TOURS

From One Windy City to Another

May 25 - June 1, 06:00am - 11:45pm

THINK ART. THINK ARCHITECTURE. THINK FRANK LLOYD WRIGHT. THINK CHICAGO!

EARLY BIRD RATE EXTENED UNTIL MARCH 13!

“Chicago has all the amenities of some of the bigger centers like New York and Paris – there’s great public art, amazing architecture, diverse ethnic communities and excellent shopping. The only difference is, it’s not on the radar of many people – it truly is a diamond in the rough and that’s why we want to explore it with our community!”
– Marilyn Smith, Executive Director of SAAG.

Here are some fun facts you might not know about Chicago:

• The Art Institute of Chicago has one of the largest and most extensive collections of Impressionist and Post-Impressionist paintings in the world.
   
• Chicago is the third largest city in the United States and is home to more than 200 theaters, nearly 200 art galleries, more than 7,300 restaurants, 26 miles of lakefront, 15 miles of bathing beaches, 19 miles of lakefront bicycle paths and 552 parks
   
• The so called "Windy City" is not actually that windy – the annual average wind speed is 16.6 km/h. One possible explanation for the nickname may be Chicago’s rivalry with Cincinnati. In the 1870s and 1880s, the Windy City label often appeared in Cincinnati’s sporting news.
   
• Chicago is a leading center for fashion and design, home to more than 400 fashion designers and 350 independently owned retail boutiques. The city is also an international shopping capital with a vibrant retail scene that caters to the needs of every shopper, including major department stores, chic designer boutiques, and unique ethnic stores.
   
• Chicago was one of the first and largest municipalities to require public art as part of the renovation or construction of municipal buildings, with the passage of the Percentage-for-Arts Ordinance in 1978. The city is home to hundreds of pieces of public art.
   
• The Chicago Cultural Center is the first free municipal cultural center in the U.S. and home to the world’s largest stained glass Tiffany dome.
   
• The Willis Tower (formerly the Sears Tower) is the tallest building in the Western Hemisphere at 110 stories high.  Its elevators are among the fastest in the world operating at 1,600 feet per minute and four states (Indiana, Illinois, Michigan & Wisconsin) are visible from its Skydeck.

Fun Facts are from explorechicago.org The City of Chicago’s Official Tourism Site.

TRIP ITINERARY

Day 1: We’ll meet at SAAG in the evening to board a Traxx coach to Calgary where we will spend the night at the Acclaim Airport Hotel before leaving bright and early the next morning.

Day 2: United Airlines flight will take us directly from Calgary to Chicago. Upon arriving in the early afternoon, we will check in to the famous Drake Hotel, a landmark hotel in Chicago, located steps from Lake Michigan, where the “Magnificent Mile” begins. That afternoon, we can soak up some sun aboard the Chicago Architecture Foundation’s River Cruise, where we will learn about historic and modern architectural styles and hear many stories about the people who designed and built the city.

Day 3: The Chicago Architecture Foundation (CAF) is a nonprofit organization that offers a variety of programs designed to enhance the public’s awareness and appreciation of Chicago’s outstanding architectural legacy. Today, we’ll be treated to a private Sculpture in the Loop Public Art Tour led by a CAF docent. Downtown Chicago is home to more than 100 sculptures, mosaics and paintings and this tour will expose us to sculptures by artists such as Pablo Picasso, Marc Chagall, Frank Gehry, and Anish Kapoor. In the evening we’ll enjoy a private group dinner at The Signature Room at the 95th. Located on the 95th floor of the John Hancock Center, our private dining room boasts floor-to-ceiling windows and we will experience breathtaking views of the city and a gourmet meal.

Day 4: The Art Institute of Chicago was founded in 1879 as both a museum and a school. Today, the collection encompasses more than 5,000 years of human expression from cultures around the world. Today we will receive a one-hour guided tour at the Art Institute of Chicago. The rest of the day will be free for you to continue exploring the museum or take in other activities in the city.

Day 5: Today we will spend a full day learning about famed architect Frank Lloyd Wright. We will have an interior tour of his home & studio, and observe the exteriors of more than 25 houses in Oak Park and other neighbourhoods. We will also receive a tour with commentary of his “little jewel box”, Unity Temple.

Day 6: Today is free for you to explore the Windy City. We suggest visiting the Robie House on the University of Chicago Campus (another Frank Lloyd Wright masterpiece), or taking in some of the other galleries in Chicago such as the Block Museum of Art, Smart Museum of Art, Threewalls, Packer Schopf Gallery, or Hyde Park Art Center.

Day 7: Located in the heart of downtown Chicago, the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago is one of the nation’s largest facilities devoted to the art of our time. After a private one-hour tour with a museum educator, explore the exhibitions and collection on your own time and take in more of what the MCA has to offer – a gift store, bookstore, Puck’s Restaurant, 300-seat theater, and a terraced sculpture garden with a great view of Lake Michigan.

Day 8: Why must all good things come to an end? Enjoy your last morning in the Windy City before we catch a direct flight back to Calgary. Traxx Motorcoach will pick us up at the Calgary International Airport and take us back to the Southern Alberta Art Gallery, where our expected arrival time is 11:00 PM.

Early Bird Registration until March 13, 2012
$3475.00 per person for double room occupancy
$4200.00 per person for single room occupancy

All reservations must be accompanied by a $1000 non-refundable deposit; payment in full required by Tuesday, March 13.

Package includes
• Round trip coach from Lethbridge to Calgary
• One night accommodation at The Acclaim Airport Hotel
• Non-stop flights Calgary – Chicago
• Round trip transfer from Chicago O’Hare International Airport to The Drake Hotel
• 6 nights accommodation in the 5-star Drake Hotel
• Buffet Breakfast each morning at The Drake Brothers Restaurant
• One group dinner at The Signature Room at the 95th
• 7-day Transit Pass • Five art and architecture focused tours
•  Basic out-of-country medical insurance (up to age 59)
• All hotel and air taxes*

Land-only packages are available – ranging from $2340 to $3550. Contact Danielle Tait for further details.
 

TO REGISTER:
If you are interested in registering for this tour please book an appointment with Danielle Tait, Manager of Fund Development so she can review the trip details and insurance options and – if you plan on purchasing extra insurance (strongly recommended)– help you make arrangements with Custom Travel Solutions to fill out the appropriate documentation forms. Contact her at (403) 327-8770 ext. 22 or via email at dtait@saag.ca to book an appointment.

Orientation for this trip will take place on Thursday, April 26, at 5:30 PM in SAAG’s TD Creativity Centre

To coincide with our 2012 Art & Culture Tour: From One Windy City toAnother, SAAG will screen a number of relevant films throughout the spring in Tuesdays at Noon such as The Homes of Frank Lloyd Wright and Seven Wonders of Chicago. For a complete schedule and listing of films click here


Fine Print trip details All reservations must be accompanied by a $1000 non-refundable deposit; payment in full required by Tuesday, March 13 • SAAG will try to coordinate rooms for solo travelers who request double occupancy • To make arrangements without airfare please contact Danielle Tait • *Air taxes subject to increase at time of ticketing due to government regulations and fuel surcharges being increased • Prices and itinerary subject to change • Due to SAAG purchasing this trip in advance, your current credit card coverage for Trip Cancellation or Interruption Insurance may not be covered. Please check with your credit card company for rules and regulations surrounding the purchase of a vacation from a third party and not directly from the travel agency • If you do purchase extra insurance you will have to visit Custom Travel Solutions (103 – 8th Street S) to fill out the appropriate documentation forms; your trip will not be officially booked until you have a chance to do this (so your $1000 deposit will be covered)
 

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