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Chicago Gets Some Bling with The Field Museum's 'Diamond' Exhibit

This tiara, which Salma Hayek donned for a 1998 White House correspondent's dinner (who knew such dinners had a royalty dress code), will be featured at the Field.

Chicago will see some dazzle when "The Nature of Diamonds" brings more than 800 jewels to the Field Museum on October 23. You'll see bling from top-notch designers such as Tiffany & Co., Van Cleef & Arpels, Boucheron and Cartier.

The centerpiece of the exhibit will be The Vault, a reproduced vault that will showcase rare pieces that have rarely been on display. See the diamond jewelry owned by Mae West, Catherine the Great, Joan Crawford, Elton John and other celebs. A highlight is the 128.54-carat Tiffany Diamond, one of the world's largest and finest yellow diamonds, and the 407.48-carat Incomparable Diamond, the largest flawless diamond graded by the Gemological Institute of America and the third-largest cut diamond ever recorded.

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Tags: Fashion Travel / Chicago Travel / Chicago / Michelle Obama / → All Tags

Fashion Focus Chicago Unleashes Windy City's Chic Set

Chicago may have lost out on its bid for the Olympics, but its fashion scene is getting just as much attention as any gold medal athlete. For that they can thank, in part, First Lady Michelle Obama, whose long standing relationship with boutiques like Ikram has earned The Windy City fashion credibility and inspired a thorough article about its style in a recent issue of The New Yorker.

But it's the city's independent designers who are truly trailblazing a sartorial path—those emerging names whose work you might see on the rack at major department stores in the future. In celebration of LBDs (that's Little Black Dresses, for you non-fashion followers), elegant draping, and everything else Chicago has to offer on-and-off the catwalk, Fashion Focus Chicago (October 22-25) will dedicate four full days to shopping events, industry seminars, and runway shows from designers like Horacio Nieto and Michael Alan Stein.

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Tags: Chicago Field Trip / Architecture Travel / Zaha Hadid / Museum Travel / Chicago / Art Travel / → All Tags

Chicago's Millennium Park Piles On The Culture With New Pavilions

Forget the mirror-finish "Cloud Gate" sculpture, otherwise known simply as "The Bean" by Anish Kapoor, Chicago's Millennium Park has blossomed into something even greater than a sanctuary for great architecture and green space—it's become a work of art all it's own.

From all sides, Millennium Park is the place to visit in Chicago; the north holds Frank Gehry's Pritzker Pavilion auditorium and lawn, the south end is the Art Institute with its new Modern wing, the east edge of the park is the lakefront and harbor, and the west edge pulses with Michigan Avenue. Everything within the park continues to grow; from a huge garden of indigenous-to-Illinois plants to the sculptures scattered throughout.

The absolute freshest addition to this garden of al fresco delights, aside from a wading stream, are the two Burnham Pavilions being built to commemorate the 100th Anniversary of the city plan. The first (pictured above), designed by Ben van Berkel of UNStudio, has been up for almost a month now and will remain until late October. It's neighbor by architect Zaha Hadid, however, lags severely behind.

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Tags: Chicago Field Trip / Brunch / Museum Travel / Chicago / Olafur Eliasson / Brunch In Chicago / Art Travel / → All Tags

Eggs Benedict And Olafur Eliasson At Chicago's MCA

We luckily escaped New York City this last weekend for Chicago, just missing tornado warnings, hail, and the threat of having to stay inside for two days. Instead, on the lakefront here in Chi-town, we found a paradise of sun, brunch, and modern art. More specifically, we made a bee-line for Sunday brunch on the terrace at the Museum of Contemporary Art, which currently has an exhibition of Olafur Eliasson's works.

Olafur, in case you missed his waterfalls on the East River last summer in NYC, is something of a large-scale, light-and-color genius, and so pairing his 360-degree light room, prism hallway, and misting waterfall with eggs benedict is our highest recommendation for summer brunching in the city.

The exhibit, entitled "Take Your Time," spans fifteen years of Olafur's art, utilizing his architectural, engineering and lighting skills for constructions which, "at once eccentric and highly geometric, use multicolored washes, focused projections of light, mirrors, and natural elements such as water, stone, and moss to shift the viewer's perception of place and self, foregrounding the sensory experience of each work." It'll be on display at the MCA until September 13, and is way better than the waterfalls in our humble opinion.

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This Weekend In the World: Giant Turkey Legs, Bachata and World War II

· Chicago
All we should have to say to convince you to attend the first weekend of Chicago's Taste of Chicago is "Midwest's Largest Food Festival." Yes, this shindig based around celebrating giant turkey legs, pulled pork sandwiches and vienna dogs incorporates all the greatest indigestion-inducing foods with some of the muggiest days of the year. And it couldn't get any better. Arm yourself with wet naps and head to Grant Park from June 26 through July 5; the busiest days happen right around the Fourth, so this weekend should be some good eating.

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Three Cheap Eats in Chicago That Don't Serve Fried Onion Blossoms

A trip to Chicago can be a heady experience for a foodie, with more than 6,000 restaurants all within the range of efficient public transportation and affordable taxis. It would take a lifetime to sample even a fraction of the city's offerings and without being a native it's often difficult to tell a great ethnic restaurant from a good one or from a mediocre one.

Jaunted recently did a whirlwind tour through the Windy City, and herein is our selection of top Greek, Italian, and Armenian restaurants. One for each category, since we're in a recession and Chicago isn't exactly a cheap town. Each of these places clock in at upwards of $50/person after food and drinks. Don't even hope to get away with less.

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Ferris Bueller Travel: The Ferrari House Hits the Market

While nothing would give us greater pleasure than to do a series on places featured in the classic movie Ferris Bueller's Day Off, a simple visit to Chicago should take care of most of your curiosity. That is, unless you've got a hankering to visit the real stars of the movie like Ferris' school or, even better yet, the infamous Ferrari House.

Since Ferris was filmed both in Chicago's downtown and suburbs, the suburban destinations are the hardest to locate and reach, thereby giving them cult status. While anyone is welcome to drive into the parking lot at Northbrook's Glenbrook North High School, the forest-hidden contemporary house in Highland Park, which serves as the home of Ferris' friend Cameron Frye, is far more secluded.

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Tags: Chicago / Cheap Travel / Summer Travel / Chicago Tourism / Barack Obama / → All Tags

Chi-Town's Free 'Instagreeters' Tour Obama's South Side

If you're a Chicago local giving in to a "staycation" this summer or a tourist keeping your trips domestic, the city is going to try their best to attract you down to their newest, hottest spot: President Obama's former residence.

Located on the south side of the city in the Hyde Park neighborhood, the Obama house is just one stop on the free walking tours leaving every Saturday from June 6 to September 26 at 10am thru 3pm from the Hyde Park Arts Center. Now you know we love free stuff, and so this tour appeals in terms of cost (none!) and historical and architectural significance.

When you aren't snapping pics of Obama's street, you're "Instagreeter" guide will take you by Frank Lloyd Wright's Robie House and the University of Chicago. Tours are first-come, first-served and no reservations are needed; simply show up at the Arts Center and relish being away from the typical tourist traps of downtown and the north side.

Related Stories:
· New InstaGreeter Outpost in Hyde Park Features Free Walks of President Obama’s Neighborhood [ExploreChicago]
· Chicago Offers Free Walks through Obama's Neighborhood [TravelPulse]
· Chicago's 'Bean' To Get Some Serious Competition This Summer [Jaunted]
· Chicago Travel Coverage [Jaunted]

[Obama's House photo: Abitare]

Tags: Photography / Museum Travel / Chicago / Flickr / → All Tags

Taking In Museums Through the Flickr Commons

When it comes to armchair travel, there's always The Travel Channel and those coffee table books featuring aerial views of European cities that you've probably got sitting around somewhere, but why not surf the Flickr Commons as an alternative to dusting off those books?

Just this week, Chicago's venerable Field Museum joined the Commons, adding over 480 images from their collection to the open-use, copyright-less area of Flickr. The Field Museum now joins other Commons partners like The Brooklyn Museum, The Smithsonian, National Galleries of Scotland, and Quebec's Musée McCord.

The move of some of these museum photography collections to the internet marks the development of a new sort of museum travel, whereby prospective visitors, the homebound, and those who are already fans of the collections may explore beyond visiting hours and guided tours. Even the avid photographers on Flickr are taking it upon themselves to capture a museum's content for posterity; The MoMA Project group on Flickr boasts a staggering 30,200+ photos taken within the confines of the New York City museum alone.

Flickrization is also another step to preservation of urban history in the virtual realm, as the Field Museum has added a gallery of their 1893 World's Columbian Exposition images and vintage photos of attractions like the Lincoln Park Zoo. With open and free access to these archives, staying in on a rainy day to indulge in a little armchair traveling has never seemed so enlightening.

Related Stories:
· The Commons welcomes the Field Museum Library [Flickr Blog]
· Flickr Commons Partners [Flickr]
· Photography Travel Coverage [Jaunted]

[Transportation Pavilion image: Field Museum]

Tags: Dunkin' Donuts Alternatives / Donuts / Chicago / Food Travel / → All Tags

Get Dat Donut

Jaunted life lesson number 1: It's really not possible to feel good about yourself after eating more than one donut, which is why you should always try to find the single biggest donut possible.

When in Chicago, the clear winner is the signature behemoth served at Dat Donut. The "Big Dat," as it is fondly called, is four inches across and two inches high, yet cooked to a perfect fluffiness throughout. You can order up a "Dat" in traditional flavors like chocolate or glazed, as well as more adventurous options such as buttermilk and a variety of frosted temptations.

Another attraction at the Chatham-area shop, which is set in the same building as popular restaurant Leon's BBQ, is that hungry fans can watch the donuts being made—and not by a Krispy Kreme automatron but by a real human baker who is probably very popular come closing time.

Aside from Donuts, Dat also serves up your typical junky treats like nachos and ice cream, but after one big one, it's hard to imagine wanting anything else.

Related Stories:
· Dat Donut [Yelp!]
· Are Donuts the New Cupcakes? [Jaunted]
· Designer Doughnuts the Bay Area Way [Jaunted]

[Photo: Yelp]

Tags: Chicago / Cheap Travel / Summer Travel / Chiago Tourism / → All Tags

Chicago Caters to the 'Staycationers' This Summer

While New York City may undoubtably be the king city of cheap things to do to bide your time, Chicago is surprisingly stepping up to give it a run for its money this summer.

From wholesome activities like neighborhood scavenger hunts to an exhibit on the city's gardens, the Windy City is working overtime to supply its glut of summer tourists and even the locals with affordable events to look forward to this summer. Since Chicago remains one of our favorite cities for kicking it urban style, we of course like a few of the events better than others, and yes, they are free.

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Tags: Architecture Travel / Zaha Hadid / Chicago / → All Tags

Chicago's 'Bean' To Get Some Serious Competition This Summer

For visitors to Chicago, a must-do is taking a picture of your own reflection in the smooth, mirrored surface of Anish Kapoor's "Cloud Gate" sculpture at the entrance to Millennium Park. Nicknamed "the Bean," the massive blob holding court at the Michigan Ave entrance to the park is about to get some serious competition for touristic affection on June 19, when the city unveils not one, but two new pavilions which will do more than just sit there and look pretty.

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