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Course Charted: Your Guide to Slow, Sustainable, Savvy Travel

What began as a journey half-way around the world, into the courtroom, and behind a camera has brought me here - helping you chart a course for memorable, meaningful travel...

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chicago

Christkindlmarket Chicago: Your Guide to the Best Holiday Market in the Windy City

Christkindlmarket Chicago

Christkindlmarket Chicago is back and bigger than ever; get the inside scoop on the BEST things to see and eat at the Midwest’s merriest holiday market!

Categories Destinations, North America Tags chicago, midwest

Your Guide to the Best Vegan Restaurants in Chicago

Vegan Restaurants Chicago

In this guide to the best vegan restaurants in Chicago I take you to 11 delicious restaurants where you can feast on incredible vegan dishes!

Categories Destinations, North America Tags chicago, coffee shops, midwest, restaurants

Ultimate Guide to the Coolest Attractions along Route 66 from Chicago to St. Louis

Route 66 attractions

From walking in Abraham Lincolnโ€™s footsteps in Pontiac, Illinois to ascending St. Louisโ€™s famed Gateway Arch, this guide will take you to the coolest attractions along Route 66 from Chicago to St. Louis!

Categories Destinations, North America Tags chicago, midwest, road trip
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Course Charted About Me

Hi! I’m Alana, a Chicago-based attorney turned travel writer, photographer, and travel content creator here to help you travel smarter to Chicago and beyond. Click below to learn how I escaped the 9-5 for the 24/7!

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alanainwanderland

alanainwanderland
BEST TIPS TO SAVE TIME AT CHICAGOโ€™S CHRISTKINDLM BEST TIPS TO SAVE TIME AT CHICAGOโ€™S CHRISTKINDLMARKET | @thechristkindlmarket ๐Ÿคซ๐ŸŽ„โœจ [โ€˜saveโ€™ this reel if youโ€™re planning on visiting the ultimate holiday market in the US!]
๐ŸŽ„ if you can, go to Christkindlmarket during the week instead of on weekends (I love popping in on Mondays or Tuesdays when thereโ€™s no line!)
๐ŸŽ„ go to Christkindlmarket at off-peak hours, avoiding typical lunch (12-2p) and dinner (6-8pm) rushes
๐ŸŽ„ be an early bird โ€” getting to Christkindlmarket just before it opens can help you get in quicker and avoid long lines
๐ŸŽ„ or be late โ€” coming an hour before Christkindlmarket closes can also help you get in without a wait
๐ŸŽ„ donโ€™t sleep on Christkindlmarketโ€™s Aurora location; itโ€™s about 45 min outside the city, but the layout is larger and more spacious than Chicago locations and there never seems to be a wait to get in!
๐ŸŽ„ if you want guaranteed quick entry into Christkindlmarket check out the $25 fast-entry pass on the Christkindlmarket website (the pass also gets you a souvenir mug!)
whatโ€™s your best tip for getting into Christkindlmarket without waiting in long lines?? are you brave enough to go this weekend? ๐Ÿซฃ ๐—ณ๐—ผ๐—น๐—น๐—ผ๐˜„ โžก๏ธ @alanainwanderland ๐—ณ๐—ผ๐—ฟ ๐—บ๐—ผ๐—ฟ๐—ฒ holiday fun in and around Chicago!
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#chicago #chicagochristmas #christkindlmarket #christkindlmarketchicago #christkindlmarketaurora #holidaydestination #christmasmarket #holidaytraditions #holidaymarket #chicagoinfluencer
want to have a gorgeous FREE holiday photoshoot in want to have a gorgeous FREE holiday photoshoot in Chicago?? ๐Ÿ“ธ๐ŸŽ„โœจ then you have to check out ๐—ง๐—ต๐—ฒ ๐—ฆ๐˜„๐—ฒ๐—ฒ๐˜๐—ฒ๐˜€๐˜ ๐—ฆ๐—ฎ๐—ป๐˜๐—ฎ ๐—ผ๐—ป ๐—ง๐—ต๐—ฒ ๐— ๐—ถ๐—น๐—ฒ pop-up at Water Tower Place | @shopwatertowerplace [๐˜€๐—ต๐—ฎ๐—ฟ๐—ฒ this Reel with your holiday photo bestie and let them know you want to take cute photos here!]
๐—›๐—ฒ๐—ฟ๐—ฒโ€™๐˜€ ๐˜„๐—ต๐—ฎ๐˜ ๐˜†๐—ผ๐˜‚ ๐—ป๐—ฒ๐—ฒ๐—ฑ ๐˜๐—ผ ๐—ธ๐—ป๐—ผ๐˜„:
๐—Ÿ๐—ผ๐—ฐ๐—ฎ๐˜๐—ถ๐—ผ๐—ป: 835 North Michigan Avenue (right as you walk into the main entrance, youโ€™ll see this pop up on the right!)
๐—˜๐˜…๐—ฝ๐—ฒ๐—ฟ๐—ถ๐—ฒ๐—ป๐—ฐ๐—ฒ: sooo many beautiful holiday displays and photo ops like a massive sleigh, huge balloon candy canes and ice cream cones, and Christmas trees decorated with sweet temptations 
๐—–๐—ผ๐˜€๐˜: itโ€™s absolutely FREE to enjoy and take photos at all the displays, but you can also get photos with Santa here with photo packages starting at $19.99
๐——๐—ฎ๐˜๐—ฒ๐˜€ / ๐—ง๐—ถ๐—บ๐—ฒ๐˜€: this holiday pop up runs through Dec 24, hours are โ€”
December 4-8, 11am-7pm
December 9, 10am-8pm
December 10, 12pm-6pm
December 11-15, 11am-7pm
December 16, 10am-8pm
December 17, 12pm-6pm
December 18-23, 10am-8pm
December 24, 10am-4pm
what are some of your favorite places to take holiday photos in Chicago?? I love finding and sharing all the best spots so make sure you ๐—ณ๐—ผ๐—น๐—น๐—ผ๐˜„ โžก๏ธ @alanainwanderland ๐—ณ๐—ผ๐—ฟ ๐—บ๐—ผ๐—ฟ๐—ฒ holiday fun in and around Chicago!
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#chicago #christmasphotoshoot #thingstodoinchicago #holidayphotos #windycity #holidaydestination #holidayphotoshoot #holidaytraditions #streeterville #michiganave
HOLIDAYS IN CHICAGO DECEMBER BUCKETLIST โœจ๐ŸŽ„๐Ÿค (โ€˜saveโ€™ this post for when you want to get into the holiday mood!)
๐ŸŽบ see the golden trumpets and Christmas decorations along State Street (the area by Macyโ€™s is my fav!)
โ›ธ๏ธ go ice skating at the Maggie Daley Ice Skating Ribbon (best rink in Chicago imo, just donโ€™t forget to snag reservations online!)
๐ŸŽ… tell Santa your wish list when you spot him on the festively-decorated CTA Holiday Buses and Trains | @chicagocta 
โœจ enjoy the magic of holiday lights at Chicago Botanic Gardenโ€™s Lightscape exhibit | @chicagobotanic 
๐Ÿซ get (hot) chocolate wasted at Fairmont Chicagoโ€™s The Lodge | @fairmontchicago 
๐ŸŽ„attend Chicagoโ€™s best holiday market โ€” Christkindlmarket Chicago | @thechristkindlmarket (with locations at Daley Plaza and Wrigleyville + if you donโ€™t mind traveling further out, donโ€™t miss the Aurora location which is usually less busy than the other two!)
๐Ÿฅ‚indulge in festive holiday drinks at the Nutcracker Pop Up Christmas Bar at Virgin Hotels Chicago | @nutcrackerpopupbar x @chicagobucketlist x @virginhotelschi 
๐ŸŒณ see holiday magic and nature collide at Morton Arboretumโ€™s Illumination | @mortonarb 
โ˜•๏ธ (because you know I had to sneak in coffee on this list) you have to check out this โ€œadult hot chocolateโ€ aka the CAMP latte at The Understudy | @theunderstudychi which has espresso + velvety mocha + volcanic salt
What would you add to this Chicago in December bucketlist?? How many things have you checked off already? ๐Ÿ“โœ”๏ธ// #AlanaInChicago 
โ€ช__________โ€ฌ
โ€ช๐Ÿ“Chicago, USA ๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ธโ€ฌ
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#chicago #christkindlmarkt #christkindlmarketchicago #windycity #chicagoloop #ThingsToDoInChicago #chicagocoffeeshops #chicagophotographer #christkindlmarket #holidaylights #chicagohome #holidaymarket #chicagolife #chicagofun #chicagoillinois #chicagothingstodo #chicagoinfluencer #visitchicago #chicagotravel #andersonville #christmaslightshow #chicagobotanicgarden #mortonarboretum โ€ฌ#cta #ChicagoLifestyle #ChicagoFun #ctaholidaytrain #chicagohotels
Chicagoans are built different, Iโ€™m calling it r Chicagoans are built different, Iโ€™m calling it right now, when that first December snow hits youโ€™ll see at least one person in a t-shirt โ„๏ธ๐Ÿ‘•๐Ÿ™ƒ
TAG someone who loves Chicago snow / winter and ๐—ณ๐—ผ๐—น๐—น๐—ผ๐˜„ โ†’ @alanainwanderland ๐—ณ๐—ผ๐—ฟ ๐—บ๐—ผ๐—ฟ๐—ฒ!
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#chicago #chicagowinter #chicagoweather #chicagoloop #chicagocreatives #thingstodoinchicago #aestheticreels #chicagosnow
did you know that the iconic scene from Home Alone did you know that the iconic scene from Home Alone (the one of the family frantically running through the airport trying to catch their flight) was filmed right here inside Terminal 3 at #Chicagoโ€™s Oโ€™Hare International Airport ๐ŸŽฅ๐ŸŽ„โœจ [send this Reel to someone who loves seeing famous film locations!]
here are some more fun facts about Chicagoโ€™s Oโ€™Hare Airport during the holidays:
๐ŸŽ„@americanair facilities maintenance mechanics are the holiday elves behind all the festive decor (they make sure each of the bows is hung at the correct height and angle to complement the giant metal globe in the middle of the terminal!)
๐ŸŽ„the team works overnight for two weeks to prepare, construct and hang the decorations โ€” a process that takes about 544 hours!
๐ŸŽ„the display features 8-foot-tall bows, 7,500 tiny white lights, and dozens of lit doves!
๐ŸŽ„this has been an Oโ€™Hare T3 tradition for more than 30 years!
What holiday movie locations have you been to and which ones are still on your list??๐ŸŽ„๐ŸŽž
๐—™๐—ผ๐—น๐—น๐—ผ๐˜„ โžก๏ธ @alanainwanderland ๐—ณ๐—ผ๐—ฟ ๐—บ๐—ผ๐—ฟ๐—ฒ!
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#chicagoholidays #holidaymovies #thingstodoinchicago #windycity #chicagochristmas #chicagothingstodo #chicagoinfluencer #homealone #ohare #chicagophotographer #christmasdecor #holidaydecorations #ord #alanainchicago #holidaytravel
if you want to enjoy nature in the most gorgeous h if you want to enjoy nature in the most gorgeous holiday setting donโ€™t miss the 11th annual ILLUMINATION at the Morton Arboretum | @mortonarb ๐ŸŒณโœจ๐ŸŽ„ [share this Reel with your fav tree hugger!]
๐—›๐—ฒ๐—ฟ๐—ฒโ€™๐˜€ ๐˜„๐—ต๐—ฎ๐˜ ๐˜†๐—ผ๐˜‚ ๐—ป๐—ฒ๐—ฒ๐—ฑ ๐˜๐—ผ ๐—ธ๐—ป๐—ผ๐˜„ ๐—ฎ๐—ฏ๐—ผ๐˜‚๐˜ ๐—œ๐—น๐—น๐˜‚๐—บ๐—ถ๐—ป๐—ฎ๐˜๐—ถ๐—ผ๐—ป:
๐—Ÿ๐—ผ๐—ฐ๐—ฎ๐˜๐—ถ๐—ผ๐—ป: 4100 IL-53, Lisle IL (just a 30 min drive from downtown Chicago!)
๐—ช๐—ต๐—ฎ๐˜ ๐˜†๐—ผ๐˜‚โ€™๐—น๐—น ๐—ฒ๐˜…๐—ฝ๐—ฒ๐—ฟ๐—ถ๐—ฒ๐—ป๐—ฐ๐—ฒ: more than 1,000 trees beautifully illuminated for the holidays in 18 themed displays covering 50 acres of the Arboretumโ€™s massive grounds
๐—ข๐—ฝ๐—ฒ๐—ป๐—ถ๐—ป๐—ด ๐—ฑ๐—ฎ๐˜๐—ฒ๐˜€ ๐—ฎ๐—ป๐—ฑ ๐˜๐—ถ๐—บ๐—ฒ๐˜€: Illumination is running at the Morton Arboretum November 18, 2023 through January 6, 2024, doors open at 4:30pm with last entry at 8:30pm (lights go out at 9:30pm!)
๐—–๐—ผ๐˜€๐˜: tickets start at $22 for non-members (members of the Arboretum get 20% off!)
have you been to Illumination before or are you planning to visit for the first time this year?? I finally revisited last night and even though it was *very* chilly, my man and i had the.l best time (it put us in such a festive mood ๐Ÿ˜Œ๐ŸŽ„) โ€” ๐—ณ๐—ผ๐—น๐—น๐—ผ๐˜„ โžก๏ธ @alanainwanderland ๐—ณ๐—ผ๐—ฟ ๐—บ๐—ผ๐—ฟ๐—ฒ holiday fun in and around Chicago!
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#chicago #mortonarboretum #thingstodoinchicago #arboretum #windycity #holidaydestination #christmaslights #holidaytraditions
maybe youโ€™ve heard of #Chicagoโ€™s famous holida maybe youโ€™ve heard of #Chicagoโ€™s famous holiday train?? well, thereโ€™s also an incredibly festive ๐—ต๐—ผ๐—น๐—ถ๐—ฑ๐—ฎ๐˜† ๐—ฏ๐˜‚๐˜€ rolling through the Windy City starting TODAY ๐Ÿš๐ŸŽ…๐ŸŽ„ [โ€˜saveโ€™ the schedule below so you donโ€™t miss it!]
Nov 28: 56 Milwaukee, 11:50am-5pm
Nov 29: 56 Milwaukee, 1-8:15pm (*photos w Santa at Jefferson Park 4-5:15pm!)
Nov 30: 91 Austin / 92 Foster, 12-5pm
Dec 1: 22 Clark, 12:45-8pm
Dec 2: 22 Clark / 97 Skokie, 12:30-7p (*photos w Santa at Old Orchard 1:30-2:30pm)
Dec 5: 74 Fullerton, 12:10-6:30pm
Dec 6: 66 Chicago, 11:45am-7pm (*photos w Santa at Navy Pier | @navypierchicago 4:20-5:15pm)
Dec 7: 66 Chicago, 12:20-7:30pm
Dec 8: 126 Jackson, 12:20-7:05pm (*photos w Santa at Jackson/Austin 3-4pm)
Dec 9: 12 Roosevelt, 12:15-7:45pm (*photos w Santa at Harrison/Central 2:30-3:30pm)
Dec 12: 62 Archer, 12:15-6pm (*photos w Santa at Midway 1:45-2:45pm)
Dec 13: 49 Western / X49 Western Express, 12:30-5:10pm
Dec 14: 49 Western / X49 Western Express, 12:20-8:40pm (*photos w Santa at 79th/Western 4:20-5:15pm)
Dec 15: 3 King Dr, 12:20-8:15pm
Dec 16: 79 79th, 12:10-5p (*photos w Santa at Ford City 4-5pm)
Dec 19: 28 Stoney Island, 12:40-6:50pm (*photos w Santa at Union Station Bus Terminal 4:30-5:30pm)
Dec 20: J14 Jeffrey Jump, 11:45am-7pm
Dec 21: 6 Jackson Park, 11:45am-6:30pm (*photos w Santa at Wacker/Stetson 1:05-2:05pm)
Dec 22: 29 State, 12:20-8:05pm
Dec 23: 29 State, 12:15-7:30pm (*photos w Santa at Navy Pier 1:50-2:50pm)
Have you been on the CTA Holiday Train or Bus?? I filmed this Reel on the Clark 22 route last year โ€” I only planned to hop on for a few stops, but I was having such a good time seeing the joy it brought to everyone that I stayed for the full route ๐Ÿš๐ŸŽ…๐ŸŽ„ ๐—™๐—ผ๐—น๐—น๐—ผ๐˜„ โžก๏ธ @alanainwanderland ๐—ณ๐—ผ๐—ฟ ๐—บ๐—ผ๐—ฟ๐—ฒ!
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#cta #ctaholidaytrain #thingstodoinchicago #chicagofun #santaclausiscomingtotown #chicagothingstodo #chicagoinfluencer #holidaytrain #holidayevents #christmasphotoshoot #visitchicago #holidayfun #alanainchicago
favorite moments from November in Chicago ๐Ÿ’ญ
โ€ข learning to ice skate all over again at Maggie Daley Ribbon
โ€ข seeing the holiday decorations go up in Chicago (shot taken in the south loop at Roosevelt Collection | @rcshops ๐ŸŽ„)
โ€ข warm November evening drinks at Devereaux Chicago rooftop | @devereauxchicago 
โ€ข enjoying the last of the golden fall colors at Millennium Park
โ€ข weather turning colder but Chicago looking stunning in the Loop
โ€ข classic downtown Chicago views along State St
*plus a rare selfie surprise at the end from our anniversary trip to the Canary Islands!
how has your November been this year?? Did you stay local for the Thanksgiving holidays or head somewhere warm? // #AlanaInChicago 
โ€ช__________โ€ฌ
โ€ช๐Ÿ“Chicago, USA ๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ธโ€ฌ
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#chicago #chicagowinter #chicagorooftop #windycity #chicagoloop #ThingsToDoInChicago #chicagorestaurants #chicagophotographer #chicagobar #travelinfluencer #chicagohome #chicagoevents #chicagolife #chicagofun #chicagoillinois #chicagothingstodo #chicagoinfluencer #visitchicago #chicagotravel #iceskatingrink #millenniumpark #chicagoarchitecture #chicagoholidays โ€ฌ#chicagochristmas #ChicagoLifestyle #ChicagoFun #holidaydecorations #chi
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