2008 Toys for Tots Campaign,
originally uploaded by Best Western River North Hotel Chicago.

Thanks to the generousity of many River North Hotel guest and staff members, many kids will be having a happy holiday season. Best Western River North was able to donate a full box of new toys.

Imagine taking a vacation, during your next vacation, from high gas prices, traffic congestion and the need to circle for parking. Amy Graff, who pens content for the travel blog www.OntheGoWithAmy.com, says there are a number of vacation-worthy destinations where travelers can forgo the rental car fees and high prices at the pump for an adventure by foot.

“Cut costs on your next vacation by visiting destinations that are easy and fun to explore by boat, foot or public transit,” said Amy. “Fall is the perfect season for visiting many of America’s best cities, and there’s no better or more scenic way to explore them than by foot.”

Amy offers the following tips when planning a visit to a walkable destination:

1) Do your homework: Visit the city’s public transportation Web site in advance and print out any maps or guides to help you find your way.
2) Let loose: Walkable destinations provide tons of freedom so use this to your advantage! Stroll down a particularly charming street on a whim or check out a local hideaway that you see along your walk. Making your own way allows you to see new sites that you have might otherwise missed in a car.
3) Keep those coins: It’s best to have a good stock of small bills and coins when planning to take public transit as most systems accept exact change only. Or, consider buying a transit pass. You can usually find information on these by visiting the city’s Convention and Visitors Bureau Web site.

Amy offers up the following cities as great walkable destinations:

Boston: Small, safe neighborhoods and an effective public transportation system have deemed Boston the friendliest walking city in the country. A march along the Freedom Trail will guide you–follow the red line–around the city’s historical sites, including Paul Revere’s House and the USS Constitution. You’ll also want to take a jaunt along the waterfront, starting at the North End Parks and making your way to the Christopher Columbus Waterfront Park. Burnt out on walking? Take the “T” train throughout the city or rent a bike and cruise through Stony Brook Reservation, an actual forest in the city.

Chicago: Walking is a great way to take in the Windy City but it’s not always practical when visiting distant neighborhoods and on harsh winter days or hot, muggy afternoons. In these situations, the public transportation system can get you anywhere. Hop on board one of the free trolleys, traveling between Navy Pier and the Grand/State “El” train station on the Red Line, and between Michigan Avenue and the Museum Campus, which is the site of the Field Museum of Natural History and the Shedd Aquarium. Also, you can easily ride the El, the elevated train running throughout town; the best bet for sightseers is the brown line, which runs around the downtown Loop and then north through residential neighborhoods. For a great “walker-friendly” hotel, the Best Western River North Hotel, conveniently located just minutes from Navy Pier, Michigan Avenue/Magnificent Mile shopping, Sears Tower and Wrigley Field. As an added bonus, Walk Score, which promotes walkable communities, gives this hotel a score of 95 - a walker’s paradise!

San Antonio: The three miles of river that winds through the heart of San Antonio is known as the River Walk. Visitors love this stretch as it’s lined with cafés, boutiques, narrow walkways, shady parks and stone bridges. You can easily spend your days wandering up and down the river and hopping on a barge or in a gondola if your feet tire. A perfect spot to stay is the Best Western Sunset Suites Riverwalk, centrally located in St. Paul Square near the San Antonio Zoo and Riverwalk. A short trot from the River Walk, you’ll find The Alamo; the Tower of the Americas - a 750-foot-tall tower built for HemisFair ‘68; and Blue Star Arts Complex, a historic warehouse filled with art studios and galleries.

San Francisco: Don’t let the steep hills scare you. The city by the bay is compact at only 49 square miles and very easy to get around. You’ll want to hike up the Filbert Steps on Telegraph Hill to Coit Tower, stroll along Crissy Field to take in views of the Golden Gate Bridge, and, of course, ride the cable car - try to avoid the crowds and hop on the California Street line running between the financial district and Nob Hill. More things to do: Hop on the ferry to Angel Island; walk the Lands End trail from theCliff House to the Legion of Honor; cruise along the waterfront on the F Line train, and ride the Bart train to the Mission District where you’ll find a plethora of restaurants dishing up fresh California cuisine.

OnTheGoWithAmy.com was created to celebrate the joys of travel and everything that goes with it - from flat tires and screaming children in the backseat to an amazing view of the New York skyline at the top the Empire State Building. Seasoned travel expert and journalist Amy Graff takes readers on the road with her husband and two children, her girlfriends and sometimes alone. Amy posts stories, pictures and videos from her family adventures, as well as helpful and unique tips she’s picked up after traveling the world with her family.

On April 14, 2007 the United States Olympic Committee selected Chicago as the US Bid City for the 2016 Games. Chicago will now compete with other international cities for the honor of the Official 2016 Host City. The final decision on which city will host the 2016 Games will be made in October 2009. Learn more about Chicago’s bid for the Olympics at www.chicago2016.org

NASCAR Street Tour at River North,
originally uploaded by Best Western River North Hotel Chicago.

This July the NASCAR Street Tour makes River North Hotel it’s home away from home while in Chicago. The NASCAR Street Tour visits festivals and events to expose and educated attendees about the excitement of NASCAR. Here we see River North Hotel employee Antonio Enochs with the Street Tour Ford F150.

Best Western is the Offical Hotel of NASCAR.

Best Western International is a presenting sponsor of the highly anticipated Disney Channel movie Camp Rock starring the Jonas Brothers  premiering on Disney Channel June 20, 2008.

Now you can join Best Western River North and Radio Disney at a Camp Rock Preimer Party on June 20 at Brookfield Zoo. The Radio Disney Party Patrol will be on hand and a special viewing of Camp Rock will be shown on an outdoor large screen.

Best Western River North Hotel will there with give-aways for the kids and an opportunity for parents to win a $50 collectable Camp Rock Best Western Travel Card.

To find out more, visit us at Brookfield Zoo on June 20!

Granite Updates,
originally uploaded by Best Western River North Hotel Chicago.

In a continual effort to update our product and services, we are currently in the process of installing new granite vanity tops in all of our guest rooms. We hope you visit soon and see our great new look.

The April 2008 edition of Family Fun Magazine, published by Disney Publishing, features an article called “Our Town”. In this article a family from Chicago tells you about their families favorite things to do in Chicago.  The Redstone family recommends architectural boat tours, the Oriental Museum and the Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum. In addition they offer lodging recommendations. Best Western River North was one of only two hotels recommended.  Here is what was written in Family Fun:

Wallet-friendly and with a great downtown location, this option has comfortable rooms and suites, an indoor pool, and another big draw for the budget-conscious traveler: free parking. Room rates from $189 per night for a room with two double beds.

You are invited to join thousands of your Chicago friends, neighbors and businesses and millions of people around the world to make a bold statement about climate change on March 29 from 8 to 9pm local time.

As World Wildlife Fund’s flagship city for the United States, Chicago, a leader in enviromental initiatives, is encouraging its residents across the region to make the pleadge to fight global warning by voluntarily turning off their lights for 60 minutes. Signature skyscrapers, key landmarks, theatre marquees and shops on the Magnificent Mile will voluntarily turn off their lights.

One person can make a difference. Cities, working together, can change the world.

From the hundreds of shops that line the Magnificent Mile to the bountiful boutiques and antiques along State Street, Chicago is a shopper’s utopia. Indulge in an exciting shopping adventure in one of the top shopping destinations on the planet!

From its celebrated architecture to its world-class shopping and arts, Chicago is a vibrant city of endless attractions and sights. So, here’s a few of our favorite links to help to you embark on your Chicago adventure.