The Chicago Traveler

Our b5media Travel & Culture Channel is greeting summer with three new blogs.
The Travel Product Guide offers information on all the cool merchandise out there that is designed to make your trip easier, comfier, and more fun.

Phoenix, Arizona is the most populated state capital in the United States, and it’s the subject of our most recent destination blog, The Phoenix Traveler.

Finally, you can see the world’s best sights before you even get there or long after you’ve visited at Travel Photo Daily.

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• Meet other cyclists at the Daley Plaza for the Bike to Work Rally, which includes live music, free t-shirts, and raffle prizes. (June 13)
• Celebrate Puerto Rican culture at the Fiesta Puertorriquenas in Humboldt Park, featuring crafts, food, live music, and dancing. The festival’s high point is the Puerto Rican Day Parade on Saturday along Columbus Drive, from Balbo Drive to Monroe Street. (June 12-15)
• Festa Pasta Vino is an annual celebration of Italian food, family, and culture, featuring authentic cuisine from local restaurants, cooking demonstrations, parades, and live music. (June 12-15)
• Meet paranormal radio show host Edward Shanahan, …read more

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I’ll be heading out of town this weekend, but for those of you staying here in Chicago, you’ve got lots to look forward to.
• The 11th Annual Chicago Improv Festival takes place at various locations and includes performances by Paul Scheer, Jack McBrayer, and John Lutz. (ends June
• The largest free outdoor blues event in the world, the 25th Annual Chicago Blues Festival, features local, national, and international entertainment on six stages in Grant Park with more than 90 performances. (ends June
• More than 170 current and classic films will be shown this summer in neighborhood parks throughout …read more

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• Save up to 80% on high-end jeans at The Warehouse Sale, located on the second floor of Navy Pier. At least 20 denim designer labels are available for men and women. Come early and RSVP at http://www.thewarehousesale.com/. (Apr 18-19)
• Spring brings new fashions and accessories to Ultimate Girls’ Night Out. Hosted by Sheque, the ladies-only event at Le Passage & The Drawing Room includes three hours of beauty services, chocolate, Barefoot wine, Rain vodka martinis, and champagne. Beauty services include manicures, massages, makeovers, and eyebrow waxing. Half of all proceeds benefit the International Center of Deafness and the Arts. …read more

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• Can you shake your booty to a Latin beat? Club 720 holds a weekly salsa competition where winners advance to the finals in the hopes of earning the $2500 cash prize. (runs through Feb 15)
• Those handsome Chicago calendar firemen will be hitting the town again, this time at Crobar. They’ll be signing autographs, posing for pictures (slightly more clothed this time), and even giving out kisses from a kissing booth. Have a favorite month? Vote for the handsomest hero as the men compete for the title of “Chicago’s Hottest Fireman.” Actor Daniel Sunjata of the FX show “Rescue …read more

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The future of public transit in Chicago looks doubtful. Last week, the Illinois House of Representatives shot down a plan to fund Chicago’s Regional Transit Authority (which governs the CTA, Metra, and Pace) by shifting state gasoline sales tax money. Lawmakers refused to support it unless a deal is also reached on road, school, and government projects throughout the state. Unfortunately for public transit workers and riders, those kinds of negotiations take time. A lot of time.
As the buses and trains come closer and closer to losing the funding they need, the CTA board has had to take drastic …read more

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One absolute must-see in the city is the Art Institute of Chicago. Just walking up the steps to the entrance between the two massive lion statues fills you with a sense of culture and majesty. And whether you decide to follow a map provided by the information desk or just wander about on your own, you’re bound to see some awe-inspiring work.
You have probably seen reproductions of some of the masterpieces here your whole life, but nothing compares to seeing them in their original glory in person. One of my favorite paintings on display is Nighthawks by Edward Hopper, one …read more

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