There are so many online sources for trip planning these days that guidebooks are quickly becoming a thing of the past. For our recent trip to Chicago I did a deep dive into Reddit and found that people were ready and willing to share their favorite bars, restaurants and beaches when I posted questions. With their help, we found places that were off the radar but well worth the trip. This story on how to see Chicago without a guidebook originally appeared in the Calgary Herald and across Canada on Postmedia.
I’ve been traveling with a guidebook in my suitcase for decades and I can’t exactly remember when I stopped taking a paper guide along. The tipping point was probably a few years ago when the weight of my carry on bag started to be an issue and the flood of internet information reached critical mass. Like most people, I relied on TripAdvisor, Expedia, and Rick Steves for information depending on my destination, but those sites were not very helpful for finding the off-the-beaten-track hidden gems I was looking for.
I started to turn to other sources like Instagram, X, Threads and finally Reddit for fresh takes on the cities I visited. I like the way Reddit is organized by community and topic. It makes it easy to avoid the sleazy because, let’s face it, it’s there. But if you search by your interests like I did in communities like r/Chicago, r/Chicagofood and r/AskChicago, you’ll find like minded people with a genuine interest in engaging with the topics. And sometimes they made me laugh out loud. Bonus points for Redditors. Thanks to them I was able to see Chicago through their eyes. They told me where to find the best viewpoints for the free fireworks – the steps of the Planetarium. And sent me to great restaurants like Nookies on Wells where people still read newspapers.
I hope you enjoy this article and feel free to reach out with any questions. You can find more photos and info on my Instagram @wheretolady.
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