I think the shocking thing is that after all the Al Capone connections I’ve encountered in Canada I somehow did not one single Al Capone-related tourist thing while actually in Chicago.
That glaring error aside, I had a fabulous time in Chicago right up to the part where I got caught out in weather that included flash flooding looking for my (now presumed really and truly lost) cell phone that fell out of my bag when I was running for it due to the sheets of rain that were soaking me despite the valiant attempts of my umbrella.
My brand new iPhone, the one I just got a couple months ago. The one I forgot to install a finder app on. The one I had on airplane mode when I lost it.
Sigh.
But on the brighter side, watching a lightning storm from the top of the Willis “the building formerly known as Sears” Tower was quite incredible. While the view was cloudy enough when I got up there that I could not see four states from the second tallest building in the world, I got a pretty good view of Chicago (until the clouds were enveloping the building) as the sun went down.
The night before I went up the observatory level of the John Hancock building and got another splendid view of the city.
I managed to check a lot of the main attraction items off my Chicago list, though I could definitely have cheerfully spent a whole week there.
I checked out the Shedd Aquarium, the Adler Planetarium, the Field Museum, the Art Institute of Chicago, rode a water taxi, went on an architecture river tour, went up the two towers, walked the Magnificent Mile, rode the ferris wheel at the Navy Pier, saw Cloud Gate (aka the Bean) and ate both a Chicago-style hot dog and Chicago-style pizza.
The verdict on the food: I prefer pickles on the side when it comes to hot dogs and the pizza was only okay? I have other types of pizza I like more. Pickle aside, the hot dog was good.
I made sure to spend about three hours apiece at the aquarium, Field Museum and the art institute. I could have easily spent a whole day at each.
I love that the art institute even has a “Ferris Bueller” self-guided tour where you can make sure to see the artworks featured in the movie. The art collection is simply incredible. Everything from Monet’s hay stacks and some of his water lilies to El Greco to American Gothic (not to mention the masterworks pictured to the left).
The Shedd Aquarium was very extensive and had some good educational exhibits, though sadly I didn’t get to see the dolphin calf.
The Field Museum has an incredible collection, including Sue, the T-rex. The Egypt tomb exhibit and the visiting China exhibit were my favourites, very well put together and focused.
At the Adler Planetarium I particularly enjoyed the moon mission exhibit and the historic Atwood sphere which was made in 1913 and is still a working planetarium today!
Overall, visiting Chicago did cause several impulses to watch that particular movie. It’s also a world class city that I would go to again in a heart beat. The architecture and the planning in the city is fantastic and I want to learn more about it.
I spent most of today driving. Three states later and I’m in Minnesota. Tomorrow, I head back to the heart of the continent, as Winnipeg styles itself. I get to do an awesome looking tour that I didn’t get to do (since it only runs Wednesdays) on my first trip through.
I’ll be home in Edmonton by Friday, if all goes according to plan.
Victoria Paterson 