It’s fitting that my last travel blog post of the year is about my trip to Chicago. It was one of my favourite stops on my U.S tour, and is therefore the perfect way to end this year of blogging.
I knew very little about Chicago prior to my visit, mainly deep dish pizza and 1920s gangsters (Al Capone et al). Therefore, I was quite surprised to find a bustling modern city with iconic landmarks, stunning architecture and a mesmerising skyline, packed with culture and nourishing a vibrant food scene. Better still, all this was surrounded by beautifully landscaped parks and numerous beaches, set on the banks of the magnificent Lake Michigan. What more could a girl ask for?
Chicago was a last-minute addition to my itinerary. I had the opportunity to catch up with a friend of mine from high school (Ify) who was back in the city for a few days, and I received a very generous offer to be hosted by a friend from university (Kike) who had recently moved to the city. I couldn’t say no… it was clearly written in the stars. Kike lived in a beautiful apartment by the harbour and had the most gorgeous views of the city.
I spent three days in Chicago. I arrived pretty early on the first day. It was eerie walking along the very quiet streets, with the huge glass and stone buildings looming over me. In this sense, it reminded me a little of Manhattan. Kike and I spent the morning catching up on over a decade’s worth of gossip. I had planned to meet Ify for lunch so I headed south towards Shedd Aquarium, taking the lakefront trail.
It was a scenic route, with the beautiful blue waters of Lake Michigan on my left and the dramatic Chicago skyline on my right. The lakefront trail is an 18-mile paved path that traverses a number of neighbourhoods in Chicago, it connects lakefront apartments, parks and beaches with recreational amenities. It was wonderful to see Ify and her family. We went for a delicious lunch at ‘The Gage’ and had ice-cream at ‘Amorino’ (we agreed it did not quite beat our gelato experience in Rome). Afterwards, I wandered back towards the lakefront and spent a couple of hours reading and people watching.
The next morning, I knew my first stop had to be Millenium Park, specifically a stop at the iconic ‘The Bean’ sculpture. Pro-tip: go first thing in the morning to avoid the crowds (I was there at 8am). I was better able to appreciate the beauty of the sculpture as its shiny chrome exterior reflected the morning sunlight and Chicago skyline. Millennium Park is huge, located northwest of the 319-acre Grant Park. It has noteworthy attractions such as the Jay Pritzker Pavillion( with its steel bandshell), and BP pedestrian bridge both designed by Frank Gehry. It has endless gardens for picnics, playgrounds, Crown Fountain with its reflecting pool, and much more. It is practically the heart of Chicago and you should aim to spend at least half a day exploring this park. There are world class music concerts at the Pavillion in the summer – entry is free, and the concerts are highly anticipated.
I went on to further explore the city, this time along the Chicago River. The Riverwalk is a path on the south bank of the Chicago River, from Lake Street until the river meets Lake Michigan. There are cafes, bars and restaurants along the way and plenty of spots to sit and watch the world go by. I was struck by the beauty of the emerald green river when the sun shone on it. I took the opportunity to try and identify landmarks along the walk, like Merchandise Mart (the largest building in the world, when it was opened in 1930), the Wrigley building and Tribune tower. Then I made my way to River North, to try the famed deep dish pizza at Lou Malnati’s Pizzeria. It was scrumptious.
Afterwards, I met up with Kike and we headed off to an beach party. It felt incongruous to walk along a sandy beach and have towering skyscrapers in the background. However the beach was clean and the views were lovely. We sat, drank and chatted with her friends and later joined an incredibly fun afrobeats party.
On my third day in Chicago, I went north on the lakefront trail, to Navy Pier. It is an exhibition centre with a range of attractions for all ages and has a huge ferris wheel ride. For me, by far the best thing about Navy Pier were the views of Lake Michigan and the entirety of the Chicago skyline.
Next, I hopped on a boat for an architecture river cruise. I highly recommend this activity. It is a fantastic way to see a city that is synonymous with great architecture. The 90-minute cruise combined two of my favourite things, being on water and staring at beautiful architecture. The tour guide takes you on a journey through the origins of the city, its history and politics and how it became known for architecture. We learnt, for example, that the world’s first skyscraper, the ‘Home Insurance Building’ was built in Chicago in 1885 (it was 10 stories high)…about the impact of the Great Fire in 1871 had on the city and why there is such an eclectic array of buildings…and also why Chicago is called the ‘Windy City’ (less about the actual wind and more about its politicians being ‘full of wind’!). The boat sails all three branches of the river and ends after a brief cruise on Lake Michigan. It was by far my favourite activity.
I intended to go on a museum crawl afterwards (Field Museum of Natural History and Shedd Aquarium are top attractions) however it was a beautiful sunny day and I was loath to be stuck indoors. Instead I wandered over to River North again, this time for a hotdog from Portillo’s and took my time exploring the neighbourhood. It has some of the best eateries in Chicago, and is known for art and nightlife. Other top things to do in Chicago include:
- Taking in panoramic views of the city from the Skydeck at Willis Tower (or 360 Observation deck at John Hancock building)
- Getting you shopping fix strolling the ‘Magnificent Mile’ on Michigan Avenue
- Exploring Lincoln Park (& Zoo), for families and nature lovers
- Attending a baseball game at Wrigley Field, for sport lovers
- Going to a theatre show
On my last evening in Chicago, Kike and I went out to dinner in Fulton Market district, a very hip neighbourhood full of trendy cocktail bars, live music venues and hole in the wall restaurants. The queues at ‘Green Street Smoked Meats’ were so long, we settled instead for delicious ramen at ‘High Five Ramen’. I was tired and begged out of drinks with her friends, but enjoyed the hour-long walk home taking in the bright lights and big views of this city.
I fell in love with Chicago, for its amazing architecture, delicious foods, wholesome parks and green-spaces and stunning waterways. It ticks a lot of boxes for a city break and the surrounding nature is a huge plus. If you’re still undecided, I’ll leave you with the fact that Chicago has been voted ‘Best Big City in The US’ for the seventh year in a row! 1 Surely, that’s a reason to visit.
Visited August 2022
Has this article convinced you to visit Chicago? If you have visited in the past, what did you think about the city?
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