fall is usually a beautiful time in Chicago, and with an early September visit we picked a luxury property with an outdoor pool to soak up some of the last warm temperatures.
luxe viceroy pool

We drove into town and checked in to the Viceroy Chicago hotel (1118 N. State St.) with social distancing markers and a clear divider at the lobby desk. Workers were all masked as were guests in the lobby. Our 15th-floor room door was sealed with a sticker attesting to the room’s cleanliness.  As part of its COVID precautions, the hotel is currently leaving rooms empty for 24 hours after a guest departs.

The 18-story, 180 room property in the Gold Coast area is a stylish melding of the old and new. Guests enter through the rebuilt 1920s-era façade of the original Cedar Hotel, which now fronts an elegant lobby and 18-story glass tower.

After months mostly inside, the rooftop pool and lounge were highlights. Attendants take your temperature before taking you to a poolside lounge chair.  All of the seating is covered with towels and is changed for each new guest. Masks are not required in the pool area, but are worn by staff delivering drinks. The number of guests is limited. Depending on weather, the pool could be open through October. Check with the hotel, but take advantage of this option if you are able.

Vicorey Chicago

Although Chicago restaurants are open with limited inside capacity, we decided to eat only at restaurants with outdoor seating for this 3-night excursion. We weren’t without options

The Viceroy Chicago is close to popular restaurants, many with expanded outdoor seating spaces to adhere to the rules governing Chicago’s reopening.  So our first lunch was at the nearby Nico Osteria, 1015 N. Rush St. at the Thompson hotel, for an outdoor lunch including a frozen Aperol Spritz and leafy green salad topped with grilled salmon.

Many of Chicago’s outdoor dining spaces have worthy views, but none can compare to that of Gibson’s Italia, the latest fine-dining spot from Gibson’s Restaurant Group fame. It’s perched on Canal Street, directly above the confluence of all three branches of the Chicago River.

Pairing spectacular design and views with impeccable food definitely makes for a night to remember, even during a pandemic, or maybe especially during a pandemic.

Upon entering Gibson’s Italia, masked staff members take your temperature before seating you. Our reservations were for 7 p.m. so we started at our outdoor table with drinks and views of the many boaters and kayakers enjoying the end of day. The Chicago cityscape was the main star when the building lights came on little by little as the sky darkened.

The starters are notable; a smoked Japanese Kobe beef tartare arrives under smoke-filled glass, with a combination of flavors no less dramatic than the presentation. A crudo selection was a standout as well with salmon and tuna bites.

Gibson’s wide menu makes choosing difficult, but we had to go with both the traditional steak and a risotto to try out the Italian options. We couldn’t be happier with our selections, though we feared it would be too much food.

We ordered the signature Chicago Cut, a 22-ounce ribeye and a black truffle, chanterelle mushroom and balsamic risotto. We were sharing both entrees. It was too much food, but it was so good we managed to eat it all.

Gibson’s serves the steak sliced, perfect for sharing, on a silver platter with rosemary and roasted garlic.  Keep that in mind if you want to just have a few slices of steak and a side. The steak’s charred outside and tender inside were good enough to stop us from talking. The same with the risotto. We ate it all.

We also checked out another hotel during our mini-trip, The Langham, in downtown Chicago at 330 N. Wabash Ave. Ranked the best hotel in Chicago in 2020 by U.S News & World Report, the uber-luxurious property has 316 guest rooms and suites and is situated along the banks of the Chicago River.

Langham room

During the pandemic, guests have their temperature checked upon arrival, and all staff is masked.  The rooms are sanitized after cleaning and then sealed with a sticker affixed to the door noting that the cleaning/sanitation was completed.

The indoor pool and spa are open, but some of the spa options are not being offered right now, like the sauna and facial treatments. The one-hour massage I had at the Langham’s Chuan spa was the first I’ve had all year.  It was well worth the slight inconvenience of wearing a mask for the duration, as did my therapist.

Our room at the Langham was a one-bedroom suite with spectacular views of the river and the Lake Michigan. The stylish design, comfy furnishings and oversized bath make you want to move right in. Its location is close to everything downtown.

ACTIVITIES

So you’re in a world-class city during a global pandemic and you’ve managed to safely navigate hotels and dining. What more is there to do that is COVID cautious?

We found quite a bit. But our favorite was our one-hour cruise on the Chicago River with the Chicago Electric Boat Co. It’s the perfect activity when you’re trying to keep your distance from others because you drive the boat yourself and are the only passengers.

There were just the two of us on this ride, but it would be great for a family or a small group of quarantine buddies.

Chicago Electric boat

Chicago Electric Boats Company

The company has several places to pick up boats, but the easiest for us was right along the Chicago Riverwalk in the heart of downtown. For $235 per hour, you get to captain your own boat. It’s very easy to drive. There’s a full orientation before you board, with directions on best places to turn around. And if you just don’t want to be your own captain, you can get a staff member to do it for you. But half the fun was doing our own navigation.

Another hit was our visit to the world-famous Art Institute of Chicago. Though it has limited hours and advance tickets are required, the less-crowded galleries were a bonus. One of the best new technologies I’ve seen is the virtual lines for exhibits. You sign on when you arrive at the museum and get notified what time you can enter a special exhibit. We visited before the new Monet and Chicago exhibit opened Sept. 5. It’s a must-see if you come to town.

Chicago, the Art Institute

Quite a few of the city’s other noteworthy museums have reopened, including the Shedd Aquarium, the Field Museum, Museum of Science and Industry, Museum of Contemporary Art and the Chicago Architecture Center.  For a complete list of all museums currently open in Chicago check out this link at the city’s tourism marketing website, Choose Chicago.

Other dining options

While the weather is nice, there are many outdoor options in Chicago. My guess is that the city’s restaurants will come up with some options for extending outdoor dining as the temperatures cool, like outdoor heaters, bubble spaces or by providing blankets at chairs as do restaurants in some of Europe’s coldest places.

Here are a few outdoor dining options to consider:

Offshore Rooftop & Bar, bills itself as the nation’s largest rooftop venue. It’s on the eastern end of Navy Pier, with panoramic views of Lake Michigan and the city skyline. Casual sandwiches or full entrees share space with an extensive bar menu. Offshore is open even though the rest of Navy Pier is closed for fall and winter. Fire pits and retractable doors and windows allow for comfortable customers no matter the weather.

Vermilion, on Hubbard Street in the city’s River North neighborhood, delivers an inspired melding of Indian and Latin American food in a small but comfortable outdoor space. The artichoke pakoras and butter chicken were favorites on our visit. But we must go back to try the Venezuelan arepas duck vindaloo. The menu also highlights the combo meal of lobster Portuguese and chimichurri New York strip. Cocktails stand out too. We especially liked the Lake Michigan, vodka paired with cilantro and cucumber, and the Lake Shore Drive, a mix of green chartreuse, gin and assam green tea.

Monteverde Restaurant and Pastificio, in the city’s trendy West Loop neighborhood on Madison Street, where standout offerings include stuffed squash blossoms, a burrata, ham and melon plate and cacio e pepe.

Beatrix,, with several locations around Chicago, offers all-day dining, but we especially like it for its terrific coffee and breakfast concoctions in a stylish casual space. You’ll also be able to find a lot of healthy options here, like the pepper and egg white sandwich, if you’re able to resist those light and fluffy lemon pancakes.

For more information on lodging, dining and things to do in Chicago, visit choosechicago.com.

Some cautions

In most places in and around Chicago’s downtown, people generally seem to be wearing masks outdoors. But that is not everybody and not all the time.

One of the finest outdoor entertainment areas in the city is the 1.25-mile Riverwalk lined with bars, restaurants, public art and places to sit and mingle. Unfortunately, despite signage everywhere encouraging visitors to wear masks, a significant amount of people (maybe one-quarter) paid no attention on the days we were there. Fewer people are out in the mornings before the bars and restaurants are open, so consider that as an option.

In July, Chicago enacted an emergency travel order directing visitors from states experiencing surges in the virus to self-quarantine for 14 days upon arrival in the city. Every Tuesday, the list of states is updated. Initially, just a few states were on the list, but as summer progressed the number grew. As of Sept. 15, 17 states were on the quarantine list. For updates, check this link.

Chicago skyline view from Gibson's

About The Author

Terri Colby

Terri Colby spent decades as a journalist reporting hard news stories before she wised up and started roaming the world as a travel writer. Sleeping in the Sahara, mingling with Monarch butterflies on a mountaintop on Mexico, and finding awe and wonder on a Kenya safari are among her most memorable experiences. Luxury cruises, fine dining and boutique hotels are always on her radar. She's vice president of SATW’s Freelance Council. Follow her wanders at imsleepingaround.com

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