Chicago | Marijuana Travel Guide

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One of Chicago’s must-see neighborhoods is The Loop, which is otherwise referred to as “Chicago’s official downtown.” The possibilities are endless when exploring The Loop. Shop until you drop on State Street, take an afternoon stroll through picturesque Millenium Park, check out the infamous “silver bean” sculpture or explore this fast-paced city from an adventurous river cruise or double-decker bus. While touring the city, experience two of Chicago’s most recognizable buildings -- The John Hancock Centre and The Willis Tower (formerly Sears Tower).

In addition, visitors can easily spend a full day soaking up The Loop’s variety of music festivals, admiring various iconic art displays and sculptures or channeling their inner child by rock climbing or roller-skating at Maggie Daley Park. Check out the glamorous side of this neighborhood by shopping at luxurious boutique shops, spending a weekend at well-renowned hotels like The Godfrey and Palmer House and eating at restaurants with equal amounts of exquisite history and flavorful dishes like The Walnut Room, Weber Grill and The Berghoff Restaurant.

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Logan Square is a historic Chicago neighborhood filled with affordable eateries, scenic bike trails, unique pubs and a diverse music and art scene for all personality types to enjoy. Logan Square is known to be one of the hippest parts of Chicago with a balance between eclectic and hipster inhabitants. It’s also a volunteer-rich community that’s intricately intertwined with nature and industrial features, showcasing a variety of parks and man-made wonders. Logan Square forms Chicago’s “Emerald Necklace” -- a system consisting of unified parks and green streetscapes filled with grass decorated medians and colorful trees bordering various roads and boulevards.

Besides Logan Square having leafy streets filled with beautiful bungalows and majestic old-style buildings, it also has a vintage feel because of the variety of old mansions, taverns and pubs. This neighborhood also has a huge music scene, which attracts many young crowds who like to watch local bands and grab a cold brew or share some good eats with friends.

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To experience more of an upscale downtown Chicago excursion consisting of fine dining, arts and design, River North is a go-to spot. This neighborhood borders the Magnificent Mile, right across the Chicago bridge from The Loop. Over the years, this area has become a popular area for entertainment and the arts.

Although River North has a bold music and arts culture in the daytime, once happy hour hits, oodles of people eat at award-winning restaurants, sip specialty cocktails at upscale wine bars and cocktail lounges and dance the night away at fancy new clubs. A few popular spots worth checking out include the House of Blues, Three Dots and a Dash and Comedy Bar, which is located above Gino’s East Pizzeria.

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Live music, an epic nightlife scene, imaginative art galleries and an endless selection of cafes and restaurants all come together to make up Wicker Park and Bucktown. Wicker Park and Bucktown are used interchangeably to describe Chicago’s most imaginative and creative hubs, that maintain its vintage and indie style mixed with an artsy and musical culture.

Both Wicker Park and Bucktown have been recognized by locals and tourists alike for their nightcap venues including the mixology tour at The Violet Hour and the renowned brewery, Piece. Before continuing on with your day, don’t forget to stop at one of Wicker Park’s unique coffee shops like The Wormhole Coffee, La Colombe Coffee or Fairgrounds Coffee and Tea.

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Last but not least is Boystown -- an increasingly progressive neighborhood that has become one of the biggest lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender communities in the whole country. Boystown is located within the East Lakeview community and as many as one thousand people visit this iconic neighborhood daily. Not only is Boystown a modern neighborhood that proudly houses all types of people no matter their sexual orientation or gender, this area also makes headlines for hosting two of the largest events in Chicago each year -- The Chicago Pride Parade and Market Days.

Every Summer, both events attract over one million spectators and visitors. Rainbow colored flags are hung at nearly every apartment building and single-unit home and the city’s streets are decorated with colorful pylons thus keeping the neighborhood lively and cheerful. Boystown is a neighborhood where the party never ends and where the nightlife scene becomes more vivacious and carefree as the years go on.

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One of the first places to visit in Chicago is Navy Pier, which offers numerous activities that can please all age groups. The iconic Navy Pier ferris wheel is worth taking for a spin to see the beautiful city in the daytime or to soak in the ambiance of it in the evening. Since Navy Pier is an architectural treasure, it’s essential to explore its contemporary public art installations and exhibitions.

Fortunately, Navy Pier is free and open to the public all year-round. However, if you want to shop along the pier or sample some food along Navy Pier, be prepared to pay at least $20 for a small meal and for select touristy merchandise. Some of Navy Pier’s most beloved attractions include the traditional ferris wheel, other rides and games, romantic cruises on Lake Michigan or the Chicago River, live entertainment, cultural attractions and even weekend firework shows.

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To experience downtown Chicago as if you’re a local, do yourself a favor and spend time exploring Millennium Park -- one of Chicago’s most widely trafficked areas. What makes Millennium Park so unique is that almost everything about it is a combination of historic Chicago and a modern-day city. Whoever visits Chicago takes at least a picture or two in front of the “silver bean” sculpture, which is often followed by a walk through Crown Fountain accompanied by public art and video sculptures displayed on glass brick towers.

From there, it’s never a bad idea to stroll through Lurie Garden, no matter the season. To utilize your energy and strength in the summertime, rock-climbing and roller-skating at Maggie Daley Park never disappoints, especially because of the gorgeous views at the top. For a mellow evening, visiting the Jay Pritzker Pavilion for music festivals and movies in the park is always a worthwhile experience

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A scenic and informative way of getting to know Chicago is to spend time along the Chicago Riverwalk. This flourishing walk along the Chicago River is 1.25-miles long stretched out by the south bank of the Chicago River from Lake Shore Drive to Lake Street. People can ride their bikes, roller skate or scooter along the riverwalk. You can even rent kayaks and take them out on the Chicago River for a fun afternoon in the sun, hop on a Chicago Water Taxi for epic sight-seeing or have a romantic dinner on Odyssey’s Chicago River Dinner Cruise.

If you get hungry or thirsty, there are several places to stop along the riverwalk to refuel and soak up the city sights. City Winery Chicago and Island Party Hut Tiki Bar are two favorites that allow visitors to enjoy the beautiful views of Chicago while filling up their bellies.

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The best way to see Chicago from a birds-eye-view is to visit the iconic John Hancock Building. It’s especially unique because it’s a historic landmark offering visitors the opportunity to take in 360 degree views of Lake Michigan and the incredible Chicago skyline. The 360 Chicago observation deck goes even further by being the home of Chicago’s highest adrenaline-rich ride. The ride consists of an enclosed moving platform that tilts individuals outwards over Michigan Avenue, as high up as the 94th Floor.

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If you’re looking for high-quality medical cannabis products accompanied by knowledgeable and specialized budtenders, FloraMedex dispensary is worth visiting. This dispensary has a loft style design that gives it a modern and upscale vibe, so customers feel relaxed and taken care of. Since customer service and premier cannabis products are two of FloraMedex’s priorities, this dispensary can suit the needs and wants of nearly all medical cannabis patients. Address: 7955 W Grand Avenue in Elmwood Park.

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Seven Point Dispensary is committed to selling both high-quality cannabis products and providing credible information and valuable resources to all customers, especially cannabis beginners. This dispensary prides themselves on creating an environment focused on compassion and exceptional care, while also building medical cannabis awareness through education. Seven Point does their part by striving to guide customers in the best direction possible, which is something that makes them especially unique.To gain additional knowledge about cannabis, its medicinal and therapeutic benefits and numerous high-quality cannabis products, pay Seven Points a visit. Address: 1132 Lake Street in Oak Park.

Source: Mindful Medical Marijuana Dispensary Facebook Page

What if there was a place that offered a balance between the past and the future? Look no further than Mindful Medical Marijuana Dispensary. This dispensary is unlike others because it focuses on what matters most -- the patients and providing natural plant remedies in the form of quality cannabis products. The dispensary’s interior is a mixture between futuristic and retro styles to create an artsy atmosphere that resonates with all people. If you want to buy quality cannabis products and have a mindful experience, this dispensary is worth checking out. Not all dispensaries focus on offering customers the healthiest and most effective choices of medical cannabis but Mindful Medical does. Address: 1433 W Fullerton Avenue, Suite C in Addison.

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If you want to purchase quality medical cannabis products from a historic yet modern Illinois dispensary, check out 3C Naperville Dispensary. This dispensary was one of the first ones to open in Illinois since the state’s medical cannabis program went into effect in 2013. 3C Naperville Dispensary cares deeply about working with the best cultivators in addition to hiring knowledgeable staff members to provide customers with the assistance they deserve. Address: 1700 Quincy Avenue, Unit 103 in Naperville.

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The Art Institute is one of the world’s greatest art museums, especially since it’s home to a huge collection of various forms of art that span multiple centuries and countries. To avoid paying the institute’s admission fee, come on Thursdays between 5:00–8:00 p.m. to get in for free. The Art Institute is well-known around the world and their exhibitions regularly change to educate all ages and spread awareness. Some on-going art exhibitions to admire include: the Medieval and Renaissance displays, African art,and several galleries of Greek, Roman and Byzantine Art.

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If you like immersing yourself into arts and culture for the purpose of learning and growing, visit The Field Museum. This incredible museum fuels a journey of exploration and discovery throughout different times. The intention of this is to enable, permit and encourage various solutions to ensure a brighter and richer future regarding nature, culture and the arts.

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One interesting way to learn about the world through art and ideas is to visit the Smart Museum of Art at The University of Chicago. The museum opened in 1974 and since then, it has been an excellent way for people to examine complex problems by looking through the lens of various art objects, artistic approaches and practices.

This museum is especially unique because it combines different experiences, ideas, concepts and identities into art collections and exhibitions so people can challenge their minds and think outside of the box.

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If you love authentic Italian food loaded with simple ingredients and hand-made pastas, Monteverde is worth checking out. Two years ago, the head chef won an award for the best chef in the Great Lakes area and also competed on Food Network’s “Iron Chef Gauntlet.” To say Monteverde understands the food they offer is an understatement, as it’sa true mixture of a traditional Italian, family traditions and modern touches to keep it fresh. Monteverde also has a bar and patio for people to enjoy an indoor or outdoor dining experience. For dinner items, be prepared to spend a minimum of $16 for a pasta dish, with certain meals can cost up to $75.

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When visiting Chicago, you must experience panoramic views of the city and lakefront views. By having a meal or drinks at Cindy’s at The Chicago Athletic Association’s Hotel, you can do just that. Cindy’s is known for being the best rooftop dining location Chicago has to offer. It’s situated on the hotel’s rooftop that also has an open-air terrace, which provides panoramic views of Chicago. Overall, Cindy’s is an upscale glass and steel rooftop restaurant with an aery atmosphere that brings seasonal freshness and local ingredients into its menu and award-winning cocktails.

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Beatnik is much more than a beautiful restaurant to enjoy a refreshing meal. Beatnik draws inspiration from a variety of 1950s and 1960s sources to give it an eclectic combination of boho-themed furniture pieces and antiques from around the world. The majestic restaurant strives to give guests an experience similar to a voyage through a Mediterranean farmhouse accompanied by Moorish style architecture and tropical abundance surrounded by hundreds of Bali-themed plants.

Beatnik’s head chef aims to mirror the restaurant’s design aesthetic by offering meals with flavors pulled from Asia, South America, Mexico and the Middle East. Before guests are served their food, they can relax on pillow-strewn wood daybeds and munch on specialty “feast” plates that create an international dinner party vibe. If you’re interested in having a worldly food experience in which you can travel to various countries via Beatnik’s food and drink menu, you must stop here while visiting Chicago.