04/03/2026
Spring break looked a little different for us this year and I wouldn’t change a thing.
We took the Amtrak from Detroit, pulled up to Chicago with zero highway stress, and hit the ground running.
She designed her own shirt at Uniqlo, we got lost in the Color Factory, donated to the museum because it was free to us and that felt right, found stationery shops I had no business walking into, and ate at local spots that genuinely deserve your coins.
The hotel? Covered with points. So every dollar we actually spent went exactly where it should back into the community.
That’s the whole mission of The Local Tourist. Exploring Michigan, Illinois, and Ohio close to home, on purpose, and spending in ways that actually matter.
📍 Chicago, IL
Where should we go next? Drop your Midwest recs below.
Virtue Restaurant
Hilton Hotels & Resorts
Griffin Museum of Science and Industry
Color Factory • Exhibit
Atlas Stationers