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TravelSmart Woman
  • Meet Me
  • Media Kit
  • U.S. Destinations
    • California
    • Chicago
    • Florida
    • New Mexico
    • Road Trips
    • Seattle
    • Seasonal
  • Worldwide Destinations
    • Camino de Santiago
    • Canada
    • Costa Rica
    • Cuba
    • England
    • France
    • Greece
    • Italy
    • Other

Chicago

Chicago is my hometown and I’m proud of it! Also happy to share sights, history, and fun facts about the Windy City.

ChicagoFood

Chicago Hot Dog: Accept No Substitute

July 2, 2022 Chicago, Food Comments are off
Chicago Hot Dog

It’s summer in Chicago–and that means plenty of outdoor cooking. Hamburgers, brats, Italian sausage, Polish sausage…but what about hot dogs? Yes! Go ahead, if you like: plop them on grill, hold them on a stick over a campfire. But...

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Books, Magazines & MoviesChicagoMuseums

American Writers Museum Celebrates Words–of All Kinds!

July 11, 2021 Books, Chicago, history, museum Comments are off
American Writers Museum, Chicago

When the American Writers Museum opened in Chicago in 2017, I wondered, “What took so long?” The only museum that is dedicated to American writers–a category that is expansive–it’s puzzling to think that someone didn’t come up with the...

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ChicagoFood

Chicago Deep Dish Pizza: The Truth, The History & The Recipe

August 30, 2020 Chicago, Food Comments are off
Chicago Deep Dish Pizza Class at Pizzeria UNO

Anthony Bourdain struggled to call Chicago Deep Dish a “pizza.” For good reason, maybe. The late chef and culinary guru loved many things about Chicago: “…tall towers, hard corners, and sharp elbows. And, of course, food.” But that deep...

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ChicagoThoughts on TravelU.S. DestinationsWorldwide Destinations

TravelSmart Woman’s Best Posts of 2019: Your Favorites!

December 29, 2019 Chicago, cruise, Food, museum Comments are off
TravelSmart Woman's Best Posts of 2019: A little bit of everything!

Here we are, at the end of the year…and about to start a new decade. Before we leap into 2020, I’d like to pause and thank you for your support. There are thousands of you now who take time...

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Chicago

5 Chicago Buildings You Should Know

October 6, 2019 architecture, Chicago Comments are off
5 Buildings in Chicago You Should Know: Let's start with the rule-breakers!

If visitors from another planet knocked on my door and asked to see examples of great architecture, I’d quickly say, “Easy-peasy! I’ve got 5 Chicago buildings you should know…Let’s go!” If you’re not from outer space, you already know...

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ChicagoFoodU.S. Destinations

Chicago Food Halls: 7 Easy Ways to “Sample” the City!

May 29, 2019 Chicago, Food Comments are off
After your selfie at The Bean, visit one of the Chicago food halls!

Hungry in the Windy City? You shouldn’t be. One of the country’s top food cities makes it easy for you to sample its wares. Just pop into one of the Chicago food halls and try whatever you fancy. Come...

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ChicagoMuseums

Chicago Cultural Center: Visit the”Palace of the People”…FREE!

March 24, 2019 budget travel, Chicago, museum Comments are off
The Chicago Cultural Center takes up a full block on Michigan Avenue!

It’s scary to think that the Chicago Cultural Center was almost demolished so that a dull mid-century office tower could have a spot on Michigan Avenue. The mayor’s wife saved the Chicago Cultural Center What–or rather, who–saved it? The...

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ChicagoU.S. Destinations

Chicago Architecture Center: More Than the River Cruise

January 27, 2019 architecture, Chicago, tours, U.S. Destinations Comments are off
Chicago Architecture Center: Put it on your list!

Visiting the Windy City? Chicago Architecture Center (CAC) should be high on your list. You probably know its famous Architecture River Cruise, considered one of the top tours in the United States. The USA Today Readers’ Choice Awards named it...

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ChicagoHolidaysU.S. Destinations

Christkindlmarket in Chicago: An Old World Tradition

December 5, 2018 Comments are off
Christkindlmarket features glass ornaments of every kind!

Christkindlemarket in Chicago is only 23 years old…an infant, compared to the market in Nuremberg, Germany. Nuremberg’s was established in 1545 and still serves as the inspiration for Christmas markets around the world. Christkindlmarket translates from German as “baby...

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ChicagoFood

The Original Brownie Recipe–From Chicago’s Palmer House Hotel

September 12, 2018 Chicago, Food, Hotels, U.S. Destinations 2 Comments
The Original Brownie Recipe comes from Chicago's Palmer House Hotel.

The Original Brownie Recipe’s “birthplace” may be a surprise for many people. It didn’t come from someone’s sweet grandmother, a quaint bakery, or the home of a chocolatier. No, it was a business decision. First…Chicago gets the Fair. Too...

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Worth 1,000 Words…

A labyrinth can reset our mind and intention. Can we do the same with how we travel? (Photo by Suzanne Ball)
Flower Vendor at sSeattle Pike Place Market
Seattle’s Pike Place Market is one of the nation’s treasures. (Photo by Suzanne Ball)
The World's Largest Rocking Chair in Casey, Illinois.
Going to Seattle? Of course you'll want to visit the Space Needle. Fresh from a renovation, here's what to know!
"Becoming Human" by Christian Ristow welcomes you to Meow Wolf.The flower-sniffing robot is 30 feet tell. (Photo by Suzanne Ball)
A "young man" of 70+ years leads the band in Santa Clara. (Photo by Suzanne Ball)
Sandia Peak Tram was a challenge to build.
After your selfie at The Bean, visit one of the Chicago food halls!
The passage to the stadium was once covered entirely by a stone arch roof. Today, only one section remains. It's easy to imagine how athletes felt as they ran down the narrow entry into the stadium
The wooden roof is what burned on 15 April 2019, taking the spire with it. When it was built, Notre Dame Cathedral required 52 acres of forest to complete the roof.
Loretto Chapel, Santa Fe, NM: The Mysterious and Miraculous Staircase
Better to see something once than hear about it a thousand times..
Solo travel doesn't really have many downsides
Unclaimed Baggage Center is easy to find in Scottsboro, AL.
Milwaukee Art Museum: Architect Santiago Calatrava designed MOM to resemble a ship. Given its location on the Lake Michigan waterfront, his idea was brilliant. (Photo credit: Suzanne Ball. All rights reserved.)
Peace solo travel by eating at a nice restaurant
Rome-Colosseum
U.S. Destinations-Seattle-Pike Place
Window shopping in Florence: Silk ties
The Acropolis in Athens awaits!
Craving Europe? There are some surprising European destinations in the US!

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