I recently returned from an impromptu trip to Green Bay, Wisconsin, to attend the Chicago Bears vs Green Bay Packers game at Lambeau Field. This trip was made possible by the generosity of my friend, Noah, who thoughtfully offered to take me when he found that he had an extra ticket available.

Since I was already in the Midwest, I decided to stop in Chicago to visit my mother for a couple of days before heading home. I had to transit the city anyways, so it seemed like a good plan, and I’m extremely happy that I opted for the stopover.

Bookings

I learned two things from my bookings for this trip. First, flights out of Green Bay, Wisconsin on the day after a game are way more expensive than the day of the game. Second, the hotels in Green Bay play availability games with minimum night requirements for game day weekends. This meant I had to book two nights even though I was really only staying for one.

Flights

• Nicholas
  • 57,000 Delta SkyMiles + 5.60USD
    • LAS-MSP on DL J
    • MSP-GRB on DL J
  • 263.48USD
    • GRB-ORD on UA J
  • 25,000 Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan miles + 18.10USD
    • ORD-LAS on AA J

Lodging

• One room for two nights at the Hilton Garden Inn Green Bay for 60,000 Hilton Honors points per night
• One room for two nights at the Park Hyatt Chicago for 25,000 World of Hyatt points per night with a Suite Upgrade Award applied
• One room for one night at the Park Hyatt Chicago for 25,000 World of Hyatt point per night with a Suite Upgrade Award applied

January 4, 2025

I departed from Las Vegas in the early morning with a homemade loaf of rye bread, a duffel bag, and my backpack. My flight to Minneapolis was uneventful with friendly service and decent food. When I landed at MSP, I walked to the Delta Sky Club to spend a few hours before my flight to Green Bay. I enjoyed the food and drink and snacked on the loaf of bread that Angela had baked for us the day before.

As my flight time approached, I departed the lounge and walked twenty-five minutes to my gate before boarding the small plane for my final hop to Wisconsin.

While I was looking forward to the game and to seeing my friend, I was definitely not looking forward to the weather upon arrival at my final destination. When I walked out of the terminal, I was blasted by a wave of frigid air that I hadn’t experienced in at least a few years. Luckily, my Uber arrived fairly quickly, and I warmed up while experiencing a dose of “Midwest nice” on the way to my hotel.

To be frank, the Hilton Garden Inn Green Bay was nicer than I expected and certainly much better than most analogous small-town hotels. It isn’t luxurious by any stretch of the imagination, but I had a nice stay.

I bundled up and walked over to Noah’s hotel so we could head out for the night. Our first stop was Player 2 Arcade Bar downtown. We spent a fair bit of time playing both new and retro games, including Dance Dance Revolution, NFL Blitz, Track & Field, Area 51, Big Buck Hunter, ski ball, and more. While I was fairly confident after our initial competition in DDR, Noah ended up repeatedly defeating me, by large margins, in Big Buck Hunter.

For dinner, we headed to Cheesesteak Rebellion, a Star Wars themed restaurant in town that is very highly rated. While we had to wait for a seat at the bar, it was definitely worth it. I ordered a cheesesteak, hamburger, and onion rings and, while messy, they were all delicious. As always, Noah’s choice in restaurants was top-notch.

After dinner, we returned to our hotels and made a plan to meet the following morning.

January 5

After waking up, I headed to the gym for a quick lift before returning to my room. I skipped the overpriced breakfast at my hotel and availed myself of my rye loaf before heading over to Noah’s hotel. I put on tons of layers before stepping foot outside, including multiple Under Armour base layers, an insulated jacket, a large sweatshirt, a scarf, a hat, and a buff to cover my face. Even with all of that gear, I was cold as I walked out into the open.

Noah and I walked past Lambeau Field, and he gave me a brief tour of the Title Town area, sharing the information he’d learned the day before. The whole area is neat, and the stadium is very cool in an old school way.

We stopped at the main concession area outside the stadium for a bratwurst before heading over to a US Bank sponsored indoor tailgate at a local brewery that Noah had been invited to. I grabbed another bratwurst and chatted with a few US Bank employees before we headed back to the stadium.

The line to get inside the stadium was crazy, presumably because everyone waited as long as possible to enter due to the cold. I was able to watch the opening kickoff on YouTube TV before we made it to our seats. Lambeau Field has metal bleachers for all general seating. Luckily, most people seemed to stand the entire game to avoid sitting on them, so I didn’t have to feel guilty for doing the same.

I really enjoyed the game as a Chicago Bears fan. Everyone around us was very nice, even though we were rooting for different teams, and the Bears ended up winning even after committing some boneheaded errors. I’ll always remember how happy I was seeing the final score. I will also always remember how it was 15 degrees Fahrenheit at kickoff.

After the game, we split up to head to our respective hotels where we spent the next several hours attempting to get warm. I met back up with Noah and we took an Uber to the airport to catch our flight to Chicago. Because the Bears won, I felt confident wearing my anti-Packers gear on the plane.

When we arrived at ORD, I said a final thank you to Noah before we went our separate ways. It was late and the weather was terrible, so I decided to take an Uber to my hotel rather than public transit.

The Park Hyatt Chicago is extremely nice and is probably the best hotel I’ve stayed at in the city. I loved my suite and everything, from the bed to the sitting area to the shower and bath, were wonderful.

I was hungry, so I headed to Velvet Taco for a quick snack before bed. It was one of the few places open after midnight in the vicinity of the hotel and I remembered how delicious my previous visit in 2024 was.

Properly sated, I returned to the hotel for some much-needed rest and slept soundly until the morning.

January 6

I woke up and enjoyed a delicious breakfast at the hotel restaurant. My table had an awesome view of the Chicago Water Tower, and the meal was great.

My mother showed up around noon and I escorted her to her suite. Even though she was only staying one night, I made sure to put her in a room that was even nicer than mine. With the terrible weather outside, we didn’t dare head out onto the streets, so we spent the afternoon and evening just chatting and reminiscing.

I left her to nap while I grabbed a quick workout before picking her up for dinner. The gym at the Park Hyatt is quite nice and I was able to get a good pump.

For dinner, we stayed on property and ate at NoMI Lounge. My mother ordered her first ever lobster roll. Unfortunately, she didn’t love it. Dessert was another matter altogether, though, as she adored the dish she ordered.

January 7

We enjoyed a tasty breakfast before retiring to my mother’s room to spend some more time chatting.

After another day of conversation, we said our farewells, I checked out of our rooms, and I headed to the airport. On the way there, I stopped at Firecakes Donuts for a sweet treat, eating them while sitting by the Chicago River.

Eventually, I popped onto the CTA Blue Line and headed to O’Hare International Airport. My flight home was nice, with a relatively tasty meal and a friendly flight attendant.

Thus ended a great trip. I got to see my favorite sports team beat their rival courtesy of a great friend, and my mother and I got to spend time connecting in comfortable and luxurious surroundings. What more can one ask?