Chicago, the second city of the U.S.A. not everyones cup of tea, or is it?
Maybe the thought of Al Capone, firing bullets at you from his machine gun outs you off, or is it the gangland massacres portrayed by the hip movie syndrome of black ghetto land.
None of this was visible when we visited last year, although my first impression was of how dominating the City of Chicago was compared to the South of The U.S.A., which has few buildings over 5 stories high.
As you drive in to the heart of Chicago, the skyline is a phenomenal sight. The ants to people syndrome pops back into mind (used in my Niagara Falls op), but that is how you feel.
It is almost like driving in darkness, as very little sun finds it way through the manic concrete fingers pointing to the heavens.
Do not let this paint to dark a picture, as there are some lovely parks and man made beaches around Lake Michigan, where you can catch as many rays as you would on the Gulf coast.
I will now list the things to see and do, just so I don’t waffle on as usual!
Architecture.
Need I say more, its what it is all about.
If you think buildings are boring, just wait until you here the stories of the skyscrapers of Chicago.
I will not be telling you them however, you will have to go, ha ha
Buildings.
Hancock Tower is a must, its observation deck, the tallest in the world, has views that you will never forget.
Sears Tower, the tallest building in the world completely dominates from all angles
Museums.
They love them, no matter what it is, there is a museum for it in Chicago.
Art, Engineering, Artefacts and culture.
Trust me, if you like museums, there is one on every street corner.
River Trip.
You have to do it.
They tell you all the stories of the famous buildings, and why Chicago is called the Windy City (if you think you know why, you are probably wrong, unless you have been there and heard the story)
Food.
Ribs, Pizzas, Steaks, Italian, Chinese, all excellent cuisine.
Navy Pier.
A long pier full of things to do such as, food halls, bars, cinema, entertainment complex, and cruise meals.
Lust like it says, you cruise the Michigan Lake, while dining on the finest food you could imagine.
Prices vary depending on how well you want to eat.
Hotels.
We stayed at the Travel Lodge.
It was cheap, and that is all I would like to say about it.
This should give you enough info to consider for know, please look at other peoples ops on Chicago, as it is a great place and you need to get as much info as possible.
Thanks, Angus