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5 Days in Chicago-and Had the Time of our Lives!!!

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We have a paper bag. In the bag are slips of paper listing places that we would like to go on a 4-5 day fall adventure. Last October, after visiting our "bag destination" Napa Valley, we reached in and grabbed Chicago. For the following year I researched the heck out of Chicago so that we could make the most efficient use of our time, and have a great trip. We did it!!!! After looking at hotels that met our needs (walking to most places, breakfast included, good reviews)...I booked Hotel RIU Plaza Chicago.  We have stayed at all-inclusive RIU resorts in the Caribbean.  Although not one of our most favorites-this Spanish chain is relatively new to the market in the United States.  The hotel is only a couple of years old.  We know that they start out with "lower" rates-then after they are established and reviews are positive, they up the rates.  We stayed 4 nights and booked in November 2025 for our September 2026 trip.  The total went up $800 ($200 per night...
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Napa Valley! How Does it Compare to the Fingerlakes?

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For almost 60 years I have lived in the Finger Lakes Wine Country.  So many wineries, breweries, and cheese farmhouses. Rolling hills and moderate weather at times during the year (when it's not snowing!!). This year we decided to visit Napa Valley mid-September to see what everyone was talking about!  To be fair...the farthest west that we have been is Las Vegas, so this was a whole new world for us! As per usual, we planned this trip for about a year-so had plenty of time to tweak our trip, research fun things, and plan our time. We booked wineries, our 2 days of transportation as well as our rental car.  We did not make any dining plans-decided to wait to see what locals suggested. Here is our story, with narrative on comparisons to Finger Lakes. We stayed overnight Sunday in Syracuse, NY before our 6AM flight to San Francisco.  There are so many airports to use for Napa Valley-but we really wanted to see The Golden Gate Bridge, as well as connect with our niece w...
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