We'll be b'casting live from the Cubby Bear at Addison and Clark streets Friday, 5/9 from 10-2 and Sat 5/10 from 11-1.

One of our well-traveled listeners e-mailed us some great advice on traveling in Chicago, and we thought we'd pass it on to you:

The first thing you must do: buy an unlimited rides Visitor's Pass at any El station. Both airports have CTA stations where you can buy visitor passes for rides on all the subway and bus routes. You can buy a 1-day, 3-day, or 5-day pass for an average of only about $4 per day. It's the best buy in town and frees you from having to constantly open your purse or wallet and dig for exact change.

Most Important Wrigley Field Advice for First-Timers:
Part One: Bring a sweater and a heavy coat, hat, and gloves. Even in July, the wind off the lake can come in and cause icicles to form on your eyeballs. Do not be caught with too little to wear at Wrigley; it will ruin your whole day. However, once you're comfortable, you'll love every minute.

Part Two: Whatever restroom business needs to be taken care of, try to do it before you hit the ballpark. Wrigley Field's restrooms are scarce, not kept clean, and the wait can be interminable. Men are lucky... they can just walk up to the 30-foot urinal trough, zip it, and whip it, and we're outta there.

Noshing at Wrigley: Keep in mind that if you arrive during the first hour the gates open (they open 2 hours before game time), your food purchases at the enclosed concession stand on the upper lever behind the plate are 25% off (not including beer). On the outside of the ballpark, right behind those enclosed stands, sits a patio in the sun, with vendor carts proferring Chicago dogs, pretzels, and the like. Keep in mind the Chicago hot dog: a fantastic taste treat of a Vienna beef dog, diced onions and tomatoes, celery salt, poppy seed bun, mustard, "sport pepper", and relish in a shade of green not known in nature.

Best Corner for your Taste Buds: Wells and Ontario in River North, only 8 blocks north of the Chicago River. You have the world's best pizza: Gino's East, in the cave-like former Planet Hollywood building, offering deep-dish to die for. For dessert and your fair share of abuse, hop right across the street to Ed Debevic's where the servers all say exactly what we wish we could all tell our customers. Large buttons saying "Eat and Get Out!" and "Thanks for Dropping My Check Average" adorn servers, who may at any moment hop stop the table and start dancing to whatever is playing on the juke box.

Best Entire Street for your Taste Buds: Wells Avenue in Old Town, where Zimmerman's, O'Brien's, Topo Gigio, The Fireplace Inn, and several other fine restaurants frequented by the gentrified locals who have turned Old Town around offer really good dining, with the convenience of post-dinner comedy clubs right down the street.

Best Place to Burn Plastic: Of course, the Magnificent Mile, from the Michigan Avenue Bridge to Oak Street, where the beach starts. However, you don't have to bust the family budget. Right above - yes, above - the Borders bookstore at the Old Water Tower on the Mag Mile is Filene's Basement where you can buy designer duds at half price or less. Compare this to the vertical mall across the street at Water Tower Place, where they'll gouge you for $455 for a pair of plain, black Donna Karan capri pants. And, once you walk north on Michigan to Oak Street, make a left, and you'll find an array designers' own stores.

Cutest Play on Words: At the northern terminus of the Mag Mile is the legendary FAO Scxhwarz, with the 20-foot teddy bear above the entrance waving to passersby. Across the street in the Water Tower Place is the company's candy store...FAO Schweetz!

Most Chilling History Lesson: Part One: The John Hancock Center, right across from the Old Water Tower on Michigan Avenue, was the site of one of the most bizarre deaths in the city's history. Just last year, a huge gust of wind off the lake blew a window-washer's scaffolding against the building's facade, and both the scaffolding and a huge chunk of the facade came flying down some 50 stories from the 94-floor building, crushing the occupants of a car stopped in traffic.

Part Two: Mention "Chicago" to anyone overseas, and they'll likely assume a Tommy-gunner's stance and yell "Bang, bang!". Such is the city's notorious past. No sense in denying history when it can be profitable, so Untouchable Tours has for several years taken visitors to famous crime sites aorund town in their jet black painted buses, with the guides dressed like gangland lords.

If you want to see the spookiest site of all, drop into Mr. Carmel Cemetary in Hillside, at 1400 South Wolf Road (708-449-8300). In Section 35, go to the main entrance, then right about six markers. You'll see a large, gray headstone with no visible name...until you lean over the shrub planted to obscure it, and there it is: Capone. He was originally buried at Mt. Olivet Cemetary, but because his longtime rivals Deanie O'Bannion and Hymie Weiss were interred nearby, Capone's grave was repeatedly vandalized, so his final resting place was moved here. By the way, Capone isn't the only notorouis murderer buried at Mr. Carmel: so is Jack Ruby.

Best - and Only - was to Get to Wrigleyville: The El is not only the quintessential Chicago commuting experience, but the fastest and cheapest way to get around town. For Wrigley, the Red Line stops about 400 feet from the right filed wall. You'll see right into the ballpark from the station platform. Driving to Wrigley is not only nuts, because of traffic and strict Wrigleyville towing practices, but it's outrageously expensive. It's not unusual to get hit for up to $30 to park farther from the park than the El station.

Best way to Enjoy the Post-Game, Regardless of Who Won: There are so many bars and pubs around Wrigley Field it would take dozens of pages to list them, but if you're hungry for real food...and good food... try a postgame walk south of Wrigley along clark Street. In a single block, you'll find a dozen different countries' cuisines, and far more budgtet-friendly than you'll find near the Loop, Mag Mile, or River North. If you keep walking south on Clark, look to the west (away from the lake, or toward the setting sun) when you get to Clark and Roscoe, and you'll see the house that served as home to John Candy and Maureen O'Hara's characters in "Only the Lonely".

Famous Names who Live and/or Work in Chicago: Paul Harvey, Roger Ebert, Jesse Jackson, Oprah Winfrey (Her show is taped twice a week about 8 blocks west of the river the The Loop, and there's a good breakfast and sourthern-food restaurant, The Wishbone, across the street on West Washington.), Michael Jordan, John Mahoney, Bill Murray, George Wendt, Dennis Franz, Bob Greene, John and Joan Cusack, Jim Belushi, and former KTVI reporter babe Marion Brooks anchors news at the local NBC affiliate.

Absolute Must-Sees on Your First Chicago Trip: Part One: The Shedd Aquarium in the Museum Campus on the lakefront is framed by gorgeous Grant Park (with the famous Buckingham Fountain) and that incredible Chicago skyline, with the deep blue Lake Michigan on the other side. The Aquarium is one of the USA's best, and well worth a stop.

The Field Museum, right next door, is home to the largest, most completely intact T-Rex ever discovered, named "Sue" after the anthropologist who discovered the remains when her car broke down in the Dakotas. "Sue" is so massive that her head is displayed in a different location because its weight would pull down the entire body skeleton, which is displayed with a lighter plaster head.

If your stay allows you the time, the Grant Park area is fronted on Michigan Avenue by the world-class Art Institiute of Chicago, with the famous green lions out front. Inside you'll see the famous "American Gothic" by Grant Wood, the moody, atmospheric "Nighthawks" by Edward Hopper, and "Saturday at LeGrand Jatte" by Georges Seurat (the piece you saw Ferris Bueller's buddies staring at from different distances, testing the visual principles of Impressionism).

And across the street is the Bob Horsch Gallery, with historic and autographed photos of Chicago sports legends.

Budget-Friendly Tip: Before visiting the three museums above, stop inside any one of them and guy a Chicasgo CityPass for about $35. Not only will it get you into all 3 of them plus the John Hancock 94th Floor Observatory and the Sears Tower, but it gets you there with NO waiting in lines. You show your CityPass and walk right in!

Chicago First Trip Must-Sees: Part Two: Everyone talks about the Sears Tower, but for my money, the view is far, far better at the John Hancock. Besides, when you're on the Mag Mile, you're already there. The view from the 94th floor is magnificent, with the beaches, blue lake, Mag Mile and all, but you can also view the city from the tower's south wide, which is outdoors. (And it's on CityPass.)

Once you come down to street level, there's a fun spot in the beautiful plaza, fronted by the Cheesecake Factory, serving up sandwiches and salads along with their signature dessert. The gaudy decor, which looks like Denny's as designed for the Flintstones, masks the fact that this restaurant is always packed.

Chicago First Trip Must Do: Unless its really cold out, be sure to leave 90 minutes open for one of the Wendella combination river/lake boat tours, for only about $15. This might be the best bargain in town, when the weather's good. Either way, bring a coat or sweater, because the wind off the water can be quite cold anty time of year. It's easy to find: just cross the Michigan Avenuye Bridge from south to north, and look to your left.

For the Young'uns Who Want Sourveneirs of Your Trip: Seemingly every restaurant in the Loop and River North has a merchandise wing. In the River North area, right off of Michigan Avenue and the river, you'll find the ESPN Zone, the Rainforest Cafe, with the giant frog over the front door, and the Rock 'n Roll McDonald's, reportedly the busiest Mickey D's in the world. It's open 24 hours, and it's worth a stop just to see the music memorabilia and the Beatles mockups inside.

More Fun in River North: If you're in the mood for imbibing back in your room, there's a gigantic discount liquor store on Grand Avenue at Wells. It used to be called Zimmerman's, but has changed hands and name. You can buy a case of Busch here for about $8. They also have the A-B brand you can't get in STL: Michelob Golden Light.

Late-Night Fun: If you think you got your fair share of abuse at Ed Debevic's, that was the PG-rated version. The R-rated kind of abuse - and lots of alcohol - awat you at Dick's Last Resort, only a few blocks east of Michigan Avenue, off of Illinois Avenue at the Ogden Slip. Dick's is the place you'll tell the neighbors about when you get back home. It's got a merchandise shop selling "I got crabs at Dick's" panties and "Everybody needs a little Dick" bumper stickers.

Late Night Fun, Ha-Ha Division: One of the city's best kept secrets is the Old Town area near Lincoln Park where Zanies Comedy Club and Second City hold forth every night. Whichever one you choose, make sure and stop first at the Fudge Pot on 'Wells Avenue, right next to Zanies, for some outstanding homemade chocolates and fudge treats.

Recovering the Next Day: There are 2 quintessential Chicago breakfast places: Lou Mitchell's just west of the Loop and Ann Sather, a restored funeral home building on Belmont. Ann Sather is a Swedish restaurant with a fantastic breakfast business, highlighted by her trademark gooey, super-soft cinnamon rolls and Swedish breads. My personal favorite at Ann's: crepes with lingonberries, which taste like a cross between strawberries and respberries. A lot of Cards fans make this a convenient breakfast stop enroute to Wrigley, only a mile away. Lou Mitchell's (a block across the bridge connecting the Loop on W. Jackson) has been serving Chicagoans breakfast since 1922. And every lady gets a tiny box of Milk Duds (don't ask).

Have fun in Chicago!!!