The Windy City!
Iv been to Chicago a few times before but has always been a different experience with something new to see.
It’s one of my favourite cities in the US. Up there with Philadelphia, i love how the tall, modern business buildings are mixed in with green, local parks, pretty streets full of family homes and old churches covered in ivy.
I love cities with history, which is most, but the jazz, the entertainment, it’s industrial style, the stories of Al Capone and the mafia get me excited to find out more about the city. I recently found out that the road that we stay on is called “Hugh Hefner Street” because it was where the original Playboy house situated.
360• CHICAGO OBSERVATION DECK
First time visiting Chicago I got to see the west side of the city from a height when I went up to the Hancock tower.
Pretty high up right!
The sun was shining, the coast line giving the best outline from water to beach to city.
This attraction gives you every information on what you’re looking at and the history, also offering an amazing experience to lean out of the building while standing up to get a full view from top to bottom to side! If your stomach is a little vulnerable to heights, then maybe it’s best to stay on flat ground HAHA!
Tickets are around $30 but you can stay up there for as long as you like and the views are spectacular!
If you work up a craving for lunch, you’ve got The Cheesecake Factory right underneath the building. If you haven’t been here before, GO!
From the name I’m sure you can tell that they specialise in cheesecakes. Red velvet, key lime pie, lemon, double chocolate, birthday cake, the list of them is endless, just don’t look at the calorie sign! If you’re on a diet don’t bother going near the till and head straight for their Skinnylishious menu for food HAHA, but their food is great, portions are huge so you won’t have to worry about not being full.
WHERE TO GO FOR BREAKFAST
I love the US for their local all American breakfast spots with all you can drink coffee and pancakes with any hot breakfast of your choice and completely Fills you up until dinner!
Every time I’m in Chicago I go to The Original Pancake House.
It’s homely with hearty meals and great waiters. In the summer you can sit outside in the sun and watch the world go by until you’ve had enough coffee to keep you awake for two days HAHA.
It’s great prices with a whole meal including drinks around $11-15 and the meals are huge so well worth giving it a try.
THE BEAN
Now anyone that visits Chicago knows that they need to get a picture with the bean!
The shiny, reflective piece of art that is originally called the Cloud Gate sits in the heart of downtown Chicago in Millenium Park and reflects off of the cities skyline. In the sun it’s stunning.
Along with other pieces of art, sculptures and architecture, the park is beautiful to walk through, all seasons round and adds a little green to the city where it’s surrounded by buildings.
As much as you have a lot of appreciating the art like yourself it’s still a really peaceful place to go for some space away from the huddle and bustle.
THE WILLIS TOWER VIEW POINT – GLASS BOX
Everyone that knows me knows that I loveeeee a skyline, a view, a place high enough to appreciate every part of somewhere, where you can step back and take a moment to see where you are and the life that others live.
I’ve been up to the top of many view towers but this one is in the running for the top spot HAHA.
The Willis tower is stood in the middle of the business area of Chicago and looks like any regular high rise tower. But at the top stands a 360 degree view point that also holds clear glass boxes that extend out of the edge of the building! So again if you don’t like height, don’t go anywhere near it!
During mid day this experience can get busy so the queue can get long so try and make it up there as early as possible but if you don’t the views and pictures you get of the city are spectacular! And the fact that you can see above, below, and around you is a really crazy experience. I didn’t think it would effect me much but actually stepping foot off the edge onto clear glass was quite daunting, your legs become jelly until you hit reality and know you’re safe.
I managed to sit down and enjoy a zen moment too!
If you want a moment to see the beauty of what a bird sees, this is the place to do it!
CERISE ROOFTOP BAR
In the summer Chicago can get extremely warm like how it is at the moment where it reaches around 31c! I personally don’t like being in a city when it’s as warm as that (aircon for me please) but luckily Chicago has some beautiful rooftop bars and also a man made beach downtown to enjoy the weather a little easier.
This little hidden gem is right in the centre of the city (overlooking the Trump tower which isn’t the greatest but we can blindside that) and poses a great place for a chilled out vibe during the day and cocktails with the girls in the evening.
It has a refined air about it that holds sophistication but makes you feel comfortable with a chilled dress code and a great mix of music so get yourself down there in the daytime for some sun, music and great drinks!
Chicago’s seasons go from one extreme to another with their winters being unbearabley cold and their summers being something out of South America but either way this city always seems beautiful.
Like all states, it has its hard parts where education, jobs and safety for locals are a negative and I wish I had enough time to see more of the real parts of Chicago which I will make my duty next time but one thing I do know is the people I have encountered have been welcoming, parts of the city that I have been able to roam through have been safe and even in it’s less attractive roads, there’s something about the city that I’m drawn too.
Chicago is a must to visit and explore, find a jazz cafe or a cafe to sit and people watch, even taking a stroll or a jog along Lake Michigan. Whatever it is try and find the beauty of it because it’s definitely there.
The Harley Effect 