It's 106 miles to Chicago, we got a full tank of gas, half a pack of cigarettes, it's dark, and we're wearing sunglasses.
I have been to Chicago several times before. It was actually the first major city I've ever been to. But this time was slightly different as it was up to me to play tour guide instead of being led around the city. Due to limited financial resources, D and I stayed in a Chicago suburb called Itasca. Nothing exciting, but the hotel was nice and spacious. Instead of paying upwards of $20 a day to park in the city, we took a Metra train from Itasca to Union Station. Weekend passes were a steal at $7 per person for unlimited travel on Saturdays and Sundays. It's also much more relaxing than driving in the city, where D realized he is a little fish in a big pond of aggressive drivers. And, I think anytime you can use public transportation while traveling it's a great way to see the local culture, not to mention it's better for the environment.
After arriving at Union Station near the former Sears Tower and current Willis Tower, our first stop was the Shedd Aquarium. Though not the greatest aquarium I've ever visited it certainly has some cool exhibits and boasts some good views of the city. We went early and beat the entrance lines, which snaked through the lobby, down the steps, and toward the park by the time we left.
Our second stop was the Sears Tower. The wait time to get up to the observation deck was estimated at about an hour and half. Luckily, we invested in the Chicago City Pass, another great deal. For $69 you get admission to the Aquarium, the Field Museum, the Planetarium, The Museum of Science and Industry, and the Sears Tower. Although we only planned to use three of the tickets the cost for just those three would have been $84. Plus, with the City Pass you get to skip the lines at the attractions. All in all, it took us about 15 minutes to reach the observation deck.
We spent the evening at Navy Pier and ate at the Billy Goat Tavern location there. I got a delicious, greasy rib-eye steak sandwich. From the Navy Pier area we took a boat ride through the city to learn about it's history and architecture. It's pretty cool to float along the river under the iconic Chicago bridges and look at all the buildings lit up at night. Chicago is interesting in that it has so many different levels. Although the subway system is elevated in most parts, rail lines have sold "airspace" to companies to build buildings above train lines. After the tour, we stayed on the boat to watch the fireworks near Navy Pier.
Unbeknown to us prior to our visit, Sunday was the Chicago Marathon. Upon departing Union Station once again, the streets were crowded with runners, supporters, and cowbells. Luckily, the marathon didn't impact our travels at all. The El Train took us over the marathon so we were able to bypass the street closures. It was also great because that meant the Field Museum, our first stop of the day, was relatively empty. The Field Museum is my favorite museum in Chicago. They have anything you could imagine they would have: mummies, dinosaurs, precious gemstones, ritual masks from the Pacific Islands, just to name a few.
The last stop in Chicago was Chinatown which was, surprisingly, much nicer than San Francisco's Chinatown. We ate dinner/lunch there, getting a hot pot and sushi from a place called Joy Yee's. The food was great but the best part were the ridiculously good watermelon juice smoothies. If you are ever in or near Chicago's Chinatown you should try one out. We strolled down some of the streets nearby and popped in some of the little stores. There was also a great bakery where we stocked up on pastries for the ride back to Ohio the next day.
At this point we slowly began our journey home, staying over night in a town called Michigan City, Indiana about an hour outside of Chicago. In the morning we took a quick stop at the city's outlet mall before venturing to the beach for a bit. I imagine the city is much busier during the summer tourist season. We ate lunch at a restaurant called Maxine's which served seafood and some European inspired dishes. D got salmon while got the chicken marsala both of which were pretty tasty, though the service was a bit slow.
All in all, Chicago is a traveler friendly city. The layout of the streets is pretty easy to figure out on foot while the El train and other rail makes it really easy to get around the city and suburbs without a car unlike some major American cities (cough LA cough). You are guaranteed to see Obama merchandise in tourist shops at least for the foreseeable future, highlighting the city's strong support for Democrats. Like most big cities, there are people from all over the world working, living, and visiting and you will hear several different languages on the street. On Saturday evening the US soccer team played a friendly game against Poland. On the 40-minute train ride back to our hotel, scores of Polish Americans living in the Chicago suburbs were traveling home after the game. Just another one of Chicago's many layers.
Most Overrated: Magnificent Mile. Lots of expensive stores I can't afford, and most of them you can find at Polaris or Easton in Columbus. Also, very very crowded.
Tastiest: Watermelon Smoothie at Joy Yee. It's like drinking a watermelon only better. Yum.
Most Terrifying: Glass balconies at Willis/Sears Tower. That's right, you can look through the glass floor down 103 floors to the street.
Thing I Wish I had Time For: Adler Planetarium. Admission was included in the City Pass but we just ran out of time to go.
Best Find: Chicago Marathon. It's interesting to watch for a bit even if you don't know anyone running.
My Favorite Experience: Tour of the city by boat followed by fireworks. Any city that has fireworks on a random Saturday night is alright by me!
