Fly-Fishing

Who wants to go Fly-Fishing? Learn from the best. Guests have a chance for an afternoon of fun, excitement and teambuilding as they learn how to fly fish by (2) top instructors. The instructors cover the basics of fly-casting, essential basic knot tying and an informal yet important introduction to fly fishing tackle and what fly-fishing is all about. These classes are filled with hands on activity and will also serve as a great introduction to the sport of Fly-Fishing.

Building to the Future

Building to the future is the ultimate teambuilding and networking challenge. The chief of the Bureau of Aesthetics and Good Living challenges your group to build the “ultimate” city. Using only the given supplies, construction teams network to design and create this utopia while meeting the requirements passed down by our eager “bureaucrats.” An outstanding PRA presentation will help sell your plan to the bureau chief and win the contract!

Wendy in the City Scavenger Hunt

In the past few years Chicago has become such a popular vacation destination it is in danger of losing its “Second City” status. Disgruntled information booth employee Wendy Citay is fed up with all the extra work. So she has replaced the visitors guides in the city with puzzles and riddles in an attempt to confound unsuspecting tourists into getting lost. After work, Wendy likes to hide out and giggle at the looks of frustration on their faces. City Hall thinks this reflects on Chicago’s hospitality and wants her found and stopped! Guests are made deputies of the Convention and Visitor’s Bureau and work in teams, by trolley, to track Wendy down. It is up to the teams to solve clues (riddles, puzzles and questions from Wendy’s visitor’s guide), which lead them to specific sites in the area and ultimately to Wendy herself. In City Hall’s attempt to cover-up the scandal, your deputies are dispatched to various sites where they will pose as tourists, photographing each other having a good time. Points are awarded for finding Wendy, solving riddles and puzzles, originality of Polaroid photographs taken, and return time to the final destination.

Sweet Memories

Guests will take a sweet journey from the Rainforest to the ancient civilizations of the Maya as they tour Chocolate, The Exhibition, The Field Museum’s latest exhibit. After the museum tour, guests dine on a chocolate-themed menu and watch master chefs create delicious chocolate treats for them to enjoy.

Hot Tickets

The spirit of early 1900’s Chicago theatre – a time of star-studded musicals-is back in vogue. The Loop Theater District’s old vaudeville venues have been restored to their former glory and brought a resurgence of Chicago’s theatre scene. After enjoying a pre-theatre reception at one of the hot new restaurants in the trendy district, guests will have tickets to a Broadway musical, such as Guys and Dolls, one of the longest-running Broadway musicals of the day.

Chicago Highlight Tour

The PRA Guide to meet the group and the coach at the hotel(s)/McCormick Place and depart with them for the Chicago Highlights Tour. The tour will start with a visit to the Chicago Board of Trade (CBOT)** to see the opening of the financial markets at 09:30. Following this visit, the tour continues with an overview of the City’s many famous sites, including the Loop, Michigan Avenue’s “Magnificent Mile,” three of the tallest buildings in the world, Lake Shore Drive and art works by Picasso, Miro, Chagall and others. They will see where Fort Dearborn stood, the Water Tower that survived the Great Chicago Fire, beautiful Lincoln and Grant Parks and much, much more. A picture stop on Solidarity Drive provides a magnificent view of Chicago’s skyline and a visit to the Sears Tower Skydeck offers the bird’s-eye view.

The World Of Art Glass

The beauty of stained glass windows and art glass is evident throughout Chicago. From the geometric designs of Frank Lloyd Wright to the religious masterpieces of Tiffany, Chicago is a haven for this magnificent artwork. The guide and motor coach will depart with the group from the hotel(s). During the course of the tour, the group will visit the beautiful Second Presbyterian Church which houses several Tiffany windows, a working artist’s studio, as well as a stop at the Navy Pier to visit the Smith Museum of Stained Glass Windows.

Chicago’s Melting Pot

Chicago has over 50 different ethnic communities. Departing from the hotel, this tour provides participants the opportunity to experience some of the city’s distinctive neighborhoods like Greektown, Chinatown and Little Italy. During the tour, visits will include an ethnic museum, a church and a bakery with time to explore the surrounding neighborhoods as well.Chicago’s Melting Pot

True Blues Lovers

Departing from the hotel/McCormick Place, this tour begins with a drive through Bronzeville and other neighborhoods that have been the cradle of Chicago’s great Blues music. Following the tour, a stop will be made at the Blues Heaven Foundation, 2120 S. Michigan Avenue, an address made famous by the Rolling Stones when it became the title of one of their blues instrumentals recorded at this address in the 1960’s. This was the home of the Chess Records recording label from 1957 to 1967 and today, the Blues Heaven Foundation is a museum and music educational center. During their visit to this Chicago landmark building where such legendary greats as Muddy Waters, Chuck Berry, Koko Taylor, Buddy Guy and Aretha Franklin recorded their music, the group will have an actual Harmonica Workshop and will learn some of the techniques used in playing this versatile Blues instrument…and, of course, the harmonica is a souvenir that the participants can take home with them. At the end of the tour, the group will stop at the House of Blues where they can explore the interesting décor and artwork of this famous restaurant founded by Blues Brother, Dan Ackroyd, while sampling their excellent bread pudding accompanied with a choice of coffee or tea.

PRA Chicago has forged strong partnerships with numerous transportation service providers to be able to offer its clients the widest range of transportation options including: Coaches, minibuses, sedans and stretch limousines, stretch SUVs, specialty vehicles including many custom designed vehicles, as well as water-borne crafts.

Sedan (1-3 passengers)
Limousine (6, 8 & 10 passengers)
Van (9, 12 & 14 passengers)
Luxury Van (10 passengers)
Limo Bus (16 passengers)
Hummer Limousine (16 passengers)
Limo Bus (18 passengers)
Mini Motorcoach (19 passengers)
Minibus (21, 24 & 29 passengers)
Trolley (32 passengers)
Mini Motor Coach (35 passengers)
Shuttle (36 passengers)
Motorcoach (37, 55, 56 & 57 passengers)

Architectural River Tour

Aboard this 90-minute cruise guests witness the story of Chicago and how it grew while enjoying the breathtaking vantage point of the cruise deck. Born of the Great Fire, structural steel and an indomitable spirit, skyscrapers were invented here in the windy city. Throughout this cruise a professionally trained guide showcases the work of those who helped revolutionize the building arts. Guests enjoy coffee, lemonade, muffins and cookies as they enjoy seeing and learning about Chicago’s fantastic architecture.

Chicago “Gangster“ Tour

Nowhere did the 20’s roar more lustily than in Chicago, where gin flowed, flappers crowded and bootleggers rolled – in money! The “dry and lawless years” will be revisited on this exciting tour. View such infamous landmarks as:
-The site of the St. Valentines Day Massacre;
-The Biographic Theater, where John Dillinger was ambushed by the FBI;
-Al Capone’s Southside Headquarters;
-The Levee area where the notorious Everleigh Sisters entertained rich and royal gentlemen in their extravagant “club”.

Your guide will regale you with fascinating tidbits about Big Bill Thompson, Dion O’Bannion, “Hinky Dink”, Bath House John, and other colorful characters who populated this colorful era, when prohibition was just another name for wild and wooly times, and “all that jazz”.

Best New Wine Bar - Pops for Champagne

Can a wine bar have a mid-life crisis? At the not-so tender age of 24, Pops for Champagne left its Lakeview home last year for more glamorous digs in River North. Whereas the former spot was elegant and subdued, the new space is flashier than a red convertible. The sleek multi-floor space in the treasured Tree Studios building features a hip aesthetic and Champagne-like bubble lighting upstairs and there is mainstream jazz in the downstairs den. Andre Christopher, formerly chef de cuisine at Japonais, now handles the food, and the menu features: everything from marinated olives to scallop risotto. And, of course, the unparalleled bubbly list offers 70 Champagnes and 25 sparkling wines. Pops’ rebirth makes us wish that a lot more bars got the 24-year itch.

Other nominees: Cru Café and Wine Bar, Eno, Juicy Wine Co., Wine Bar