A Weekend In Chicago

I spent a weekend in Chicago, Illinois. Which is also known as the Windy City. I went to attend my older brother David’s wedding. It had been a while since I visited, so I explored the city like a tourist.

Mile North Hotel

I got a hotel right in the middle of downtown. It was called the Mile North Hotel. The hotel was absolutely beautiful. The décor was urban and contemporary. There were ballrooms, lounges, and restaurant’s on the main floor. I took advantage of the rooftop bar called 52Eighty. It had the most amazing view of the Chicago skyline. What I liked most about the the hotel was that it was within walking distance of everything downtown.

Willis Tower

I went to the Willis Tower, which used to be called the Sears Tower. It is a 108-story skyscraper right in the middle of downtown. The Willis Tower is the second-tallest building in the United States and the 14th-tallest in the world. As I ascended to the top floor. The elevator attendant gave a brief history of the Willis Tower. Once at the top I was given headphones where I could do a guided tour of each window. The guided tour would tell you where landmarks were and give a brief history of Chicago. The view from the top was absolutely amazing. The view spanned up to four states.

The Willis Tour had a feature called the Skydeck. Where you could step out onto a glass balcony that extended four feet outside of the 103rd floor. You could look through the glass floor and see the street underneath you. The ledge of the Skydeck is made of 1,500 pound glass panels. Each balcony is comprised of three layers of half-inch thick glass. If you read about my trip to Canada, the CN Tower had a similar feature.

If you’re ever in Chicago. I highly recommend you go to the Willis Tower. The view from the Willis Tower is absolutely amazing. There is no better view of the Chicago skyline.

Millennium Park

Millennium Park is a public park that spans 24.5 acres. I spent an afternoon in Millennium Park where I walked through the Jay Pritzker Pavilion and the Lurie Garden before I took a break and enjoyed a drink at one of the outdoor restaurants.

Jay Pritzker Pavilion

The Jay Pritzker Pavilion is an outdoor performing arts venue. Curved stainless steel plates frame the stage. It has 4,000 fixed seats, plus additional lawn seating. The Pavilion hosts a variety of performing art events throughout the year. I saw people laying out on blankets, playing sports, and reading books on nearby benches.

Lurie Garden

The Lurie Garden is a 2.5 acre public garden on the southern end of Millennium Park. You can find perennials, bulbs, grasses, shrubs and trees in the garden. It was peaceful as I strolled through the garden looking at the colorful flowers and shrubs.

Boeing Galleries

The Boeing Galleries are outdoor exhibition spaces within Millennium Park. I encountered colorful public art statues throughout the park. The statues had the body of a human, with the head of an animal.  The statues were tall, painted in bright colors, and had different patterns. They are meant for visitors to experience the works and ideas of living artists.

Cloud Gate Sculpture

Next, I went to the Cloud Gate Sculpture also known as, the bean. Numerous movies have featured The Cloud Gate Sculpture. It’s a three story reflective steel sculpture, composed of 168 stainless steel plates welded together. As you can see I got a little creative when I got up close to it.

Crown Fountain

Before I left I watched children play in the Crown Fountain. The Crown Fountain is a public art and video sculpture. It is a huge black granite reflecting pool placed between a pair of black brick towers. Faces are displayed on the towers via digital video and water can be seen spouting out of a nozzle on each towers face.

Again, Millennium park spans 24.5 acres. This is only a glimpse of all that I saw. I look forward to visiting Chicago again soon, in order to explore the rest of the park.

Double Decker Trolley Tour

I took a tour on one of those double decker buses. Where you could hop on and off at different sites downtown. It stopped at a gift shop where I got a free t-shirt. I would definitely check it out if you are visiting Chicago for the first time. You get to learn about the history of the city as well as get an idea of where everything is.

David’s Wedding

I had not seen my brother David, whose wedding I was attending in years. However, as we’ve gotten older and through social media we have been able to keep in touch. I was extremely grateful to have had the opportunity to attend his wedding. It was absolutely beautiful. Congratulation’s to David and Kristen, I wish you both love and happiness as you begin your new lives together.

Overall, it was a great weekend, very fun and eventful. I will definitely be back to visit soon. I hope you enjoyed reading this blog post, a weekend in Chicago. If you have any questions please comment down below.

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