Even though we spend a ton of time in nature, often in remote places, we still love visiting big cities.

One of our favorite big cities is Chicago, Illinois.

We have visited Chicago several times since we started traveling full time in our RV in 2018, and wanted to share some of our favorite things to do in the area!

Where we stay

You may be surprised to find out there’s RV parking right in the city! It’s not fancy by any means, and doesn’t even have hookups, but you can park your RV in a secure, gated parking lot called McCormick Place Lot B, which we found on the Campendium app. For $38/night, it’s a really convenient place to park when visiting the city, and the metro is a short walk away if you want to get around without driving. 

We have also stayed at O'Connell's Yogi Bear RV Resort in Amboy, which is a pretty good drive from Chicago, but close enough to make day trips into town.

Best Time to Visit

We aren’t fans of extreme heat or cold, and Chicago can go extreme both ways, so we love visiting during the late spring or the fall. We have visited Chicago during the summer and have experienced some good summer weather…but have also experienced all of the extreme heat and humidity that Chicago has to offer. No thanks! If your schedule is flexible and you can wait for some pleasant summer weather, it will be heaven.

Chicago winters are brutal, and according to friends and family who live there, most people feel stuck inside fighting seasonal depression during the winter, so I’d stay away during the cold season! If cold weather doesn’t scare you off, be prepared with warm layers.

Our 9 Favorite Things to do in Chicago

Chicago is an incredible city, and one of our favorite places to visit. Let us know in the comments some of your favorite Chicago stops so we can be sure and visit next time we’re there!

*Some products discussed in this blog were gifted to me by adidas however, all opinions are entirely my own.