Isn’t Cloud Gate One of the Most Touristy Thing in Chicago?

Anish Kapoor is probably one of the most distinguished artist and creator known to the sculpting and designing world...and Chicago’s lucky enough to be one of the cities that he has contributed to in the form of Cloud Gate. Cloud Gate, or better known as The Bean, is a centerpiece that took the world by storm when it was first introduced. It is the first public outdoor artwork that was installed by Kapoor in the United States.

What is so unique about Cloud Gate a.k.a. The Bean?

First off, Cloud Gate, the elliptical sculpture that stands out from afar, weighs a whopping 110 ton and is made out of pure stainless steel (in order to withstand all-year harsh weather).

Read more here...

Chicago - A Wide Assortment of Bars and Clubs

Chicago’s residents are big on games...big supporter of sports and they will go to no end to support their favorite teams, so, when these games are playing, don’t be surprised that all the bars and clubs are filled to the brim and you are having trouble trying to find yourself a spot in the bar. The thing is, you don’t have to be fan of baseball or basketball or even soccer to enjoy the loud, enthusiastic atmosphere. Their cheers are sometimes amusing and entertaining in itself. Today, Chicago is the country’s third largest and most populous city.

And speaking of bus company Chicago bars, we have quite a few recommendations for you. Lucky for you.

First off, it would have to be one of our favorite one - RiNo, a sleek, chic and modern outfit that features 80’s flashback music, retro sounds, a huge drinks menu and a good mix of people. One of the things we really love about RiNo is the relaxed atmosphere and unique vibe. The setback would have to be a hefty cover charge that is required after a certain hour. If you want to skip that cover, bring your Bus Company Chicago group of travelers over here a little earlier. There are usually some special gimmicks going on in order to boost atmosphere so, check their website out to see the latest game or promotion going on.

Another hot favorite with our bus company Chicago charter bus rental customers is the unassuming Fulton Street Lounge located in West Loop. The funny thing with the outfit is its location. Located right smack in the middle of rows and rows of warehouses can be quite disconcerting but once you step inside, all of you worries and concerns will melt away. There is a reason for the location, of course, because the bar serves as a gathering spot for the workers who are looking for some downtime after work without having to drive to the even-busier downtown district. It is all about basic, minimal decor and we absolutely love the open concept because there could be loads of people in the bar and yet you don’t really feel that it is too cramped up.

On Lincoln Park, we have another hot bus company Chicago favorite - D.O.C. Wine Bar. Here, things are a little classier and more chic....you will be mingling around with some wine aficionados, for sure where stories and experiences are shared amongst each other very freely. The sheer number of quality wines is incredible, to say the very least.

Crown Fountain

Located at 50 South Michigan Avenue, Millennium Park, Chicago, the Crown Fountain is an unusual place to visit. If you already have plans to visit a few interesting places in a Chicago rental bus, don’t miss out on the opportunity to visit the Crown Fountain too. It is just within a short walking distance from “The Bean”. In fact, you can also kill two birds with a stone during this visit by going to the The Bean too, after you have seen the Crown Fountain.

If you plan to stop by the Crown Fountain first before you walk over to The Bean for your trip in the Chicago rented bus, please remember to let the bus driver know so that he can drop you at the nearest point to the Crown Fountain. Should this be your first trip, you may want to know that the Crown Fountain is actually two blocks of identical towers with LED lights showing a person’s face. The faces on the towers face each other and would seem like they are having a conversation. It is a rather unusual piece of art that some have actually called it a modern Gargoyle. It has also been said that a thousand locals were asked to sit for a minute and then at the end of the one minute, they were to purse their lips. Their images were then used on this LED lights display – by slowing it down to three minutes and when the image purse its lips, water then sprouts out from it and it would look as though they were spitting.

This is a great place to bring the family, especially the kids on a hot day for them to relax and cool down. Be sure to bring a change of clothes if you intend to bring the kids here to enjoy watching the display “spitting” water of out its mouth and it goes right into a shallow pool where you find many visitors keeping themselves cool in it on a hot day. Kids can’t help but to play with the water that comes out of the display, hence getting wet is quite inevitable. On hot sunny days, this is a favorite spot for the locals as well as visitors from near and afar. You can’t miss finding this place and if you came in a Chicago charter bus, you can be sure that the bus driver would know the place very well.

Willis Tower, Chicago

Looking for some adventure on a special date with your girlfriend? Or rather, are you looking for an exciting wedding proposal venue? Then you should really consider planning a trip on a rented Chicago bus to the Willis Tower (formerly known as Sears Tower) with your girlfriend and make your wedding proposal a special one – right on top of the tower (well, almost right at the top, that is), on The Ledge – glass balconies that extends over 4 feet outside of the building, which definitely makes your wedding proposal a memorable one!

It is understandable that when one is in the midst of planning a wedding proposal, there is just so much you have in your mind; hence, let the Chicago bus rental company take care of your transportation needs to the Willis Tower. That way, you can plan your wedding proposal without having to worry much about how you will get to the venue with your beloved girlfriend.

As you get down from the Chicago rental bus with your girlfriend, you will be standing in front of a 110-storey building right in the heart of Chicago and not only is this one of the tallest building in the world, it is also considered to be a magnificent icon that is impossible to be missed. Located on the 103rd floor of the building, the Skydeck Chicago is the observation deck where it welcomes about 1.3 million tourists yearly. If you happen to be there on a beautiful clear day, you will get to see over fifty miles in every direction of the city. One of the main attraction of the building is The Ledge, which is a 4-glass boxes that extends 4.3 feet outside the Tower – just the perfect spot for a wedding proposal, if we may add!

One way to keep yourself calm and cool before you pop the question to your girlfriend would be to take the tour of the building itself. Discover the reasons of what makes this building such a popular tourist point of visit and learn about the rich history of Chicago and culture through video presentations as well as interactive touch screen activities and exhibits. Be sure to capture the memory of the trip with a picture taken with the sculpture of the building. And finally, as you approach The Ledge, that would be the perfect moment for you to step out to the glass balcony, get down on one knee and bring out the ring to propose to your unsuspecting girlfriend!

Chill out at Hungry Brain

The weekend’s coming and you know that you and your friends have been talking about trying out at a local dive bar – but which one should you go? How about checking out “Hungry Brain” – well, the name may sound a little scary and perhaps a tad too “zombie-like”, but trust us, you will not get eaten up by zombies at this place! And since you are going to be chilling out with drinks, make it a safe outing with your friends by renting a bus to Hungry Brain.

Rent a bus, gather your friends and tell your bus driver to take your party gang to Hungry Brain – a local dive bar located at 2319 W Belmont Ave, Chicago, IL 60618 in Roscoe Village neighborhood. The place is open daily – from 8pm till 2am (Mondays through Fridays and Sundays) and from 8pm till 3am on Saturdays.

Upon entering the place after you and your friends get off the Chicago rented bus, you will quickly notice that they have a Pacman machine placed near the stage but take note, the machine only accepts 5’s and 1’s only – so be sure to have plenty of those handy, as the game can be quite addictive! Other than the Pacman machine, they also have some other arcade games machines available. Oh, and they have a jukebox in there too, with a great variety and genre of music – you will surely find something you enjoy listening to – but you may just have to dance at the spot where you are at because they do not have a proper dancing floor, unfortunately. At least you get to choose the kind of music you want to listen to compared to other pubs or clubs where the DJs are the one choosing and spinning the songs all night long – whether you like them or not.

Unlike some of the funky pubs that you and your friends may have visited, at Hungry Brain, it is almost like a place where people just come in, have some drinks, chat and make new friends, then go home. Like any local dives, there would always be some interesting characters to see – especially when it is what it seems to be “comedy” night, where you will have funny people telling jokes, some funny and some not so.

Hanging out at Hungry Brain could be a change of scene for you and your drinking friends. The drinks are not expensive and the crowd – different, yet friendly. Who knows, you may even make some new friends (we hear that there’s this tamale man who comes in every night) at Hungry Brain before you hop on the rented bus to go home.

Golfing in Chicago

Now that spring is here, a golfing charter bus tour of Chicago is a good idea. Home to a plethora of public golf courses, many owned and operated by the Chicago Park District, you will have no problems finding a great set of greens to fulfill your golfing needs while visiting the Second City in a charter bus. Whether looking for challenging fairways, spectacular views or both, every course gives you a unique view of the city while you enjoy a relaxing game on the links. Plan your charter bus golfing visit to Chicago with a bus, coach bus, party bus, mini bus, passenger coach or school bus rented from Bus Company Chicago.

Situated 16 minutes by charter bus from downtown on the city's south side, the Harborside International Golf Center challenges players with its two 72 par, 18-hole championship levels courses designed by Dick Nugent. Filled with bunkers, grassy hills, manicured greens and long fairways, these courses present a challenge to even the most seasoned veterans. Rates vary on weekends and weekdays. Rental clubs are available for Chicago charter bus visitors.

Set along Chicago's North Shore, the Sydney R. Marovitz Golf Course offers charter bus golfers spectacular views of Lake Michigan and downtown. Considered one of the Park District's most challenging courses, its nine-hole, 36 par (39 par W) championship length disguises a truly difficult set of greens. Weekend and weekday rates vary and golf carts are available, as well as student and senior discounts. A special Ladies League takes place every Tuesday during the summer.

Expansive fairways and open greens define the links style course of Columbus Park. Novices will find this nine-hole, 35 par (36 par W) course on Chicago's Near West side entertaining and challenging. For the experienced and higher handicap charter bus players, the course may be less challenging yet a good place to stay in the game and keep the rust out. Cart rentals are available. Rates differ on the weekends and discounts apply to certain age groups.

Located on the former grounds of the 1893 World's Fair, the 18-hole, 70 par (71 par W) Jackson Park Golf Course provides a full day of challenges for charter bus golfers amongst mature hardwood trees, large ponds and sand bunkers. The par five fairways expand for over 500 yards, complemented by challenging and compact par threes; a combination calling for charter bus golfers to carry a full bag. Carts are available and rates vary from the weekend to weekdays with special Twilight hours, senior and student discounts.

Offering nine holes and a 35 par just 10 minutes by charter bus from downtown Chicago, the Billy Caldwell Golf Course presents a unique and natural golfing atmosphere as it is part of the Forest Preserve Golf of Cook County. Long fairways and a large water bunker on the fifth hole challenge players. The course is certified by the Audubon Society and strives to maintain its natural resources. Senior and junior discounts apply and rates vary from weekday to weekend. Carts are available.

Come to Chicago on a charter bus hired from Bus Company Chicago and explore some of the best and most challenging golf course in Illinois. Bus Company Chicago has a fleet of fully equipped charter buses available, and can help you plan a fun and exciting charter bus trip.

Seeing Chicago with a Charter Bus

Set between the plains of the Midwest and the waters of Lake Michigan, Chicago is an international financial powerhouse, a cultural center of global importance and one of the most exciting cities you'll find in the United States.  A great way of seeing Chicago is with a bus, coach bus, party bus, mini bus, passenger coach or school bus chartered from Bus Company Chicago.  Travel through Chicago in style and comfort in your charter bus as you visit some of Chicago’s best attractions.

Chicago is best known worldwide for it’s skyscrapers, and the John Hancock Observatory is the best place to view Chicago from way up high.  Charter bus visitors can head up to the 94th-floor observation deck, which provides a 360-degree view of the Illinois, Michigan, Wisconsin and Indiana landscapes on a clear day, and the observatory's Sky Walk gives charter bus visitors an unobstructed, open-air view of the surrounding skyline and streets below.  A multi media presentation, narrated by actor David Schwimmer, details the history of some of Chicago's most famous landmarks.

Approximately a 30 mile charter bus ride from Chicago is the Legoland Discovery Center in Schaumburg, Illinois. This huge indoor attraction makes charter bus visitors feel like they are in a giant box filled with Legos. The center features a huge variety of Lego exhibits and encourages hands-on fun and exploration.  Lego castles, a princess palace and a build-and-test area are just some of the things that make Legoland a charter bus visitor favorite.  Special events take place throughout the year and rooms are available for birthday party rentals and other group celebrations.

The Chicago Museum of Science and Industry allows charter bus visitors to view interactive exhibits that cover a variety of scientific disciplines within a facility covering nearly 14 acres. The museum’s offerings include “Science Storms,” where children can conduct experiments revealing the science behind phenomena such as tornadoes, lightning and tsunamis, and its “U-505” exhibit allows charter bus visitors to explore the only German U-boat attack sub in America. Charter bus visitors can also take in a show at the museum’s Omnimax theater, which boasts a five-story screen.

A favorite destination of charter bus visitors is Lincoln Park Zoo, which features animals from throughout North America and Africa, and showcases its chimpanzee and gorilla residents within the Regenstein Center for African Apes, a 29,000-square-foot facility that re-creates the primates’ native habitat.  Charter bus visitors can visit the zoo’s “Farm-in-the-Zoo” exhibit to meet and pet animals common to North American farms and view exhibits explaining principles behind agriculture and weather.

For a fun filled time in Chicago, give Bus Company Chicago a call to find out how they can help you plan your trip with a selection from their fleet of rental buses and friendly, personalized service.

Dining in downtown Chicago

Chicago’s citizens are fiercely proud of their culinary traditions and will go to any lengths to defend the fact that the cuisine in their city is the best. A cruise round Chicago’s downtown with a charter bus, coach bus, party bus, mini bus, passenger coaches or school bus hired from Bus Company Chicago will readily prove this. Chicago’s past history as a terminus for the beef trade has long meant that its food has tended to be meat heavy, but as rental bus visitors are finding out, there is another side to dining in Chicago’s downtown.
When you have a restaurant that is rated as one of the 10 best in the world, you either are serving very good food, or offering a dining experience like no other. In the case of Alinea, it happens to be both. As you step off your rental bus and walk through the doors, you will have to wait for a secret panel to open at the end of a pine tree lined hallway. This sense of fun and surprise continues on into Alinea’s menu. As you sit down in the understated dining room, your choice of food as art menu, 24 or 12 course, is revealed to you. Yes, you don’t actually know what you’re getting till it arrives at the table. The menu changes regularly, so no 2 dining experiences are ever the same, but suffice it to say, you and your rental bus group will not soon forget the sensory experience.
For something a little down market, and less pretentious, head over in your charter bus to Hot Doug’s. Billing itself as a sausage superstore, this eatery celebrates everything there is to do with sausages. Aside from the traditional Chicago dog with green relish, Hot Doug’s also serves a range of sausages and encased meat ranging from the exotic, saucisse de Toulouse, roasted garlic aïoli, and Belletoile triple-cream cheese, to the wildly eccentric, goji-berry pheasant sausage, jerk mayonnaise, and cheese-stuffed sweet peppers. Best visited on a Friday or Saturday, when owner Doug Sohn makes duck-fat fries. Lines can be long, so a little patience will be called for from your charter bus group.
Long a fixture of Chicago’s downtown dining scene, and easily reached by rental bus, Ann Sather is an old world, European style cafe that is reminiscent of Scandinavia. This diner is famous for its Swedish meatballs that taste like they’re home made, and their signature cinnamon rolls are a constant takeaway favorite. You can find a branch of Ann Sathers in most parts of Chicago. Of note is their recent opening in Andersonville, offering a homey atmosphere that encourages you sit back and enjoy the meal.
If your group is planning to dine in downtown Chicago, give Bus Company Chicago a call to find out how they can help you organize your trip. Choose from their fleet of rental bus that can suit any size group, and take advantage of their friendly, personalized service.

Chicago’s Magnificent Mile

When hiring a Bus Company Chicago charter bus for your group, be sure to include Chicago’s Magnificent Mile into your travel plan. This iconic Chicago street, running from south at the Chicago River, to north at Lake Shore Drive, is the epicenter of the city’s shopping district.
Built up after the Great Chicago Fire of 1871, the Magnificent Mile, or to give it its proper name, Michigan Avenue, contains posh boutique brand name stores, luxurious hotels and historical architecture. This gives charter bus rental tour visitors an eclectic mix of the old and the new, the traditional and the avant-garde.
The prime business of the Magnificent Mile is retail shopping. Here, within walking distance of each other, you will find America’s major retail giants, such as Nordstroms and The Shops at North Bridge, Macy's at Water Tower Place, Bloomingdale's/The 900 Shops and more. The trick is finding the smaller outlets that offer up unexpected treasures to the diligent shopper. A turn of the century bone china tea set? A place making made to order leather footwear? You are likely to find it here rather than in any other charter bus stops you are going to make.
Art galleries abound on the Mile. Some places worth a visit are Hilligoss and Cesar Russ on North Bridge, Atlas Galleries, and the Joel Oppenheimer Gallery in the Wrigley Building. You will find a huge range of artwork on display and sale, ranging from international masters, modern art, nature prints, sculptures and more. If you are shopping for art, you needn’t look much further than the Magnificent Mile.
You have to visit the Drake Hotel when on the Mile. First opened in 1920, the hotel was the first air conditioned building in Chicago. The Drake is a star in its own right, having appeared as location settings for the movies “Risky Business” and “My Best Friend’s Wedding”. The Cape Cod Room, known for its oysters and Dover Sole, has been a firm favorite with diners in Chicago for decades.
When you make a visit to The Magnificent Mile, you will find that this tourist hotspot has many restaurants and eateries, some of which have gained international recognition. Spiaggia and the associated lower cost menu Spiaggia Cafe offer good Italian food. NoMi at the Park Hyatt offers a delectable fusion of French and Asian cuisine. The Purple Pig offers a range of small meats and cheeses, complemented with some of the best wines to be found in Chicago. Close off your charter bus visit to the Magnificent Mile by dropping in at the Billy Goat Tavern. Long a haunt of celebrities and newspapermen in Chicago, the Billy Goat Tavern serves cheeseburgers to order.
After traversing the Magnificent Mile, a short distance that has turned into a long walk, board your Bus Company Chicago hired party bus, mini bus or bus charter secure in the knowledge that this day has been an unforgettable experience.

Need to Book a Bus Company Chicago Trip?

Ready to take a trip to Chicago with your group? If you've been researching different avenues of travel, you've no doubt discovered that the most economical and safest way to travel is through the services of a bus company. Chicago has a large number of venues for sightseeing as well being a major hub for business such as corporate meetings, seminars and other corporate events.

If you need to create a sightseeing tour in Chicago, we have some ideas for your group. Art buffs will thoroughly enjoy a tour of the Art Institute of Chicago where you will find one of the largest and most diverse art collections in the world. Lovers of the works of Monet will especially be thrilled to find the largest group of Monet works in the world at this museum.

Another stop sure to please is at the Frank Lloyd Wright Home and Studio, This is where the famous architect worked and played and you can see all the unique features he incorporated into his own living space.

The Field Museum of Natural History is where both young and old will find a good deal of fun. The museum is designed boldly with massive columns and striking galleries filled with natural light. The first sites you will see are two massive elephants and Sue, the museum's famous Tyrannosaurus Rex.

For both business and pleasure charter bus trips, Wrigley Field is a frequent stop for clients of our bus company. Chicago's famous field has been in operation since 1914 is still a top draw for charter bus tours throughout the year. Numerous businesses throughout the year book charter bus trips with their employees and/or clients to enjoy a game or event at the famous field.

Those are just a few of the sights you can take in on a charter bus tour. When you're exploring your options with a bus company, Chicago is a great destination to plan and wouldn't it be great to take your group there in comfort, safety and style? Our buses come standard with cushy upholstered seats, a designated driver and other charter buses come with leather interiors, Pergo floors and entertainment systems that include quality speaker systems, DVD players and CD players.

If you're ready to book your charter bus tour for your group. Jot down where you want to go, when you want to go to Chicago and how many passengers you will have along for the ride. Our trained representatives will help you choose the right package for your group size as well as your budget. We pride ourselves on our commitment to service and customer satisfaction, that is why more people trust us to create their travel arrangements more than any other bus company. Chicago is ready and waiting, call us today.

A wet solution for a warm happy day out

In Chicago on a cold and windy day and don’t know where to go or what to do? Then call Bus Company Chicago up and ride with us to some of the coolest places you could visit in the windy city on a damp afternoon.

Shedd Aquarium, an indoor public aquarium containing over 25,000 fish. It was for some time, the largest indoor aquarium in the world with 5,000,000 US gallons (19,000,000 l; 4,200,000 imp gal) of water is just one of those places.

Visitors can explore over 80 different habitats, featuring some 1,500 species .

The Amazon Rising exhibit features a 8,600-square-foot (800 m2) walkthrough of a flooded forest recreation of the Amazon river and the surrounding jungle and contains 250 different species including anacondas, piranhas, spiders, rays and crocodiles.

The Caribbean Reef exhibit features a diver in a 90,000-US-gallon (340,000 l) circular tank that allows for maximum walk-around viewing interacting with the animals while talking with the people.

The Waters of the World exhibit allows visitors to explore several different exhibits on Oceans, Rivers, Islands and Lakes, and Chicago's own Local Waters. Look out mantella frogs, a giant octopus, Nile knifefish, Grand Cayman blue iguanas, sea stars, seahorses, Alligator snapping turtle, and River otter here.

Granddad is an Australian lungfish that arrived at the Shedd in 1933, along with his mate, from Sydney during the Century of Progress world exposition. Granddad is still alive today although his mate died in 1980, and is claimed by the aquarium to be the oldest fish in any aquarium in the world.

The Wild Reef exhibit holds 400,000 gallons and is home to several different species of sharks, live corals, a mangrove forest and a re-created Filipino Fishing village.

The Abbott Oceanarium is split into two levels - Above the waterline there are bleachers where guests can watch the aquatic show. – Below the waterline, visitors can gasp in awe at Beluga Whales, Pacific White-sided Dolphins, Sea Otters and Sea Lions.

So the next time someone complains about it being damp and cold, visit this special water-filled place with Bus Company Chicago and you’ll forget all about the weather as you go visit this watery wonderland.

Choosing The Perfect Restaurant For The Perfect Date

So you’ve met the perfect man/woman and you’ve been left with the authority to choose where you will be eating on your first date. The right place could determine the mood for the whole evening, so its best to put some thought into it. Here are a few simple factors to consider when choosing the best place to get to know that special someone.

1.Getting The Right Soundtrack 
Music can influence our mood in many ways, so try to veer away from restaurants that feature loud live bands or aggressive rock. You don’t want to spend half of the date half shouting at each other. Make sure that the volume is set down to “pleasing” but don’t settle for corny background music either. Jazz and lounge music is best for an intimate getting-to-know-you session, as it sets the mood without intruding on your conversation.

2.Service With A Smile
Nothing can ruin a date better than lousy service. Food arriving late when you’re both starving, sloppy busboys or rude waiters can get both of you in an irritable state, which is not romantic in the least. If possible, check online reviews to see what other customers have to say about the place.

3.Sushi Isn’t For Everyone
You might find eating sushi to be a delectable experience, but your date might have trouble handling raw fish or chopsticks for that matter. Pick somewhere that isn’t too gastronomically adventurous, unless your date specifically states that they live dangerously when it comes to food.

Chicago has a lot to offer when it comes to eating out, so you’re definitely spoiled for choice in this department. To help you narrow down your choices, our recommendations include Alinea, a three Michelin star hotel without the pretentiousness that usually comes with the rating, and Gene & Georgetti, a classic steakhouse which has even attracted Frank Sinatra himself.

If you’re both looking for something more casual for a lunch date, ditch the mood music and lighting for Hot Dougs, a sausage and meat emporium that includes mouth-watering duck fat fries. As important as the venue is, the most important factor is that you can thoroughly enjoy each other’s company, so be sure to ask your date what he or she would prefer before making your final choice.

Good luck and hope your date turns into a delicious experience.