Why Should You Visit Brookfield Zoo in the Winter Months?

The winter is one of the most overlooked times to visit Brookfield zoo. Just because we may find the winter a chilly time to be outside doesn’t mean many of the mammals at the zoo do! Many of the most popular exhibits including the ones listed below are at their most active during the cooler months.

• Bears
• Camels
• Amur tigers
• Snow leopards
• Bison
• Mexican gray wolves

Don’t worry, if the cooler temperatures get a bit too much for you, you can always step inside to one of our many indoor exhibits that are open year round. These exhibits are a perfect place to warm up before heading back out to observe some of the larger animals outside. Brookfield Zoo’s world-renowned indoor exhibits include:

• The Tropic World exhibit where visitors can travel to three tropical continents
• The famous Indoor Dolphin Show
• The great bear wilderness underwater viewing and see some of our Grizzlies and Polar Bears

January and February are a popular time to visit Chicago, and this is just an added bonus if you’re in time with family during those months. Now that the holiday bustle is over our city is a little less crowded, and many of our most popular Chicago tourist attractions are even more accessible for visitors. Our Best Western Chicago Hillside Hotel is conveniently located near many of Chicago’s most popular visitor spots including Brookfield Zoo, and our knowledgeable staff and experienced hotel management know all the best places to stop by to ensure that your stay in Chicago is one you’ll never forget.

Brookfield Zoo Hotel Packages

To help make your stay better, we have a Brookfield Zoo Hotel Package that’s perfect for your whole family. To book a Brookfield Zoo Hotel Package or to learn more about our other great family-friendly packages contact our Chicago hotel staff today.

The Market takes place from November 23 to December 24, 2011 and is often viewed as one of Chicago’s best Holiday treats. The extremely popular Christmas event takes place in Chicago’s Daley Plaza (just 20 minutes from our Hillside Hotel) every year in the heart of the city and is a highlight of the Chicago Christmas event roster. This German-American market runs from 11:00am until 8:00pm Sunday to Thursday and from 11:00 am to 9:00pm on Fridays and Saturdays and features many great exhibitors selling locally made arts, crafts, food and beverages. Whether you’re looking for unique holiday gifts for family back home, or are simply hoping to absorb some yuletide cheer, this Christmas event in Chicago is one of the best, and is definitely a highlight of the season for guests.

Other Chicago Christmas Events in the Chicago Hillside Hotel Area:

Holiday Magic at Brookfield Zoo – This year is the 30^th anniversary of Holiday Magic at Brookfield Zoo and it is sure to be the best year yet. Located just 20 minutes from our Hillside hotel, the event runs on weekends starting on December 3^rd and 4^th and continuing until the 31^st. This is the largest light festival in the Chicago Hillside area (featuring over one million lights) and is full of music, magic and even a visit from Santa on the 18^th. This is definitely a Chicago Christmas event you can’t miss if you’re in town!

Winter Wonderfest at Navy Pier – This Chicago Christmas event, which runs from December 2^nd until January 8^th is a popular seasonal spectacle for the whole family and includes rides, games, crafts, a train, slides, obstacle courses and more! Tickets begin at $13.00 making the event affordable for visitors, while giving them an action-packed holiday adventure which is sure to please.

If you’re  Chicago anytime in December why not try our Chicago airport hotel, with the best deals and rates for the whole family. Contact us today for our Chicago Area hotel packages and rates.

Image by reallyboring on Flickr.

Some of the Toy and Game fair’s highlights include:

• A Star Wars Breakfast
• Multiple stage events and shows
• Life-sized toys and games
• Family-friendly interactive contests
• Young inventor challenges to inspire your kids
• Live costume characters
• “Mind-bending”  tournaments

Have we convinced you that it will be a great event yet? Well it gets better: tickets for the entire Chicago Toy and Game Fair are only $10.00 for adults and $5.00 for children 13 and under. The fair also likes to show support for some particular groups and individuals by offering free admission to the event if your part of one of the following groups:

• Educators and Librarians
• Scouts in Uniforms
• Retail & Trade
• Military (with ID)
• Police Officers (with ID)
• Firefights (with ID)

Are you part of one of these groups and are planning to visit our Chicago Hillside hotel in November? There’s no excuse for missing out on this fun event! In town with the in-laws? Grandparents who attend the fair with their grandchildren are also welcomed free of charge.

Best Western Chicago Hillside Hotel Park and Fly Packages

If you’re from Chicago but are planning on flying out of town for business or pleasure, why not take advantage of one of our Chicago airport park and fly packages? These packages are a great way to save some money for the holidays and include: free shuttle service to and from the O’Hare International Airport, parking for up to two weeks for 1 car, free breakfast buffet for up to 2 people, in addition to the accommodations.

The zoo has plenty to offer all year round, but its Halloween events are a must-see for all of our Hillside Hotel guests visiting the area in October.  If you’re interested in some scarier fun for older kids and adults, we recommend checking out the zoo’s Creatures of the Night exhibits which take place from Friday to Sunday between 6:30 and 10:30 pm starting on the 14th. The events feature a haunted tram as well as a, “Trail of Terror” a weather-friendly live action drama guaranteed to give you and your whole family some festive thrills and chills.

If you’re looking for some not-so-scary entertainment for young ones of all ages, you should definitely stop by, “Boo! at the Zoo.” The exhibit takes place on Saturdays and Sundays starting on the 22nd of October and continuing up until Halloween and has everything from costume parades (at 1:00pm daily) to a haunted carousel and a costume contest complete with prizes. This event will certainly give youngsters a Halloween they won’t forget anytime soon!

If you’ll be in the Chicago area this month, then you don’t want to miss this great family tourist destination. The Brookfield Zoo is open from 10:00 am to 5:00pm, Monday to Friday (which the exception of the Creatures of the Night exhibit) and from 10:00am to 6:00pm on Saturdays and Sundays. Admission varies, but if you stop by on a Tuesday or Thursday from now until December 31, 2011 you can receive free admission as part of the zoo’s off-season promotion.

Hotel & Chicago Brookfield Zoo Package

If you’re going to be staying at our Hillside hotel, why don’t you take a look at our Brookfield Zoo Package? The package includes overnight accommodation, breakfast, 4 general admission tickets to the zoo, free parking as well as lots of other discounts and freebies while you’re at the park. Keep checking our blog for more family-friendly events located near our Chicago Hillside Hotel and make sure to contact us today so we can help you make your next visit to Chicago the best one yet!

5411

Known for their gourmet Argentine empanadas, 5411 stands out from other Latin food trucks by oven baking instead of deep-frying their empanadas. The traditional slow cooked Beef Empanada is always a hit, but for something different it’s a toss up between the Ham and Cheese and the Caramelized Onion. @5411empanadas

Brown Bag Lunch Truck

If you’ve been craving some amazing barbeque, then consider Brown Bag Lunch Truck (BBLT) your oasis in the desert of tasteless grilled meats. Our downtown Chicago hotel staffers especially love BBLT’s unique sauces. The stand-out was Brisket brined in pineapple juice, mexicoke, Chinese black vinegar and kosher salt. The accompanying Tiger Cry sauce had one staff crying with taste bud joy. @brownbagtruck

Gastro-Wagon

The Gastro-Wagon is the only mobile truck in Chicago serving up the “Naan-Wich,” which is traditionally made Indian Naan bread stuffed with savory treats. For something different, the Duck Pastrami with cabbage slaw, remoulade and gouda is amazing. The Braised Lamb with polenta, blue cheese and tomato ginger jam is another staff favorite. @wherezthewagon

And of course, we can’t forget dessert:

Culture, The Yogurt Society

The healthiest and most delicious dessert to ever roll up in a food truck! Culture serves up two flavors and more than a dozen topping options. Choose from refreshing Original or sweet Pomegranate Blueberry and toppings like mochi, Fruity Pebbles, watermelon and of course, rainbow sprinkles! @Culture

When you’ve had your fill of food trucks, come back for a blissful night’s rest at our Chicago hotel. Contact our Chicago Hillside staff to book your stay- and yes, get more food truck recommendations!

Brookfield Zoo gets better and better every year and last year hundreds of guests stayed with us because of our Brookfield Zoo Packages. We hope you will enjoy your stay with us as you explore all that Brookfield Zoo has to offer. Don’t forget about our free shuttle to Brookfield Zoo for you and your family!

Inside the Great Bear Wilderness you will also learn about Wolfs. The wolf is a powerful symbol of wilderness and Regenstein Wolf Woods gives you a front row seat to experience the grace and beauty of these magnificent animals up close. The 2.1-acre exhibit site is part of Great Bear Wilderness and promises unforgettable experiences in the Wolf Viewing Gallery, where one-way glass and a “Wolf-Cam” will enable you to go nose to nose with wolves. A kid-friendly and wheelchair accessible wolf den will offer a one-of-a-kind view of the animals, while a unique, multisensory theater will give your family the sensation of being in the midst of a wolf pack.

 The Brookfield Zoo has so much more to offer and taking advantage of our Brookfield Zoo Package  will give you access to everything including the great Dolphin Show!

Christkindlmarket 2010 is located at the intersection of Washington and Dearborn in downtown Chicago. Christkindlmarket (Kringle Market) 2010 is open Nov 24-Dec 24, 2010;
Sun-Thur 11am–8pm; Fri-Sat 11am 9pm;
(Thanksgiving & Christmas Eve: 11am-4pm).

Admission is Free.

For the 15th year in a row, Daley Plaza will be hosting Chicago Christkindlmarket 2010 (aka Kringle Market), a traditional German Christmas Market, from November 24th to December 24th, 2010. Christkindlmarket 2010 will feature handmade gifts including ornaments, candles, woodcarvings, cuckoo-clocks, European chocolates, beer steins, toys, glass blown items and toys.

Featuring more than 50 vendors, Chicago Christkindlmarket 2010 will include both gift and food vendors. Traditional treats include hot cider, hot chocolate and spiced wine – with many German Christmas Market favorites such as bratwurst, schnitzel, strudel, potato pancakes and more. Kringle Market has been a holiday tradition in Chicago for 15 years and is a great experience for anyone wanting to get out in the city during the season.

Christkindlmarket (Kringle Market) 2010 also provides a great opportunity to view Chicago’s 2010 Christmas Tree and Santa Claus at Daley Plaza.

Christkindlmarket 2010

See, taste and hear the holiday cheer. Experience a traditional Christkindlemarket (Kringle Market) 2010, based on the century old markets in Germany, in the heart of downtown Chicago. Christkindlemart (Kringle Market) 2010 features German and International vendors who display hand crafted ornaments, toys and unique gifts as well as traditional German foods, sweets and beverages.

The market is just a short ride from our hotel.