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Traveling with Sweeney

Traveling with Sweeney

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Illinois

Chicago, Destinations, Illinois, North America

Things to Do in Chicago: Two Tours to Book (and More Tips)

Catherine Sweeney
August 5, 2026
No Comments
Things to Do in Chicago: Two Tours to Book (and More Tips)

Two tours to book in Chicago — and more!

Art and Architecture, chicago, food, illinois, USA
Chicago, Destinations, Museums, Memorials & Landmarks, USA

Ernest Hemingway’s First Chapter in Oak Park, Illinois

Catherine Sweeney
April 7, 2021
Ernest Hemingway’s First Chapter in Oak Park, Illinois

Where it all began for Ernest Hemingway

chicago, hemingway, museums, oak park
Chicago, Destinations, North America, USA

Chicago: My Kind of Town at Christmas

Catherine Sweeney
December 24, 2018
Chicago: My Kind of Town at Christmas

Christmas in Chicago: Favorite holiday things to do

chicago, christmas, christmas markets, illinois, USA
Attractions, Chicago, Destinations, Museums, Memorials & Landmarks, USA

Featured Museum: History, Chicago-style

Catherine Sweeney
August 30, 2012

There are three things that I remember from my 4th grade Chicago history class: Mrs. O’Leary’s cow started the Great Chicago Fire, I got an A+++ on my Fort Dearborn model, and “Chicago” was a Native American word for “bad smell”.

chicago, USA
Chicago, Destinations, USA

Loco for XOCO

Catherine Sweeney
August 21, 2012

Celebrity Chicago chef Rick Bayless’ XOCO attracts food lovers from all over the Chicago area and is conveniently located for downtown workers to enjoy breakfast, lunch or dinner. Pronounced “Sho-ko”, Xoco is Mexican slang for “little sister”.

chicago, USA
Art and Architecture, Attractions, Chicago, Museums, Memorials & Landmarks, USA

Featured Museum: A Suburban Chicago Gem

Catherine Sweeney
June 12, 2012

I’ve spent much time over the years visiting a close friend in Elmhurst, Illinois, a suburb about 16 miles west of downtown Chicago. But until last month, neither of us had ever been to the Lizzadro Museum of Lapidary Art, an under-the-radar gem — really.

chicago, USA
Chicago, USA

Travel Photo Thursday: A Slice of Chicago

Catherine Sweeney
May 17, 2012

I’ve just returned home from a two week trip to the Midwest that included a few days in the Chicago area to visit family and friends and participate in Walk MS. Here is a slice of Chicago life for Travel Photo Thursday. The First Slice Actually, my individual serving of…

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chicago, USA
Art and Architecture, Attractions, Chicago, USA

Culture Curious in Chicago

Catherine Sweeney
May 10, 2012

As someone who is proud to call Chicago my birthplace and former home for many years, I’ve always known that the city is one of the world’s finest cultural capitals. But as many times as I’ve passed by the old Chicago Public Library building, I never walked through the doors…

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Art and Architecture, chicago, USA
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About Catherine Sweeney

Catherine Sweeney is a travel enthusiast with a lifelong passion for going places. A weekend getaway, an international journey, a cross-country road trip, or a local jaunt — they’re all on her radar. And it’s all made extra special when she’s enjoying the finer things in life with Mr. TWS, her husband and co-blogger. Get inspired as they share photos and stories highlighting the best of destinations, food, wine, history, culture and the arts.

Recent Posts

  • Things to Do in Chicago: Two Tours to Book (and More Tips)
  • Northern California Getaway — Three Days in Sonoma County
  • From Barcelona to Rome on a Viking Western Mediterranean Cruise
  • Day Trip from Copenhagen to Helsingør, Lund, and Malmö
  • 5 Days in Irresistible Copenhagen, Denmark

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Oh, Chicago! You’ve got it all. New on the blog — Oh, Chicago! You’ve got it all. New on the blog — a recap of two awesome tours to take and more tips. There’s food, art, architecture, and more. Link in bio and in comments. #choosechicago #architecturetour #foodtour #westloopchicago #travelchicago
Mr. TWS catching rays and staying cool in the pool Mr. TWS catching rays and staying cool in the pool. #scottsdalearizona #pooltime☀️ #keepingcool #arizonalife🌵☀️
A #foodiefriday tip — when in Chicago get a taste A #foodiefriday tip — when in Chicago get a taste of the West Loop food scene with @chicagofoodtours. We savored delicious and chef-inspired Italian Korean, Japanese dishes and more on this 3-hour tour of this very cool neighborhood. #chicagoeats #tastechicago #chicagofoodtour #choosechicago
It’s always a treat to visit my old hometown - the It’s always a treat to visit my old hometown - the great city of Chicago! @mrtws1 and I were there for a few days last week to soak up the city vibe, enjoy favorite places, and have new experiences. This is just a glance of our time with @chicagofoodtours in the West Loop, a repeat river cruise with @chicagoriverboattours amazing architecture boat tour, Old Town Art Fair, Wells Street Art Fair, Oak Street Beach, Millennium Park, rooftop at The Peninsula. There’s more to come! #choosechicago #chicagoarchitecture #chicagogram #visitillinois #chicagoisbeautiful
@mrtws1 and I met in Milwaukee and one of our favo @mrtws1 and I met in Milwaukee and one of our favorite places way back when and throughout the years when we visit is @elsas_mke. We were lucky to be there last week when owner Karl Kopp (who also owns another favorite place of ours in Scottsdale @az88thebar) was being honored with the designation of a portion of Jefferson Street at Cathedral Square in his name. Thanks to his lovely sister Liz for including us in the celebration. #elsasonthepark #milwaukeerestaurants #visitmke #favoriteplaces #milwaukeewisconsin
New on the blog - Sonoma County travel inspiration New on the blog - Sonoma County travel inspiration! A look back a three-day getaway in my favorite part of Northern California. Wine,food, and beautiful scenery. Link in bio and in comments. #visitsonoma #californiadreaming #sonomacounty #winecountry #travel
From our last trip to California -- Another Sonoma From our last trip to California -- Another Sonoma County winery tip for your next visit. Check out Wilson Winery in Dry Creek Valley just north of Healdsburg (where we were based on this trip). They have a great variety of Zinfandel wines and we brought home a few bottles of their Sydney Reserve Zin. Lovely place to sit outside and enjoy the vineyard views. #sonomawines #californiadreaming #vineyards #drycreek valley #wine
Planning a Sonoma County summer getaway? Consider Planning a Sonoma County summer getaway? Consider a mountaintop tour and tasting at Kunde Family Winery in Kenwood, California. More photos and ideas for food, wine, and fun experiences coming soon here and on the blog for your getaway planning. #sonomawine #visitsonomacounty #californiawine #travelcalifornia #winetasting
Thinking a lot about Sicily lately. Check out our Thinking a lot about Sicily lately. Check out our 11-day itinerary for your travel inspiration. Link in bio or copy from comments. Ragusa Ibla is the old city center of Ragusa (shown in the photo), one of the eight Late Baroque towns in the Val di Noto of southeastern Sicily to be on the UNESCO World Heritage list since 2002. There is much to explore in this town that was largely rebuilt after the 1693 earthquake that devastated the region. #visitsicily #ragusaibla #travelgram #travelitaly #sicilia
NEW on the blog - a recap of our shore excursions NEW on the blog - a recap of our shore excursions in Spain, France, and Italy on a Viking Iconic Western Mediterranean cruise. This photo was on the French Riviera - what could be better? Link in bio and in comments. #myvikingstory #cruisetravel #mediterranean #frenchriviera #villefranchesurmer
No fooling! This is where I’d like to be right now No fooling! This is where I’d like to be right now — aboard the Viking Mars on a Mediterranean cruise. The beautiful coastal city in the first photo is Villefranche-sur-Mer, France, taken from the ship. I was wearing Mr. TWS’s sunglasses 😎 He looks better in them! Other photos of the happy traveler are from various spots onboard, too. New blog post about the trip coming soon. #myvikingstory #mediterranean #cruise #travelgram #vikingmars
Scottsdale, Arizona showed up today! #nokings #not Scottsdale, Arizona showed up today! #nokings #notpaid #savedemocracy #scottsdale
A #sundayshoutout to the super crew of the Viking A #sundayshoutout to the super crew of the Viking Mars on our recent Mediterranean cruise. This was a great welcome back to the ship after one of our shore excursions in Italy. Thanks to all of the crew for another memorable cruise! #myvikingstory #vikingmars #mediterraneancruise #cruisetravel
When you take a @vikingcruises ocean cruise, be su When you take a @vikingcruises ocean cruise, be sure to book a dinner at the Chef's Table specialty restaurant. It's always a treat to discover new dishes or innovative takes on familiar ones. There are different menus every few nights that you can check out when you are aboard, but make a reservation as far in advance as you can. On our Iconic Western Mediterranean cruise, we opted for the Mexico menu and it was probably my favorite of all we've experienced on our ocean cruises. There are five courses, each with a perfectly-paired wine. Clockwise from top left: * Amuse Bouche - Tostadas de Pulpo * One of the lovely red wines * First Course - Tamalito de Pollo * Granita - Nopales con Limón * Main Course - Short Rib * Dessert - Chocolate en Texturas * That's Mr. TWS! * Main Course salmon substitution for Mr. TWS who doesn't eat meat * Dessert - Chocolate en Texturas It was all delicious and a great dining experience. Let me know in comments if you'd like a little more description of the dishes or the wines they were served with. #myvikingstory #chefstable #vikingmars #cruisetravel #mexicancuisine
Lovely Lucca, Italy. We first visited this beautif Lovely Lucca, Italy. We first visited this beautiful city in Tuscany about 11 years ago and looked forward to returning during our @vikingcruises Mediterranean cruise. Loved walking on the Renaissance-era city walls, strolling the winding streets and alleys, stopping by the house where Puccini was born, having a quiet moment at the Church of San Michele, and taking a beverage break at an outdoor cafe on Piazza dell’Anfiteatro. #myvikingstory #shoreexcursion #cruisetravel #luccaitaly #travelgram
What a glorious day in Villefranche-sur-Mer, Franc What a glorious day in Villefranche-sur-Mer, France! We wandered up and down the narrow streets and staircases, walked to the beach, stepped inside old churches and chapels, browsed the shops, and had a wonderful lunch quayside at @lameregermaine_villefranche. A day to remember on our @vikingcruises Iconic Western Mediterranean cruise. #myvikingstory #mediterraneanvibes #beautifulday☀️ #frenchriviera🇫🇷🌴☀️ #cotedazurfrance
A few more photos from the picturesque village of A few more photos from the picturesque village of Le Castellet, France on our shore excursion with Viking yesterday. #myvikingstory #visitsouthoffrance #cruisetravel #provencealpescôtedazur #traveler
Instagram post 17997287294872536 Instagram post 17997287294872536
Welcome to the Mediterranean port city of Sète! Ju Welcome to the Mediterranean port city of Sète! Just a quick selection of photos from yesterday’s shore excursion on our Viking Iconic Western Mediterranean cruise. Because of its network of canals, it is known as the the Venice of the Languedoc region of France. Also note the colorful buildings and murals painted by local artists. #myvikingstory #sète #france #mediterranean #shoreexcursions
Leaving Barcelona at sunset on the Viking I Knox W Leaving Barcelona at sunset on the Viking I Knox Western Mediterranean cruise. #myvikingstory #mediterranean #cruise #travelgram
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