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Billy Goat Tavern in Chicago

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There’s something special about the Billy Goat Tavern in Chicago. It’s an institution, a favorite among locals and visitors alike. And while there are several locations around the city, the original is still my favorite. The atmosphere is unique – fun-loving and laid back – and the food is delicious and affordable. If you’re looking for a great burger in Chicago, you can’t go wrong with the Billy Goat Tavern!

Billy Goat Tavern History

There's something special about the Billy Goat Tavern in Chicago. It's an institution, a favorite among locals and visitors alike. And while there are several locations around the city, the original is still my favorite.

The Billy Goat Tavern is a Chicago institution. It was founded in 1934 by Billy Sianis, who purchased the tavern for just $205. The original location was across the street from the Chicago Stadium. The owner became known as Billy Goat when a goat fell off a truck and wander into the restaurant. He later changed the name of his restaurant to match his nickname.

The Billy Goat became famous when it wouldn’t let Republicans inside back in 1964. for its cheap burgers and sandwiches and its quirky atmosphere. In 1964, the Billy Goat was featured on an episode of “The Untouchables,” which only served to increase its popularity.

In 1984, Sianis died and left the tavern to his son, Sam. Under Sam’s ownership, the Billy Goat began to regain its popularity, and today there are multiple locations across Chicago. The restaurant was also featured on SNL. To learn more about the iconic history visit their website.

No matter which location you visit, you’re sure to enjoy a delicious burger and a fun atmosphere at the Billy Goat Tavern!

What We Loved

There's something special about the Billy Goat Tavern in Chicago. It's an institution, a favorite among locals and visitors alike. And while there are several locations around the city, the original is still my favorite.
  • The burgers are some of the best in town, and you can’t go wrong with any of the sandwiches on the menu.
  • The Billy Goat is also a great place to watch people. You’ll find a mix of locals and tourists at any time of day, and it’s always fun to strike up a conversation with fellow diners.
  • Inexpensive items – which is especially important when traveling with a bunch of people.

What Could Be Better

While the food was good at the Billy Goat Tavern in Chicago, the menu is limited. As a matter of fact, I tried to order a ham and cheese sandwich and was quickly told I wanted a burger. Basically, all they had available to eat was burgers. So I had a burger. 🙂

Finding the iconic location… IYKYK

Trying to find what appears to be a hidden entry space amid a busy sidewalk wasn’t hard but was a little interesting. It’s an experience in itself, and I encourage you to visit the original if you can. If for no other reason than to see a little piece of Chicago history.

Billy Goat Tavern In Chicago Conclusion

The Billy Goat Tavern is an iconic location in Chicago. It has been serving up delicious burgers and sandwiches for decades. The Billy Goat has a unique atmosphere that you won’t find anywhere else in Chicago. It’s laid back and relaxed, yet still lively and fun – perfect for a casual meal with friends or family.

Check out some other cool places to visit in Chicago.

If you are ready to book a hotel, flight, or activity, check out Expedia and the great deals you can get!

There's something special about the Billy Goat Tavern in Chicago. It's an institution, a favorite among locals and visitors alike. And while there are several locations around the city, the original is still my favorite.

Plymouth Restaurant and Bar: A Hidden Gem

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If you’re looking for a great place to spend an afternoon or evening in the heart of Chicago, look no further than Plymouth Restaurant and Bar. This establishment is located near the loop, and offers some of the best views of the cityscape that you’ll find anywhere.

The rooftop bar is definitely worth a visit, especially on a nice day. And if you’re lucky enough to catch live music here, don’t miss it!

How We Found the Plymouth Restaurant and Bar

If you're looking for a great place to spend an afternoon or evening in the heart of Chicago, look no further than Plymouth Restaurant and Bar. This establishment is located near the loop, and offers some of the best views of the cityscape that you'll find anywhere.

At least once a year, a few of my girlfriends and I plan a getaway. We’ve done them in Florida, Ocean City, Chicago, and other great places. This particular trip was to Chicago. We had flown, drove, or bussed for hours to get there around the same time.

Once we arrived at our hotel, we quickly realized that our room would not be ready for a few hours. So we found a secure place to store our luggage and grabbed our backpacks with our valuables, and happened upon the Plymouth Restaurant and Bar.

What We Loved

The Food – We each tried something different. I had the fish and chips with criss-cut fries, which was amazing! In my party, we also tried a burger and a salad. Everyone loved their food.

The Drinks – We just traveled for hours and had no kids or real adult responsibilities. We needed drinks… the bartender was great, giving us some fresh fruit options and making everyone something different. They were all delicious!

What We Didn’t Love

The Bathrooms – While there was nothing wrong with the functionality of the restrooms, the fact that you had to take an elevator to a different floor in the building seemed a little odd.

Plymouth Conclusion

If you’re looking for a great place to grab a drink with friends or relax after a busy day in the city, Plymouth Restaurant and Bar should definitely be on your list. The food and drinks are great, the views are unbeatable, and the atmosphere is perfect for unwinding. We’ll definitely be back next time we’re in town!

Want to check out some other fun things to do in Chicago?

If you are ready to book a hotel, flight, or activity, check out Expedia and the great deals you can get!

If you're looking for a great place to spend an afternoon or evening in the heart of Chicago, look no further than Plymouth Restaurant and Bar. This establishment is located near the loop, and offers some of the best views of the cityscape that you'll find anywhere.
If you're looking for a great place to spend an afternoon or evening in the heart of Chicago, look no further than Plymouth Restaurant and Bar. This establishment is located near the loop, and offers some of the best views of the cityscape that you'll find anywhere.
If you're looking for a great place to spend an afternoon or evening in the heart of Chicago, look no further than Plymouth Restaurant and Bar. This establishment is located near the loop, and offers some of the best views of the cityscape that you'll find anywhere.

Pioneer Plaza in Dallas, Texas: A Fun Way to Commemorate the Dallas History

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Looking for something fun to do in Dallas, Texas? Check out Pioneer Plaza! This beautiful public square is near some of the city’s major attractions, including the Dallas Museum of Art and the Nasher Sculpture Center. It commemorates the history of Dallas and is a great place to take photos or enjoy a picnic lunch.

History of Pioneer Plaza In Dallas

Looking for something fun to do in Dallas, Texas? Check out Pioneer Plaza! This beautiful public square is near some of the city's major attractions, including the Dallas Museum of Art and the Nasher Sculpture Center. It commemorates the history of Dallas and is a great place to take photos or enjoy a picnic lunch.

Pioneer Plaza in Dallas has larger-than-life bronze sculptures of 40 steers and 3 cowboys in the midst of a cattle drive. As you can imagine, this site is visited by many tourists. The Pioneer Park Cemetery adjoins the plaza, and the Confederate War Memorial can be found there. It is the Dallas central business district’s largest publicly accessible open space.

The $9 million project began in 1992 and was completed in 1994. Private donations provided almost 1/2 of the money. The park is adjacent to the Dallas Convention Center. The plaza is the city’s second most popular attraction (The first place belongs to Dealey Plaza). In 1996 the Dallas Convention center took over maintaining the park.

Sculptures

These amazing Cattle Drive Sculptures were created by Robert Summers from Glen Rose, Texas at the corner of Young and Griffin street. He is an accomplished artist who has been creating sculptures for more than 40 years. You can tell by the details that these were created with the history of Dallas in mind. He accurately recorded the many markings used to identify cattle on the pathways, including a brand on the left hip.

There are 4 main sculptures to consider. The 3 cowboys; Trail Boss, Black Cutter Cowboy, Vaquero, and the Texas Longhorns. I will let you look up the significance of the cowboys and the steers if you are interested but suffice to say, they are very interesting.

In addition to the amazingly detailed sculptures, the plaza hosts man-made cliffs, native plant life, and historical details embronzed on the sculptures themselves.

Pioneer Plaza Conclusion

Pioneer Plaza in Dallas is a great place to visit when you are in Dallas, Texas! It is close to other attractions, has a rich history, and features beautiful sculptures. You will not be disappointed if you add Pioneer Plaza to your list of places to see.

If you are ready to book a great vacation, click here to get started!

Looking for something fun to do in Dallas, Texas? Check out Pioneer Plaza! This beautiful public square is near some of the city's major attractions, including the Dallas Museum of Art and the Nasher Sculpture Center. It commemorates the history of Dallas and is a great place to take photos or enjoy a picnic lunch.
Looking for something fun to do in Dallas, Texas? Check out Pioneer Plaza! This beautiful public square is near some of the city's major attractions, including the Dallas Museum of Art and the Nasher Sculpture Center. It commemorates the history of Dallas and is a great place to take photos or enjoy a picnic lunch.

Mochomos Restaurant: A Fun Dining Experience with Delicious Food and Excellent Service

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If you’re looking for a fun dining experience while in Mexico with excellent food and service, Mochomos Restaurant is the place for you! This restaurant is located in Monterrey, Mexico, and it has a great atmosphere that will make you feel right at home. The food here is delicious, and the portable cocktail bar is a lot of fun. Plus, the service here is excellent – Americans will feel right at home.

Mochomos Restaurant

I was visiting Monterrey, Mexico, and wanted to go out to a nice place to eat. Mochomos was recommended, and I am glad I decided to make the trip. This restaurant is located on the third floor of the Metropolitan center, a big shopping mall. There are several hotels and places to stay nearby.

If you're looking for a fun dining experience while in Mexico with excellent food and service, Mochomos Restaurant is the place for you! This restaurant is located in Monterrey, Mexico, and it has a great atmosphere that will make you feel right at home. The food here is delicious, and the portable cocktail bar is a lot of fun. Plus, the service here is excellent - Americans will feel right at home.

Restaurant Location:

Metropolitan Center

Lázaro Cárdenas no. Ext 2400, No Int. RS3 | C.P. 66269

Col. Valle Oriente San Pedro, Garza García

www.metropolitancenter.mx

The menu has many great items and caters to those with allergies.

Enjoyments of the Experience

The most memorable aspect was the delectable cuisine. The first dish we tried (Fried Panela Cheese) was fantastic. Who wouldn’t enjoy fried cheese?

The meals were magnificent and delectable. Everyone was satisfied with their selections. I got the Almond Filet, tenderloin beef medallions in almond cream, and honey sauce for my main dish. There was also a side of chips and guacamole, which is fantastic if you like guac from Mexico.

The room we were seated in made you feel like you were outside without being in the sweltering heat. There were vines around the room and huge windows to look at the scenery. This was a great bonus, given how hot it typically is in Mexico.

The cocktail cart was the most unexpected highlight of the night. This fantastic serving team went from table to table, making and refilling beverages, which was great to observe. Shaking, pouring, and just having a good time with their work. It was really a live art performance in action.

Dessert was another surprising highlight. After all, who could be sad about this:

@jonikinney

Fun and so yummy dessert from #mochomos while i was visiting #monterrey #mexico Had a great visit with my team. Would you eat this?

♬ original sound – Joni Kinney
If you're looking for a fun dining experience while in Mexico with excellent food and service, Mochomos Restaurant is the place for you! This restaurant is located in Monterrey, Mexico, and it has a great atmosphere that will make you feel right at home. The food here is delicious, and the portable cocktail bar is a lot of fun. Plus, the service here is excellent - Americans will feel right at home.

Things to Improve

The second appetizer we ordered was Mochomos, which is shredded beef cooked with onions. We assumed it would be good since the restaurant’s name is Mochomos, but this was a letdown. The server assured us that the dish was delicious, so we didn’t expect much from it. By far, the least enthusiastically consumed item at the table.

Restaurant Conclusion

If you’re looking for a great restaurant while in Monterrey, Mexico, Mochomos is the place for you. The food here is delicious, and the service is excellent. You’ll have a great time at this fun and festive restaurant!

Looking for other great recommendations? Check out these recent posts:

We would love to hear if you’ve tried out Mochomos and what you thought. Comment below and let us know.

If you are ready to book a great vacation, click here to get started!

If you're looking for a fun dining experience while in Mexico with excellent food and service, Mochomos Restaurant is the place for you! This restaurant is located in Monterrey, Mexico, and it has a great atmosphere that will make you feel right at home. The food here is delicious, and the portable cocktail bar is a lot of fun. Plus, the service here is excellent - Americans will feel right at home.

Benefits of Flexible Points

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Towards the end of every year, I always start to look at the balances of my point accounts and start also looking at what I plan to do for traveling over the next year or two. Yes, I really do mean year or two. (Check out our post on our plan for our next Hawaii vacation.) I have found that using flexible points gives us the most travel options.

When I had started to look at the first trip to Hawaii for our family, I planned it out over 2-3 years to make sure I could do as much with points as possible. There are always risks planning that far out such as points needed for the flights or hotels go up or airline carriers changing flight options. We were fortunate that the choices we did gave us some flexibility in case of those changes.

Chase Ultimate Rewards

Over the last two years, I have moved to keep points in a program such as Chase Ultimate Rewards. This way my points aren’t locked up with Southwest, Delta, or Marriott. Using this program let us keep our flexible points in one place until we need them.

Using Flexible Points

For the trip to Hawaii we recently went on, I was short the miles needed for all the flights using United. They had nonstop flights that were worth us spending a little more on. By not having my points locked in, I was able to transfer from Chase to United to complete that booking.

Additionally, I was then low on points to finish the hotel booking through Marriott for the travel package for the boutique hotel. I was able to top off the account with Marriott with the points from Chase.

Benefits of Flexible Points – When things Change

During those two years, a lot of changes happened in regards to the points hobby.

  • Alaska Airlines lost the ability to book Delta fights.
  • Alaska gave the flexibility to book American, Alaska or Delta flights.

Starwoods/SPG was a considerable hotel favorite in the points hobby. Starwoods/SPG was purchased by Marriott and changed redemption rates. Additionally, they cut the ability to earn points by 1/3rd the price per dollar than previously. Rumors of other airlines being purchased, hotel groups consolidating, would force many to try to stay ahead of the game. Where having the flexible miles in something like Chase Ultimate Rewards allows transfer partners for hotels as needed with IHG (Holiday Inn), Marriott, or Hyatt (my personal favorite).

For airlines, you have many options including Southwest and United. You can always cash in Points through the travel portal at 1.25 cents per point or penny per point in statement credit. Another example of how flexibility is beneficial. Southwest recently began booking flight options to Hawaii. This gives more options besides United and Delta, and will likely continue to make travel there competitive.

The more flexibility you have, the better.

Tips and Tricks for Kinney Chaos

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We get asked about a lot of things and since we cover a wide range of topics here is a list of our tips and tricks, FAQ and the blog posts that go with them. If you have a question we would LOVE to hear from you! Drop us a message by contacting us or commenting on this article!

Travel Tips and Tricks

What is Travel Hacking?

Should I hoard my points or spend as soon as I can?

How can I earn free trips? We earn free hotel stays and airfare by maximizing our reward points. Don’t get overwhelmed. If you are just starting out, pick one or two and get really consistent with those before adding more.

Here are some tips and tricks to help you get started.

What are your favorite hotls to stay at?

What are your tips for flights?

What are the best credit cards to have to get reward points and earn free trips ?

Quotes

Budget and Money Tips and Tricks

How can I budget?

How can I teach my kids about money?

How can I save money on everyday expenses?

Social Media Tips