Vacation Planning for Chicago: The Medieval Times Dinner & Tournament

A car provides a cheap way to travel, especially with a family. The price of gas is making it harder for you to plan a vacation. My advice is to find things to do near your home.

If you like to travel short distances to see attractions, it's almost impossible to find a travel agent or trip planner offering budget travel and weekend getaways. Change how you plan your next vacation. During your free time, go online and find cheap hotels. Some companies offer luxury hotels at cheap hotel prices. That's how we found this great attraction - The Medieval Dinner & Tournament.

A city that offers a vast selection of hotels is one of my first choices for a weekend getaway. Since we enjoy luxury hotels found at bargain prices, we began our search on the internet. Fuel economy is also a major consideration. The trip has to take has no longer than 5 hours by car to get there. Not willing to loose time and waste gas sitting in the car and in traffic, I chose to stay in the Chicago suburbs - Schaumburg, IL.

The Medieval Times Dinner & Tournament is one of Schaumburg's great tourist attractions. The legends of King Arthur and castles have always fascinated us. This is where we were first introduced to jousting - a sport entertainment for the rich and noble consisting of martial competition between two mounted knights using a variety of weapons. The brochure advertised we would be eating with our hands and we both thought this would be an interesting experience. When we read how 6 knights would compete in the joust and other tests of skill, we knew this was sure to be a must see tourist attraction. We immediately made reservations by calling 1-888-We-Joust.

By car, the gigantic castle can be seen from the highway. The enormity of the castle excites you. What you are about to see inside is beyond your wildest imagination.

The first thing that captured my attention was the dirt and sand floor. It is the size of a football field if not larger. The stadium seating restaurant matched the knight's color and surrounded the field of competition. Our dinner consisted of garlic bread, vegetable soup, roasted chicken, spare rib, herb-basted potato, pastry of the castle, and beverages (Pepsi and coffee). Refills were free. A cash bar service was also offered. The restaurant staff dressed in medieval attire. Although the meals were not hearty for the robust appetite, they were served hot and they were delicious. Refills and clean-up was completed in a most synchronized and efficient manner. Eating with your hands was not as challenging as I originally thought. The delicious meal makes the tournament seem free.

Jousting begins near the completion of dinner. King Philippe and Princess Leonore are seated. Each knight bows before the king and princess and takes their place in the martial competition. A white stallion is presented to the King and then the games begin.

The staged competition appeared authentic. Various weaponry such as alabarada (cross between a battle-axe and a spear) and bola (a swinging wooden handle with a spiked ball on the end) were used in the competition. The knights rode horses and adorned themselves with armor and a lance.

At the end of the competition, the winning knight throws a rose to the audience. I caught the rose thrown by the winning knight. This was a significant and emotional event for me.

This 5 hr. car vacation was fun. The hotels in Chicago would have cost more than our luxury hotel found in the suburb. My Chicago vacation is affordable for the most meager budget. Remember to search online for your cheap hotels. Enjoy the free tournament and dinner.