Travel Trends with Dan Christian
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Hosted by Dan Christian, this show features candid conversations with global travel leaders, startup founders, tourism boards, hospitality executives, and technology innovators. Together they explore the ideas, innovations, and strategies driving the next era of travel.
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Travel Trends with Dan Christian
Travelzoo Best Bets: Where to Go in 2026 with Choose Chicago
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Chicago isn’t just back, it’s surging. In episode six of our 10-part Travelzoo Best Bets Series, Dan and Travelzoo Senior Editor and co-host Gabe Saglie sit down with Lisa Nucci of Choose Chicago to map out the experiences and local insights that turn a short visit into a lasting memory.
We explore the South Side’s moment in the spotlight, from the Obama Presidential Center as a powerful new cultural anchor to Hyde Park’s renewed energy, Pullman’s rail legacy, and the DuSable Black History Museum. Then we move through the city’s 77 neighborhoods like a progressive dinner: Argyle’s Southeast Asian flavors, Pilsen and Little Village for tacos and family-run favorites, and the tavern-cut pizza locals swear by. Music lovers get a guide to Chicago’s house roots, the Chosen Few picnic, legendary late nights at the Green Mill and Kingston Mines, and a theater scene that blends Broadway polish with intimate storytelling. When it’s time to slow down, the architecture river cruise offers a fresh way to understand the skyline.
Chicago’s outdoor side shines too, with 26 miles of lakefront beaches, a beautifully designed Riverwalk, cherry blossoms in Jackson Park, and free cultural wins like Pritzker Pavilion concerts and the Lincoln Park Zoo. Rooftops such as Cindy’s and LondonHouse deliver views year-round, paired with a hotel scene that ranges from stylish value to worthy splurges. Add in big-picture momentum—downtown revitalization, airport upgrades, and major new developments—and it’s clear why Chicago earned its place on the 2026 Best Bets list.
Planning a couples escape, multigenerational getaway, or foodie weekend? Lisa shares her perfect Chicago day, from a Green City Market breakfast to jazz late into the night.
New episodes drop every Tuesday, each featuring local experts who bring these Best Bets to life. Become a member at travelzoo.com to access exclusive offers.
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Setting The Stage: Why Chicago 2026
SPEAKER_00I love how people always say you go around Chicago's neighborhoods, it's like you're going around the world. And so Argyll Street has amazing Asian food, and if you go to Pilton, like there's awesome taco restaurants and family-owned places there, and Little Village is like the second mag mile. And so I think the cool thing about Chicago is yes, there's recommendations, but if you ask the Chicagoan things to do, they're gonna rattle off a list that's gonna take you through six or seven neighborhoods in one afternoon.
SPEAKER_01Hello everyone, and welcome back to our travel trends and travel zoo best bets destinations series for 2026. This is your host, Dan Christian, and today we're gonna be focusing on Chicago. I'm so keen to bring this conversation to life with my friend Gabe Saglier from Travel Zoo, who I'll introduce here in a moment. But just to give you some context, I'm based in Toronto. I think that in there's so many similarities between Toronto and Chicago. I love traveling to Chicago. I was thrilled that this is one of the destinations for Americans in their best bet series, but being so close and knowing how many Canadians also love traveling to Chicago. I think many of our Canadian listeners as well will enjoy today's discussion about why Chicago is a top place to consider traveling in 2026 and for our international listeners as well, looking to travel into the US, especially with the 250th anniversary of the US, the 100th anniversary of the Route 66, of course, and there's so many developments happening in Chicago, as you'll hear in this episode. So let me bring in my co-host, but don't forget, before I do, we do post clips and highlights on all our social channels, which you can find on LinkedIn, Instagram, and YouTube. And to unlock all of these deals, you have to become a member of TravelZoo. So check out travelzoo.com. You can register for as little as one dollar to get started. All of our team are TravelZoo members. I've been a Travel Zoo member for many years, which is why I was thrilled to bring this production together with them. And I've already been inspired from a number of these conversations of places I'm going to be traveling to in 2026. And from this discussion, Chicago is definitely going to be one of them. So let's bring in my co-host, Gabe Sagley from TravelZoo. Gabe, tell us a little bit about Chicago and also introduce our guests for today.
TravelZoo Best Bets And Lisa’s Intro
SPEAKER_02Yeah, listen, very excited. You know, this is a list, as you know, uh, Dan, four domestic destinations, six international for our uh U.S. audience. We were talking about this list back in the middle of 2025. Now we're in the thick of it. Now we're in 2026, so the time is now to start looking at these destinations and start planning accordingly. Chicago, obviously, uh very excited. You know, when we're when we looked at uh at options across the U.S., we're looking at things like uh, you know, uh major uh landmark uh anniversaries, uh cultural trends that I think are piquing the interest of many American travelers. Uh if you're a foodie, then you know Chicago. There's so many ways that Chicago simply hits the mark uh beautifully. Obviously, creating a lot of buzz as we head toward the spring season is the Obama presidential center. Uh there on the south side of Chicago. I'm hearing the words South Side Renaissance being buzzed. Uh so that's gonna be big. But also obviously we're talking about a destination that features uh 77 uh neighborhoods. Uh culture uh like uh as it would be hard to beat. We know that cultural travel uh is is certainly a top of mind for more and more American travelers uh these days. So all of these things coming together to put Chicago, the winned city, on Travels' U.S. best bets list for 2026. Happy to be joined today by Lisa Nucci. Uh she is a Chicago native, most importantly, uh, but she's also the chief marketing officer for Choose Chicago, um, who's gonna help us understand just exactly why, of all years, 2026 might be really a pivotal one for uh the Windy City. So very happy to have you on the show today, Lisa.
SPEAKER_00Thanks. I'm excited to be here with both of you.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, and I'm thrilled. I mean, obviously I'm great to meet you, Lisa, and I'm I was so excited for this conversation as well for all the reasons that Gabe mentioned. And one of them is when I was actually looking at your background, Lisa, not only you being a Chicago native, but the fact that you know you worked at the with the Chicago Bulls for over a decade. And the, you know, you even, of course, have the architectural background as well, which is one of the things that I loved about visiting Chicago for the first time, um, seeing it from the water. And for me, Chicago tops the list. I love baseball, I love the food of this city, and so I'm so keen to speak to a true expert about Chicago. But tell us a little bit about your role at Shoes Chicago, given you're the CMO. Tell us a little bit more about Shoes Chicago and your role there.
SPEAKER_00Well, I think you really summed it up. You prepped it for me perfectly. You know, um, it is such a responsibility and an honor to be the CMO at Choose Chicago, and really it brings together what I'm personally passionate about and allows me to talk about it in my day job. And so I'm a South Sider. Chicago is divided by sides. You're either a Sox fan on the Southside or a North Sider on the Cubs fan side. I married a Cubs fan, so I don't know where I'm at now. Um, but it, you know, I grew up on sports. My dad was in the restaurant business. Um, I'm a huge fan of architecture. Um, I love dance and theater. And so now at Two Chicago, I get to really tell that story about how amazing the city is, how amazing it was, how it continues to evolve, and really encourage people to visit here, um, to move here, um, to plan their next trip here and to keep going back time and time again. And it's just such an awesome time for the city. We're so welcoming. And I think that the character of our destination is truly standing out. And so I couldn't be prouder to be part of this organization and to have Chicago be my hometown.
Obama Presidential Center And South Side
SPEAKER_02And Lisa, you've been with Chew Chicago for two and a half years, so you've really sort of had a a driver's seat perspective on this post-COVID uh sort of renaissance and bounce back for the city. And I feel that that that means that 2026 really is a pivotal year. It's probably uh a very important year for this ongoing uh sort of bounce back for such an important, such a historic part uh uh of the U.S. Um a lot of attention obviously has been revolving for the last so many months now around the Obama Presidential Center. Now you're a you're a Southsider. Um I have a buddy of mine who who's uh who's a local uh there in Chicago, and he was using the phrase the other day, uh Southside Renaissance, at the fact that this presidential center is shedding a light not only on what this is going to be, this 19-acre campus there uh in Hyde Park, but the fact that it also opens the door to visitors and travelers, to what to what is unique about the South Side. You've got the Pullman District, the the DuSable uh Black History Museum. Tell us a little bit about that. First of all, what folks can expect from the building buzz around the presidential center there uh name for President Obama, uh, and then what this could also mean for the South Side as a whole when it comes to attracting a whole new uh family of visitors to Chicago.
SPEAKER_00Well, I I mean we're so excited, right? I mean, um the Obamas um are such a point of pride for Chicagoans, and the Obama family are consistently making us proud, and they truly represent what Chicago is all about. And so the fact that they've chosen Chicago to open up um the OPC or Obama Presidential Center, but we call it the OPC, so you guys can now too, um, is so exciting for us, right? And as you mentioned, you know, the South side of Chicago is so dynamic and rich and complicated, and there's so many things to explore. And I think a lot of times, at least tourists, you know, will go to the south side for maybe the Museum of Science and Industry and then they come back. And, you know, we're hopeful that with the opening of the Obama Presidential Center, that it serves as a more of an anchor for the South Side. And so while people are gonna go see it, I think they're expecting a little under a million visitors a year. I think that was last projected, that people stick around Bronzeville and Hyde Park and they check out Usabla, as you mentioned, and MSI and the court theater and the amazing food places that there are around those areas. And, you know, our job at True Chicago is to make sure that that visitation um to the South Side is easier than ever. Um, and we really start to expand the footprint of visitation and that impact across not just the north side um and the west side, but also the south side. And so it's just an exciting thing for us. And I and it's been so wonderful to hear how hands-on President Obama has been in every single detail, even down to the narrative and the text that you see throughout the museum. And so um, I'm just excited as everybody else. Um, and it's gonna be incredible for the city, but also incredible for the country when that finally opens.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, and it's one of the reasons I'm so keen to get to Chicago this summer of 2026. I mean, when I first visited Chicago, my wife and I had an opportunity to leave our kids with the in-laws and do a weekend in Chicago. And it's always like a it was like the perfect city to have like a weekend romantic getaway, um, staying downtown, walking everywhere, going to the museums, the art galleries, even we went to a number of restaurants that we knew that Obama um had frequented, and obviously that was one of the things that we weren't expecting to see them, but we knew that uh there was so much culture history to Chicago, and it really exceeded our expectations. And this is a big reason for me to get back to the city because um certainly the outdoors, the neighborhoods, but specifically like the architecture. When I was actually uh um I had signed up to be notified, because I think many people will be looking at choosechicago uh.com as we're having this conversation to kind of look at and make their own plans. But I actually also signed up at Obama.org for the to the OPC to be notified when everything goes live. And I was doing some research to some of the things I could look forward to, and one of them, because and I want all of our listeners to know this because this is what I found fascinating, um, was the fact that this is the very first, because it used to be always presidential libraries, and this is of course a presidential center, and there it's the first fully digital library. There's actually it's no there's no books, it's not like the traditional uh presidential library because the world has evolved and changed so much. So the whole idea here is like it's outdoors, it's about community and social change and even having a uh fruit and vegetable garden, which I was a farmer's market. Yeah. I'm just like, how like progressive and interesting is that? So yeah, so I wanted to ask you about that in the neighborhoods in Chicago, since that's such a big reason.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, well, I mean, I think the coolest thing about you know the OPC is that it's really gonna be a gathering place, right? And so I was talking to their team a few weeks ago and they already have people booking conventions there, weddings there. And so I love that it's gonna be a multi-use destination. And, you know, I think people who are looking to do business in Chicago or visit Chicago are gonna find a new and exciting place um in the OPC to do that. And so it's been it's been really awesome to start to figure out how to imagine what those experiences look like. Um, and I I've just I can't wait. So um, you know, and they're talk about job creation, and I know tourism that's a huge thing, and like the OPC opening is gonna present so much opportunity, not only for the South side, but also for people um who are looking for jobs. And so um we're really excited to have them. They're a huge supporter of to Chicago as well. Um, and you know, for the neighborhoods themselves, like I just hope that people spend time in Brownsville and Hyde Park. And you talked about Pullman. Pullman has like if you're a train buff, just go there. Like they bring out old train railroad cars, and like you I go there with my dad often. Like it is like the coolest. I feel like people don't know about how awesome Pullman is, and that you can get there via the Southside. And so, like, that's a little tip from a local Chicago is train people, go to Pullman because it's a really cool experience.
SPEAKER_02I'm tickled by the fact, Dan, that you and I can now throw away, throw around the the phrase OPC and feel like we're Chicago locals.
Neighborhood Mosaic And Local Favorites
SPEAKER_01I'm down with OPC. I'm totally down with OPC.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, I got that one. Yeah. Yeah. I'm gonna keep that in my in my back pocket, but but listening to Lisa as a Southside native speak, and you you you mentioned these uh these uh 77 neighborhoods, Dan, that Lisa is what I think is so fascinating. And when we're having these internal conversations of travels who throughout the uh latter part of the last year or so, and that that we kept seeing Chicago stay on our on our list as it dwindled down to ten destinations, was one of them was this fact, the fact that this is a mosaic of 77 different neighborhoods. It's not just that downtown sector that a lot of us know and love with those beautiful buildings and the riverfront and the lakefront, but it is in fact such an eclectic mix of of different destinations in one, right?
SPEAKER_00Yeah, and you know it's so funny because it's not funny, but if this is just all I know, right? And and so when we talk about 77 neighborhoods, like I'm in the Austin neighborhood right now, so it's the west side of Chicago, and also it is very windy in Chicago today. I hate it when people are like, is it windy there? Well, today is actually very blustery outside. Um, and so, but like tonight I'm going to Fulton Market, which is like a really cool meatpacking district. Um, and then I have to go over to the magnificent mile as you know, what people see, and that's in the loop neighborhood. And so all Chicagoans are constantly drifting in and out of the neighborhoods. Um, but if I love how people always say you go around Chicago's neighborhoods, it's like you're going around the world. And so, you know, our food and our culture is, you know, like Argyle Street has amazing Asian food. And if you go to Pilson, like there's awesome taco restaurants and family-owned places there, and Little Village is like the second mag mile. And so I think the coolest thing about Chicago is yes, there's recommendations, but if you ask a Chicagoan things to do, they're gonna rattle off a list that's gonna take you through six or seven neighborhoods in one afternoon. And so I think it's like you could experience not all the 77, but at every trip, you're gonna at least hit 10, I would say, if you're even here for a weekend without even knowing it. Um, so I have some favorites, but you know, we're truly a mosaic of so many different cultures. Um, and you know, we live in the neighborhoods and we work in the neighborhoods, and and that's what I think makes Chicago so special.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, it's one of the things that really appealed to me about Chicago before going there. Once I arrived in Chicago and went and started exploring the different neighborhoods, I was like, oh my God, this place is so special. And I think one of the differences between Gabe and I, like he's West Coast, I'm East Coast, and I'm uh as are all of our travel trends listeners, so I'm based in Toronto, which in many ways is Canada's Chicago, and it's like, you know, based on the water, similar skyline. And Toronto is a city of neighborhoods, too, right? And that's one of the things I'm like, I loved about Chicago was uh not only the neighborhoods, but the other thing that I feel like that we have such a kinship in, and one of the things I was is like art, culture, and entertainment. Like those are the three things like when you're like when you go to a city like Chicago, you guys have second city, you guys have like you know, uh Broadway caliber theater, and you've got music. I mean, you're known obviously for blues, um, but you've also got markets. You're already mentioning some of the markets, like it's gonna be a farmer's market at the OPC, you're like that. And the so tell us a little bit more about that, because like I know I could learn a lot more, and I'm sure there's many reasons I need to come back to Chicago, and many of our listeners, whether it's gonna be the first time or if it's a reason to come back in 2026. What would you say are the cultural experiences that should be at the top of their list for 2026? How are those events kind of helping shape the story of Chicago in 2026?
Music, Theater, And Architecture Cruise
SPEAKER_00Well, I can tell you what kind of grinds my gears now that I have this job, and what I think, you know, Chicago, we are cursed and blessed by Midwest nights. Like we don't shoot our own horn, we don't brag, but in my job I get to brag a lot, and I think we don't brag enough about how amazing our music scene is. And, you know, we're the home of house music. Like we started house music, and so if you're a house head, which now I know that that's what they like to be called, there's such an incredible um house music scene here, and so Chosen Few is a picnic every year that they have, and I would oh, it's such a cool um festival. So Chosen Few is a great summer um moment to come to Chicago. But the other places, the other things that I would check out is Green Mill is amazing jazz and blues um music venue on the north side of Chicago. It has this like iconic neon lit up sign. Go there and check some live music. You have Kingston Mines, which is also live music in Lincoln Park. Um, but the other thing that I always want to make sure that people check out is our theater scene. So you have the theater district downtown, um, like you have those big mega theaters, but you also have the smaller, um, more like intimate theater um locations like Porchlight, Black Ensemble, um, and then obviously Broadway in Chicago. Those are really great. And then the last thing I always recommend, especially if people are tired or jet lag, get on one of those architecture center boats and pay your ticket and just like sit back and hear an amazing story from a talented docent for an hour about how awesome Chicago is. And I always feel like that's a really good foundation for any trip to Chicago, and it's really gonna set you on the right path for things that you want to explore. Like I love the architecture boat cruise. They also have a bar, and so I mean, cruising on a boat that's not yours with a bar like is always tech check for me. So sign me up, right?
SPEAKER_02Some of those buildings that Dan, you mentioned this are stunning. I mean, these are historic, but they're just it's a beautiful city to look at, and that perspective from the river actually is quite something, it's quite dramatic, and I think really sells sells the architecture angle quite nicely. You know, it's funny, I'm listening to you speak, Lisa, uh, about music. And I I know Dan, as you said, great couples romantic getaway. A lot of us travel to Chicago on business, it's a big business epicenter. But music as as my kids, and I've got three kids have gotten older, has been a wonderful uh uh connective tissue. And I think that this idea that you it's such an eclectic musical destination can be a wonderful multi you know, make Chicago a wonderful multi-generational destination as well. As my sons, 17 and 20, play drums and guitar and keyboard, they're leaning on uh uh on jazz music, on 70s rock and roll that now I'm really kind of get you know connecting uh uh with uh with with them on. And I think Chicago, uh as you say, talking about the music scene alone, could in and of itself make it a great multi-generational uh destination, a place where I can go with my teenage kids and explore a whole new venue, driven by some of these very unique and and sort of widespread musical options.
SPEAKER_00A hundred percent. Like I'll give you two examples, right? So one of the things that I love to do, especially if you're traveling with a fam like I have two little kids, and I don't think that they appre like I want to make sure that I'm like spending money on things that are worth it. Um, but uh Pritzker Pravilion, which if you look at Chicago, right next to the bean, right? So the iconic Cloud Gate, there's an outdoor venue that almost looks like it has like this like spider web top, and that's called Pritzker Pavilion. And I think it's every Tuesday and Thursday in the summer. The Chicago Symphony Orchestra like performs there for free. And people go there, you grab your blankets, you grab your cheese, your wine, or whatever. And it truly is such a multi-generational experience. And they do theme things like themes. They did one around Disney princesses. My kids loved it. Um, and so that's free. And they also do movies too. And so I always think that that's great. And then the other really cool if you want like cool dad points, I always it. Um salt shed just opened about two years ago. So it's the old Morton Salt factory, literally factory that's right on the river. And they turned it into this like cool outdoor, indoor music venue that has awesome acts that go there. And so I would recommend checking that place out. Um, it's not always like the biggest acts, but it also has like a cult following of performers that come.
SPEAKER_02What a great backstory. Yeah, those and I can get as many dad points as I can get. So Lisa, thank you for that one. Yeah, love it. Love it.
SPEAKER_01Bringing up uh dad points, this is actually a really um uh important note for me because interestingly, uh I'd done a multi-generational trip. Obviously, Gabe doesn't know this, and I but I I want to just share this now, and I think it'll add some additional context. And then I've got a question for you on this, Lisa, because one of the things that drew us to Chicago with my dad was the food scene and baseball. Yeah, and so we did a multi-generational trip. This was about six years ago. Uh our kids were, I guess, um 12 at the time, and we have twins. And so we did a road trip. My dad had got a 50th anniversary uh Mustang, convertible red, his dream car. Um my dad, as many of our listeners know, sadly passed away from cancer, which is why we created this podcast. But it's it's but here's a but this is this is a happy memory. I wouldn't bring it up otherwise because this is like I've got a picture on my wall in our TV room that that um I look at and reflect upon this trip because what what we realized for July 4th, we did a road trip and we went to the Field of Dreams in Iowa, and which was an incredible experience, and then we went to Chicago right afterwards because we loved baseball. My son was playing competitive baseball. He had just done the Cooperstown, you know, when they're 12 to and um and so it was the same summer. So we went to uh we went to Iowa on this road trip, and I didn't realize just how it's accessible from Chicago. So we went and did this road trip, and then it all culminated for us by having this incredible weekend in Chicago. We went to uh Wrigley Field, I got seats exactly where I had seen in Ferris Bueller along the uh first base anniversary's coming up too.
SPEAKER_00Yeah.
Multigenerational Trips And Free Cultural Gems
SPEAKER_01And we got our Chicago hot dogs, and where do we go after? We had to go and have deep just Chicago pizza, and it was like one of the best days of my life. And I one of our best days of our kids' lives. It was such a very happy memory, and that's like this is where like I think there's a thousand great reasons to go to Chicago, and like I've just named like three or four, but like it it kind of keeps coming up highlight after highlight, where you're just like, oh yeah, and the pizza. And it's like, oh, there's also the Chicago hot dogs, but I didn't know before that. But what I want to ask you about this is like the Chicago food scene. What are the things that are like the must haves, like the pizza or the hot dog? What are some of the things that people may not even know about given the global cuisine? But yeah, tell us a little bit about the food scene in Chicago.
unknownYes.
SPEAKER_00Well, first of all, thank you for sharing that memory about your dad with me. And I love that Chicago was a part of that. Um that makes you really happy. Um, I also will say that if people don't know what to do in Chicago, just follow what Ferris did at Ferris Mueller, and you'll be good. You'll be good. And then our anniversary is coming up, and so I'm sure a lot of people will be celebrating that. Um, the Chicago food scene. I mean, my dad, you know, I grew up in the restaurant business. I have a lot of memories of being in the kitchen, working, like being with my dad when he would bring me along on the weekends, right? Because my mom worked in real estate. And so I just have a lot of memories of people in Chicago. You know, you have big restaurants here, but you have a lot of families who have family restaurants passed over, you know, passed on generation to generation, like these amazing places, like amazing soup dumpling places. And one of the things that I and that I always encourage people to watch that I think is a really great representation of the Chicago food scene is the bear. So, you know, when they have those montages of like all of those like amazing little nuggets and gems of food places, like it really ranges from like Michelin star James Beard award winning to places that are just as amazing but aren't gonna break the budget. And that is what I think Chicago stands out with. Like, we are a good food scene regardless of price point. Um and so, yes, like you have to come here and have deep dish pizza. Yes, you have to come here and get a Chicago style hot dog. You can't have ketchup on it, like it's just not gonna happen. Yes, go to Wiener's Circle and get like verbally assaulted and have that like amazing moment. People don't know Wiener's Circle, it's a place you have to go. Um, but I think that there are so many amazing diners in Chicago. Like I love diners. I feel like when you go, you really get to like see the people of that community. And so I was just at Lou Mitchell's um two weeks ago with a colleague for breakfast, and Lou Mitchell's um is right in the heart of downtown, and it's also a um right on Route 66, and so it's a place where people who are doing Route 66 go, they check it off their list. It's like a foodie destination. The people that have worked there, I think have been there since the beginning of time. Like the waitress like hugged my shoulders to make sure I had enough syrup, and I was like, hold me close. Like I was like, this is so nourishing, I love this place. And so the diner scene, like Moon Palace, uh, Lou Mitchell's, um, Sunrise, like all these cool places, will I think you'll get to know the people who live in Chicago and then just ask recommendations for people there. Um, that's my favorite. And then the only other thing I would say is that while we are known for deep dish pizza, a lot of Chicagoans don't eat that as their pizza of choice when they're just ordering it on a normal Friday. So we do tavern style pizza, which is very thin crust pizza cut into squares. We normally put jardinera on there. And so for those of you who don't know, it's this spicy pepper mix in oil. Um, it's kind of like a muffoletta, and it's very spicy, and you have to get it on your pizza and your Italian beefs when you're here. So I would say try it, but make sure that you have a tolerance for heat.
SPEAKER_01Well, there's one more thing I just want to quickly ask and just and just share on this topic because one of the things I didn't have was the Italian sandwich, and I didn't realize till after that was key, and I'm that's one of the things I'm looking forward to having when I come back. And so, but the one thing I was just gonna uh share with you too on this topic was when I was uh in Chicago with my dad and our kids, one of the places that we walked past was the Weber restaurant. Okay. And my dad had had actually, when I first moved out on my own, the gift he gave us was a Weber barbecue.
SPEAKER_02Oh, cool.
SPEAKER_01You know, the classic Weber barbecue. And it was like, and it was one of those cool moments where I was just like, I'm like, Weber, I'm like, what's and he's like, yeah, they're made in Chicago. And I was like, they're from Chicago. And he's like, you know how the wheels have like the white walls? That's like kind of like connected to the you know, cut white walls on car tires. And I was like, my dad gave me this little interesting history lesson, and then I was listening, no way, there's Weber, and I said we didn't get there that time, but it's another place that's still on my list. So I just wanted to share that because it was one of those places, you know, it's just it's like highlight after highlight. Um, and then but the Italian sandwich, I just have to ask you about that. What tell us about the Italian sandwich and where you should go to get one.
Baseball Memories And Chicago’s Food Culture
SPEAKER_00So I think when we have a lot of people come into town, they like to go to Portillos. So Portillos was founded in Chicago, started in Chicago, and I think that they've branched out to other markets, but it's a little bit more of like a fast casual place. Um, you can go to um there, and if you get it's called an Italian beef sandwich, and you can also get a combo, which is an Italian sausage and beef sandwich, wherever you are in your cholesterol level, you can make that choice. And most people get it dipped, meaning they like soak it in the aju and then they wrap it up, and then they put darnier on it, and then you're on your way. And so it's a very much like a messy experience when people eat it. But if you they ask you if you want it dipped and you say yes, you're an official Chicagoan.
SPEAKER_02So you gotta go for the dip.
SPEAKER_00You have to do that. Yeah, and then my husband always says if you go into an Italian beef stand and there's carpet, you walk right out. I mean it's not legit.
SPEAKER_02I love it.
SPEAKER_00So there, I'm just giving you guys what I know. Carpeted, no, dipped, yes.
SPEAKER_02Uh the cool thing is we could do Dan as you know, a whole episode of just the eating in Chicago. I'm so glad, uh Lisa, you mentioned the show of the bear, because I did love that show. If you haven't seen it, uh folks, it's on Hulu. You gotta stream it. Chicago is a supporting character in that show, and I was so happy to see that the creators of the show leaned so heavily uh in a beautiful way on the city itself as a way to explain who these characters were and why the food was such an important common thread across all of their uh experiences. So uh fantastic show. I mean, I would watch that show and I would go eat right after. I was so glad it was only a 27, 30 minute episode because I'm I'm I'm ready to eat. Um rooftop, the rooftop scene there too, which I which is obviously food and and cocktail and mixology as well. That's really gotta blossom beautifully in Chicago as well. People are now gravitating toward they're going up, they're going through these rooftop settings that really has maximized the sort of that big city vibe that Chicago is so well, so well known for, no?
SPEAKER_00Yeah, I mean I I think you know, I know we don't talk about it a lot, but our hotels are second to none. We have an amazing hotel scene for all different price points, and there's I love um Cindy's rooftop, which is on the roof of the Chicago Athletic Um Association hotel. It kind of gives me Harry Potter vibes, but that's beside the point. Coolest view of the city. Um, and so if you go to the Art Institute, I always like to go over to Cindy's rooftop and get like a great cocktail on appetizers. It's really pretty, really special. And then London House, which is kind of right around the corner on Wacker, um, has a really great rooftop. And in the winter, they have igloos out there. And so I think one thing that people don't know is like we don't go inside in the winter. Like Chicago is just non-stop. Um, and so it's a great holiday destination. And so the igloos are super special to go to over the holiday, and something that everyone should add to their list.
SPEAKER_01And the one other thing when we took our first trip, the one thing that I found is so interesting about Chicago that I didn't appreciate until I had experienced it for myself was just how expansive it is as a city, despite the fact there's a concentrated downtown core. There's obviously a lot of uh parks, so there's a lot of like beautiful outdoors, uh obviously being along the water, and then there's these incredible art galleries and museums, and it almost almost presents a really nice contrast. You can be indoors and then you can go outdoors and you can walk to places and like and so we had done a um many people had recommended to us. It was the first time we ever did a segue tour, and we got on segues because and it was like we had read on TripAdvisor that it was like one of the best ways to experience Chicago is to take a Segway tour, and we'd never done it before, and we did, and we actually thought it was fantastic because we got to see so much. Um, and then we started walking around and exploring it ourselves. But I I'd love to ask you about that because there's a combination of outdoor activities and then all these amazing museums and art galleries. Uh so tell us a little bit about that experience because clearly there's lots to do outdoors.
SPEAKER_00God bless you for doing a segue tour. Like, I will see Segway tours out in Chicago, and I'm like, I really hope they don't take a wrong turn and they don't know. Like I'll times have people on like a Divi bike, like those rental bikes, and they're gonna be cruising towards Lakeshore Drive. And I'm like, you're going the wrong way, friend. Turn back around. But I think that that's so cool that you've done it. I've actually never done that, so I haven't put that on my list. Out, you know, the outdoor scene in Chicago is amazing, right? Like we have 26 or 27, 26 miles of lakefront. And with that comes like all of these beaches that again take you through the neighborhoods, right? So you have amazing beaches in the south side of Chicago, you have the beaches that are on Oak Street, so right off of the shopping district. Um, and then you can keep going and going. You have like Belmont Harbor. There's a if you're a dog person, there's such a fun dog beach over there. Um, my dog just would like ravage the place and you know, go down to Andersville. You keep going, and there's like we are a beach city. There's volleyball courts, there's pickleball courts, you can rent bikes down there. And so I always say, like, if people want to take it easy in the city, like Chicago's a really good city to do that. Like you just sit on the beach, take it easy, and take in the views of it, it's awesome. And then, you know, the one thing that you talk about is Chicago has a river that's going right through it. And um, Carol Ross Barney was the architect who designed the river walk. So if you were in Chicago, like I would say 10 years ago, there was no river walk. And now you can literally go down these really cool steps right by Wrigley building and walk along the river. And it honestly looks it's designed obviously by an amazing architect, but it looks like it belong has belonged there forever. And they have like city winery and they have like tiny tap, like all these cool restaurants and shops, and people could just like take it easy down there while the hustle and bustle of the city is right above you. And so I like doing that. Um, I also think it's crazy that we have like hot tub boats right now going down the river. I don't know if y'all do this in Canada. Maybe Chicago's just a little crazy, but like people are in like a hot tub boat with like colleagues as like a team building thing just floating down the river. And I always like to see people's face when they're like, what is that? And I'm like, it's a hot tub boat, and you can rent one for a half an hour. So you can do that as part of your own to nature in Chicago.
SPEAKER_01Totally. I am definitely adding that to my list. And I have not seen that elsewhere. We definitely don't have it here in Toronto, and I like we're still doing it.
Rooftops, Hotels, And Winter Igloos
SPEAKER_00Yeah.
SPEAKER_02That could be a Chicago thing. I'm I'm seeing a travel trends episode actually broadcast from a hot tub along the Chicago River. Uh, but what Lisa mentioned, this riverwalk is I I love to do it. First of all, it's a great place to meet up, meet uh locals because locals they jog along, they they take their lunch break along this riverwalk. It's a great kind of locals favorite thing to do. And the perspective uh again fro of the city above you from that beautiful riverwalk there is quite uh is quite uh uh stunning. Uh you mentioned Ode to Nature, Lisa, uh, and a part of uh again the discussions, the travels who that helped to uh keep uh Chicago on this on our best best list for this year was that element that I think a lot of people overlook. This is an urban epicenter. This is a big city. But at the same time, all of those parks, the beaches along the lake, the walks along the river, the the amount of green across this uh uh urban uh epicenter is quite stunning and it's quite uh unique, I think. And uh how big a selling point is that for you at Choose Chicago to sort of remind folks that this is at the end of the day, I know we're in the middle of winter now, but uh even then, uh an outdoor haven in so many ways.
SPEAKER_00It I mean it is, and I I would say that we're constantly voted like most walkable city too, and I think that has a lot to do with how connected our city is through green space and through water. Um, you know, we're a city that has four seasons too, and so there's nothing better than seeing the nature of the city change with the seasons. Like I love Chicago as my favorite in the fall. Everything turns to like, you know, orange and green and yellow. And so it is important for us. It's important for our city to make sure that we're invested in green space. Um, and one of my favorite things to do is um in Jackson Park, which is on the south side of Chicago, right by Griffin Museum of Science and Industry, has these amazing cherry blossoms. And so people are always going out there around the springtime to check those out. And it's such a special moment for our city. And so, you know, I know other cities have like big green spaces all in one. Chicago is a green and waterway all around. Like I take the taxi, the water taxi to work. I don't think a lot of people can say that. So um, it's a special city and something that regardless of the season that you come in, you can experience a little bit of nature.
SPEAKER_01Well, and the other thing I wanted to highlight too, because I want to make sure that someone else that is looking at Chicago that might not think to do an art gallery, and it clearly you've got two extraordinary art galleries, um, the Museum of Contemporary Art, of course, and and the Art Institute of Chicago. Yes, exactly. So you've got two incredible uh art galleries. And so um I didn't realize just how much amazing artwork was contained in each of them. And I think that was one of the things that stood out to me. That I was my wife was keen to do it. I went along and I was like, whoa, I'm so glad I didn't miss this. And so I if you wouldn't mind sharing a little bit about those two, because I think just about anyone going to Chicago for the first time, or if you didn't go previous time, you need to add this to the list. So tell everyone, since it is a part of your background, which ones would you visit and why?
Riverwalk, Beaches, And Outdoor Life
SPEAKER_00I mean, the art institute is so cool. Um, I mean, it's been it's like the family that brought the World's Fair to Chicago was an original like investor and creator of the Art Institute. So it just goes to show you how far back that institution goes for our city. It has those like iconic lions right in the front. So sometimes people are like, where are those? I'm like, that's the art institute. But it's also the beginning of Route 66, and I know I'm talking about this a lot, but like Route 66 with an amazing, like world-class art institute is so awesome. But a few years ago, I don't know if it's a few years ago, I'm dating myself, but they opened up the modern wing. And so it just again extends that experience of all different types of art. Um, and it's right on the lakefront. So you can literally go to the art institute and then you can continue your journey down the lakefront and take in the views of the city. So I always say start start there, particularly if you're gonna be foregoing, you know, if you're gonna be going on a road trip for Route 66. And then the MCA or the Museum of Contemporary Art is right off the Mag Mile. And so again, it is like a very cool art scene. They do awesome events on Thursdays. It's called like First Thursdays, I think. And they have like a sponsor and people go there and there's music and fun stuff like that. So always check out the programming that these um, these cultural institutions have because there's always like something fun to do. Um, but it's right off of Mag Mile, which has amazing shopping. So you can do like a little art and then you can go and spend all your money in Chicago, which we love and thank you, um, at some of our best stores in the city.
SPEAKER_01Well, I think it's at the Art Institute of Chicago, which has the Nighthawks, which when I saw that image, I'm like, oh my God, I always wondered where this was. And it's like it's it still stands out to me. Like that was what that was one of those moments inside the Art Institute of Chicago that was just like, wow. I'm like, and and this is happening today. So I definitely had that Ferris Bueller experience where I was like, this is all happening in one incredible day in Chicago. But but I'm glad you mentioned Route 66 because Gabe and I started this series focusing on Arizona and Route 66, and we were talking about Chicago then because we were so excited to have this conversation with you because you know it's the hundredth anniversary of Route 66. So tell us a little bit more about how that factors into your plans for 2026.
SPEAKER_00Well, I mean, I think people think with road trips, they don't necessarily think about like a big city destination. Well, at least I don't. And so, you know, Chicago is really excited about it, right? And so one of the things that we've been working on doing is encouraging a peer-to-peer experience, right? So you start in Santa Monica, but then Navy Pier is our pier. So it's our complement to the Santa Monica Pier. And so it has a Ferris wheel, an amazing children's museum, a restaurant by Art Smith. It is such a cool destination. And so if you think about planning that peer-to-peer experience, um we have it set for you. And the other thing that's really cool is Harry Carey's restaurant is uh at Navy Pier, and like you can't get any more Chicago Americana. Someone said that Harry Carey like was born off of Route 66. I'm not sure that it's true, but I'm gonna say it's true because I feel like it's a good detail that no one is gonna fact tech me on. Please don't do that. Um, and so like I always I think that this is a really cool thing how people are saying, like, you we're embracing Santa Monica, come to Chicago. Um, and then we have a website, cheeshicago.com slash Route Sixty Six, that there's all these cool things that you can do paid or for free around embracing the food, the culture, and the music scene in and around Route Sixty Six in Chicago.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, I think the centennial centennial around Route Sixty Six is gonna be huge. I think. The that good old-fashioned nostalgic American road trip is back and to fold in the starting point where it really originates. Uh, and uh, you know, before those 2,448 miles made, uh, allowed folks to travel from Chicago all the way to that uh beautiful Southern California coastline. I think that's that's a big selling point. We've also got the World Cup, Lisa. Uh we've also got the 250th anniversary of the United States of America. And these are all, again, factors that helped us shape this best bet. So listen, I think Chicago can embrace any of these major events. Um what are some that stand out to you, especially as folks begin to kind of map out their 2026 travels? Boy, there are major events here that could keep us coming back to Chicago multiple times throughout the year.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, I mean, World Cup is like such an amazing thing for you know the states. And while we're not a host city, we are a halo city. So people are gonna be looking for things to do while they're in the states. I I think I saw recent research that said that they'll be here for about two and a half weeks. And so if they're looking for anything to do but football, Chicago is their answer to that. You know, obviously we've talked about amazing food, amazing architecture, amazing music scene for all different price points. And so we are super accessible too. So you can fly in from O'Hare or Midway. We have the Amtrak, we have the Metra, um, bus, kayak, boat, however, you want to get to Chicago. So we are excited to be welcoming people that are here to experience the World Cup and also make sure that they experience some of Chicago while they're here. And so we launched this effort called Kick Back in Chicago. Get it. Um, and we're just really excited to be creating these itineraries for folks that are headed our way um in all different languages for all different um timeframes that they're here. And so you can also find that on our website.
SPEAKER_01That's great. That's and this is where, you know, whether it's the uh architecture we've talked about, uh the food, the cuisine, museums, culture, theater, nightlife, music, uh, parks and outdoor. Now we're talking about sports. Uh we haven't even talked about shopping yet. I mean, you talked about the um the miracle mile, and obviously that like there's uh some incredible shops on the main uh street as well. Um tell us about the I guess you mentioned some of the festivals, but some of the um with 2026 in mind and all those initiatives underway, like as far as where Chicago's headed as a city, because I love I love the branding, I love the positioning of Chicago, and so Chicago is always a great destination, but it's an especially great destination for 2026. But you're continuing evolving. I didn't know that you guys had floating hot tubs going down the river, for example. Um, so tell us about some of those other things that we may not know about that you know that are coming for this year, or some other highlights that you have uh you have got planned for this great city.
Art Powerhouses And Route 66
SPEAKER_00I think 2026 is like the year of the mega project, right? So you have Obama Presidential Center opening up. That's gonna be so big for the people that live here, the people that visit here, and the people who want to do business in Chicago. We also have Google opening up their another huge office right in the heart of the loop. And so you can talk about how that's gonna really evolve downtown in that business district. And so, for folks that are looking, you know, we always say like Chicago is a great place to start your life, like your business, you're you know, you're a young kid and you're looking for your first job, like that is going to present a ton of opportunity for the people who are wanna relocate here with Google. Um, the Chicago Fire, which is our soccer team, they are breaking ground on a new stadium that they're calling the 78 right on the river walk or riverfront. So that's gonna be huge for us too. United, O'Hare, and Midway, they're constantly changing the way that their terminals look. And so when you talk about that first touch point um through the airport experience, like I think our airports are setting it to none. And we just want to get you to the city right away. Um, and then the other thing that's happening is that the United Center, which is the home of the Chicago Bulls and the Chicago Blackhawks, are also going through a 1901 project where they're gonna totally expand what that campus experience looks like. And so all this is to say is, you know, I always, and this is our marketing thing, is Chicago is never done. Like we're always, it's like this this work ethic that we have, and we're never outdone. So while a lot of people talk about how great they are, like we are constantly evolving and doing better, and we never rest on our laurels. And so, you know, while I think 2026 is gonna be amazing, I thought 2025 was awesome too. And so it's just the best time to visit the city, and we can't wait to welcome people.
SPEAKER_02I think Lisa said it was just right, because there's that there is that energy of uh of uh here's a city that's well established and well known, but never sits on its or never rests on its laurels. Uh and I'm so glad you mentioned the the airports. I'm a big United Airlines guy. That's the I've just this is where where I've gravitated over the years.
SPEAKER_00They're headquarters.
SPEAKER_02I know they are and that idea of the those airport terminals being that first or perhaps final touch point. I I gotta I do commend United the way that they've at least at O'Hare uh done a beautiful job at at leaning into the Chicago personality um and allowing you sort of uh that sort of just that soft landing, if you will, before you embrace the rest of the city. Um I've done that and that's always been as a as a guy who just hit more than uh just two million miles with United. Wow. When I've got to Chicago, that that's been part of my experience, the way that here's an airline that has embraced uh the personality of the city that they're hubbed in and allows you to sort of start to feel I think I know kind of where I am based on what I'm eating, what I'm seeing, what I'm listening to. Um but that that's a great point. And these these the airports there midway uh as well uh is is just you know they kind of help uh create uh that that vibe, that Chicago uh vibe. Um real quickly before we end, I uh this is also a great drive city. Um I've done a when I used to live in in New York, I remember doing a road trip uh to and and from Chicago. Um who are what is what are your most important markets now? Clearly with the airports, you've got a huge international contingency. Uh and that that includes Dan uh making its way across the border from from Toronto. Yeah. Um drive markets, uh the the the national, uh your national uh domestic audience. Where are you seeing most of that energy coming as we head into the the the 2026?
SPEAKER_00Yeah, well, I mean it really depends on the time of the year, right? So right now in the colder months, we really focus on regional. So we're pulling from you know Michigan, Wisconsin, major hubs like St. Louis, college cities, um to try to get them to do those like weekend trips here. And usually that demographic is a little bit lower. Um, but our biggest markets always are gonna be like the Atlantis, the Miami's, the New York, and the LAs. We want them to come down um to Chicago, whether they're driving or flying, but the regional markets are in and around Chicago are what we're focused on for drive-in. But I think one thing that, you know, I want Chicago to be known for is a not just a national competitor, but like an international city. Like I want us to rank up there with those, like the Paris' and the Londons of the world. And so um, it's a really big focus for us to continue to push Chicago as an international city that's welcoming and clean and you know offers something for everybody. And and I am really hopeful that 2026 brings us an opportunity to continue to tell that story even more.
World Cup Halo Plans And Access
SPEAKER_01Well, I just want to finish on that because it's a great point about international travelers, and given our global audience, a friend of mine had said recently about crossing the border to the US, especially driving, is like sometimes it's great to zig when others zag because the the borders all of us, you know, it's easier to cross. And so there's there's all these other factors at play for Canadians traveling to uh Chicago, but international travelers who are gonna fly in. Um, tell us a little bit about where you actually do see the international travelers coming from. Because the one thing that always amazes me about the US, and I think this is one of those things when just separating about the events that you're reading on the news versus actually being in a place, how wonderful the people are, how welcoming, how much uh it has to offer. And so whenever I'm whenever I'm traveling throughout the US, um, I'm always just amazed. I'm always trying to separate what I read on the headlines and what I experience in the destination itself, the people. And you see people traveling from all over the world and you see all different cultures and ethnicities, and it's you know, it's really wonderful. It kind of like it it's what I love about travel. So tell us like when you look at Chicago, because obviously you look at the numbers, but like when you look at 2026, where in the world are people coming from to Chicago and where what are some of the new destinations that are opening up? Um, that the people are now realizing I'm putting Chicago on their radar.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, I mean, not unlike most major cities in the states, Canada and Mexico are always gonna be our top markets, um, and vice versa, right? Like we know there's a lot of Chicagoans going to those markets as well. Um, I love going Mexico City is one of my favorite um cities, and so is Toronto. I have family there, and so um, those are always gonna be our top markets and ones that we're gonna continue to invest in. Um, I think with everything that all the challenges that have been going on with estates and with tariffs and with all of that, that's obviously a concern to keep those numbers up and to be sensitive about the dynamics around that situation. But I think what we've seen also is a huge uptick in South America. And so while not, you know, an emerging market, how we've shifted to make sure that we are um embracing the new routes and the new lifts that are coming out of um Brazil are really key to us. They come here and they spend, they like to go shopping, they stay in the hotels. Um I'm generalizing, but South America is a big market for us that we're focusing on. Um, and obviously the UK is always gonna continue to be super strong for us. Um, and then this year we went to um uh Tokyo with the Cubs, they were playing a game there, and we've been investing a lot in that uh market as well because it it brings so much promise to Chicago as a sports city as well. And so um I think all this has made us learn is like you can't be you can't settle with your plan. Like travel is gonna continue to ebb and flow, it's inconsistent like anything else, and so we're always ready to make those shifts to make sure that we are um staying aware and emerging, but also trying different things to stay ahead of whatever might have come our way.
SPEAKER_02I was gonna say on the flip side of that, because the international market is huge, we know here in the States, Dan, that international the international influx is a little softer now. To me, that's a wonderful domestic travel opportunity. So I think Chicago for folks who are, whether it's by plane, train, or automobile, the fact of the matter is it's such an accessible city that again, part of the reason we were looking to put this on our on our list for our U.S. audience is as we try to make up some of these softer international numbers, boy, is this a great destination for those of us who live in the States who are domestic travelers to really eye throughout the course of the year, perhaps all four seasons, uh to uh to venture tour.
SPEAKER_01Well, to close us off, because there is clearly so much we could still continue to talk about, but um thinking about travelers making their plans now, um, and even travel advisors who are such a big part of our audience that are going to start recommending Chicago to uh their customers that are asking, what should I do this year? Where should I go? And they're like, you know what? I just listened to this fantastic episode with Travel Zoo and Travel Trends about Chicago, and here's what I and now I think this would be perfect for your family or for a multi-generational trip or a romantic getaway. Like there's so many different reasons why people should go to Chicago in 2026. Leave us with, if you wouldn't mind, I know this is gonna be a bit of a hard question for you, but like when you think about your perfect Chicago moment, and there's many, like even if you give us, you can give us three. I was gonna ask you for one, but that's probably like um, but if you were to say these are the one, two, or three things that if you're coming to Chicago, that you absolutely have to do. You can't have left Chicago and go, wait a second, you didn't do that? That's like that's the most important things you need to do. So you we may have already touched on them, but what would be I guess your ideal day in Chicago, one of the one, two or three best things you should do in Chicago?
Big Projects: OPC, Google, Stadiums
SPEAKER_00Well, I'm a I'm a mom of littles, so I like to get out of the house before it's torn apart. Um, so one of my favorite things to do is go to Green City Market in Lincoln Park and um get like an amazing croissant, and they usually have bluegrass music playing. It's just like a really beautiful market, and then head over to Lincoln Park Zoo, which is right next door to it. It's a free zoo all the time. It's awesome. And then just continue to walk and walk and walk. Um, you can take the bridge over to the beach. Um, and it's just a really beautiful start and a way to embrace the city. So I would say that that's like a a moment, a core memory that I encourage people to do to just get their day started off right. Um, I mentioned going to a diner, but I'm gonna plug again, going to Chicago Diner like Lou Mitchell's, and you just can feel like you're a true Chicagoan and talk to real Chicagoans about um, you know, how amazing the city is. And then I would say my last one is go, this is again a food thing. I don't know, maybe that's a trend, but go to Chicago Cut. It's right on the river, it's a steak restaurant. Um, and like there's nothing better than a like a Chicago steakhouse and just taking the views of the city and then go down to the river walk and keep walking. Um, and I think it's just um my style of Chicago is to take it easy a little bit because I work a really fast-paced job. And so those are the three things I recommend. And then obviously I'm gonna do a fourth bonus is like go to a sports game: Cubs, White Sox, Sky, the Red Stars, the Bulls, Bears. We're a sports town, and so it's we always like to have people from out of town join in on that.
SPEAKER_01The Bears. Good, yeah. We gotta mention the Bears. Also, those are all things I haven't done. So, like, and I'm not gonna I've been to Chicago three times. So, like, that's perfect for me. I'm gonna re-listen to this myself to uh make some notes. But uh, Gabe, any last questions for Lisa before we make sure everyone can find out more information to connect with her and the team?
SPEAKER_02No, I think uh I love that little itinerary um that you put together because that is a perfect Chicago day. And I'm glad you mentioned the Lincoln Zoo because uh I did that several years ago with uh with the kids. It's a the fact, it's a freebie, it's a no-brainer, right in the heart of town. Uh and uh before in a few months we'll be talking about going to OPC, and the three of us will know exactly what we're talking about. So it's which is which is great.
SPEAKER_01It's outside. I love it. Yeah, I'm gonna get a Chicago White Sox game in. Oh so good. Good. Awesome. Well, Lisa, this has been uh everything we hoped for in this discussion. We were like and and much more, I would say. Uh thoroughly enjoy the conversation with you. You're so knowledgeable, you're so passionate. Um, and you've shared so much with our listeners and and and Gabe and I. So definitely, I like the idea of shooting a travel trends podcast from the river. That's definitely gonna stay with me. Um but before we go, let's let all our listeners know, especially those travel advisors, where they can learn more about Chicago and specifically connect with Choose Chicago.
SPEAKER_00So you can go to choosechicago.com, um, follow us on social media, but also for the insights group on all things that we love about Chicago. You could check out at all for the love of Chicago at on Instagram and TikTok. It's a great way to see people talking about how amazing our city is.
Markets, Drive Audiences, And Global Reach
SPEAKER_01Thanks so much for joining us on our Travel Zoo, Travel Trends, Best Bets, Destinations series for 2026. I hope you enjoyed today's conversation focused on Chicago, and we're gonna continue our series next Tuesday. We launch these every week on a Tuesday, so make sure you're subscribed on the streaming platform of your choice to be notified when new episodes go live. Next week, we're going to be going to South America and specifically Colombia, which is a focus for many of our Canadian travelers. It's on TravelZoo's Canada list. Uh, but it's obviously a destination that many people around the world are choosing in 2026. And the best way to unlock value in deals to Colombia is definitely with TravelZoo. So make sure you're subscribed for your membership, which starts at just a dollar for the first month. So go to travelzoo.com to learn more about the destinations we've been highlighting and also to subscribe and become a TravelZoo member. I also just wanted to say thanks to my co-host Gabe Saglier for joining us as always in this series. I always enjoy your contributions. And thanks again to Lisa from Choose Chicago for being a part of this episode. Don't forget we do post clips and highlights on our social channels. If you want to see clips of Lisa discussing some of the highlights, you can find them on LinkedIn, YouTube, and Instagram at Travel Trends Podcast. Thanks again for joining us, and until next week, safe travels.
