Skinny tourism in Chicago

Visitors have options besides pizza and hot dogs

05/04/2011 10:00 PM

By JANE M. WOLKOWICZ
Medill News Service

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Traveling to Chicago doesn’t need to revolve around eating deep-dish pizza and Chicago-style hot dogs. For the health conscious, there are plenty of opportunities for visitors to bike, exercise, eat organic and go green at the hotel.

Here are some local suggestions for a healthy (and eco-friendly) visit to the Windy City.

Not many hotels can claim to be 100 percent environmentally friendly, but Hotel Felix in the River North neighborhood is Chicago’s only Silver LEED certified hotel.

Maria York, director of sales and marketing, said the hotel’s motto is “Happy naturally.”

That’s because the hotel uses linens that are cleaned in bleach-free wash, recycles empty shampoo bottles and offers organic products in its rooms and restaurants.

“For a person who is health-conscious and really wants to save the environment, staying in the Felix means they have the chance to reduce their carbon footprint,” York said.

The hotel’s fitness center floor is made from recycled materials, but if that isn’t interesting enough, there are plenty of options to be outside and active around the city.

Escape2Fitness in Streeterville offers yoga at the beach classes at Oak Street Beach overlooking Lake Michigan from June to September. Visitors can sign up over the phone or online and only need to bring a towel with them to class.

“Taking a yoga class at the beach allows you to feel completely at peace,” said Karen Bobos, co-founder of Escape2fitness. “The mind is able to escape for a moment while just a few breaths away is one of the most amazing cities in the world filled with business, life and energy.”

After an exhausting yoga class, what could be more appealing than relaxing in a giant cave made of salt imported from the Black Sea? The Galos Caves Spa was designed with relaxation in mind, said Anna Gumola manager of the spa. But there are health benefits as well.

“We get a lot of first time visitors who want to experience the caves,” Gumola said. “Parents also bring children with asthma, respiratory problems, allergies and bronchitis because it really improves your ability to breathe.”

Visitors to the caves sit in lounge chairs for 45 minutes to an hour and breathe in air that is highly iodized from the salt concentration, which improves the respiratory track.



Back outside, a bike tour around the lakefront is another great option for those wanting to be active, but also see the city.

Bike and Roll offers four different tour options, including the popular “Presidential Tour” around President Obama’s favorite Chicago neighborhoods.

“I think the tours are great because you are physically active but also it’s interactive,” said Jeremy Rothschild, director of marketing for Bike and Roll. “You are on the street level, interacting with the city, architecture, the history and the local environment and people.”

He said the only requirement for signing up for a tour is that you know how to ride a bike, but some of the tours are more difficult for children than others.

Another bonus to taking a bike tour with Bike and Roll is that it allows you to keep your bike for the rest of the day for an additional $10.

“We want to encourage people to explore the city beyond the tour,” Rothshchild said. “For example, people can bike to the Lincoln Park Zoo and cruise on through the largest free zoo in the country.”

For good eating, Dawn Jackson Blatner, spokeswoman for the American Dietetic Association, said there are plenty of nutritious options available even if you don’t want to be a “goody two shoes” on vacation.

“In almost any neighborhood you go in, you can find a healthy option for the health-conscious visitor,” said Blatner. “Chicago has more farmers markets than any other major city I’ve been in, and some of them are open year round.”

She recommends the Green City Market in Lincoln Park, where visitors can pick up locally produced food for a picnic and sit in a park where there might be a free concert going on.

And Blatner said visitors shouldn’t miss out on the pizza culture while in Chicago, but have the option to get organic pizza at Crust in Wicker Park.

Blatner’s other recommendations for restaurants include Karyn’s on Green for vegan food in Greektown, Revolution Brewing by Palmer Square, Green Zebra in West Town, Lula Café in Logan Square and Starfruit Café in the Loop and Wicker Park for a healthy ice cream alternative made from kefir.


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By Jeff from Seattle
Posted: 05/06/2011 11:26 AM

Great article, I'll definitely refer to it when I visit Chicago next time!