September 17, 2012

Chicagoland

We opted to take public transportation into Chicago from Portage Indiana. This way we'd save ourselves the hassle of looking for parking in downtown. After calculating the cost of driving the truck the 40 miles one way, plus toll fees, plus parking fees, the $7.50 one way ticket on the train didn't sound so bad. The South Shore Line ran a pretty good schedule, with trains departing the Portage station almost every hour. We caught the 9:08 train in the morning, and after the hour and 20 minute commute, we were dropped off right in the middle of downtown at Millennium Station.

The commuter train from Portage Indiana to downtown Chicago
Catching the train to Chicago
We didn't have a specific plan for the city, just a short list of must-see items, so we picked up a tourist map at the visitors center and walked wherever our feet would take us. Seven hours later we caught the 5:28 train back to Portage. On our way home I was looking at the map of the city and started counting up the distance of where we had been that day. Turns out we'd walked 10 miles in Chicago, in one big loop. No wonder we were wiped out! We had been so mesmerized by the gorgeous buildings, the sparkling lakefront and the beautiful fountains that we didn't even realize we had walked that far.

We were really impressed with Chicago, the Windy City. The city blocks were reminiscent of New York's Manhattan: tall, awesome skyscrapers; intricate architecture, well manicured central parks. Chicago has a great riverfront that runs through the city, and it also has a great lakefront of Lake Michigan.

I could try and describe what all we saw there, but I figured it would be better to show you. Here is our journey through the city in photographs:

Chicago Theater sign in downtown Chicago, Illinois
The Chicago Theater on State St.
Marshall Field Clock on State St. in downtown Chicago, Illinois
Marshall Field Clock on State St.
Views of downtown Chicago from the Riverwalk
Crossing the Michigan Ave. bridge on the Riverwalk
Clock tower of the Wrigley Building on Michigan Avenue in downtown Chicago, Illinois
Clock tower of the Wrigley Building on Michigan Ave. 
Donald Trump building on Michigan Avenue in downtown Chicago, Illinois
Donald Trump skyscraper on Michigan Ave. 
The Magnificent Mile on Michigan Avenue in downtown Chicago, Illinois
Walking the Magnificent Mile on Michigan Ave. 
Historic water tower on Michigan Avenue in downtown Chicago, Illinois
The Historic Water Tower on Michigan Ave. 
Historic mansions in the Gold Coast Neighborhood in downtown Chicago, Illinois
The historic millionaire tycoon mansions of the Gold Coast neighborhood 
Oak street beach in downtown Chicago, Illinois
Oak Street beach
Fountain in Gateway Park at the Navy Pier in downtown Chicago, Illinois
The fountain in Gateway Park at the Navy Pier
Crystal Gardens at the Navy Pier in downtown Chicago, Illinois
Inside the Crystal Gardens at the Navy Pier
Ferris Wheel on the Navy Pier in downtown Chicago, Illinois
The Chicago Ferris Wheel on the Navy Pier
View of downtown from the Navy Pier in Chicago, Illinois
The view of downtown from the Navy Pier
Buckingham fountain in Grant Park in downtown Chicago, Illinois
Buckingham Fountain in Grant Park
Public Library in downtown Chicago, Illinois
City of Chicago Public Library on Michigan Ave.
Cloud Gate, aka Chicago Bean, in downtown Chicago, Illinois
The Cloud Gate (aka The Bean) in Millennium Park
Cloud Gate, aka Chicago Bean, in downtown Chicago, Illinois
The Bean up close
Crown Fountain in Millennium Park in downtown Chicago, Illinois
The Crown Fountain in Millennium Park
And while wondering around downtown, we ran into an old friend on the street! Matthan moved to the city to sing opera at the Chicago Opera Theater. We caught him just as he was leaving a rehearsal. I don't think I've seen Matthan since we graduated high school. It was great running into a familiar face in such a big city.

Matthan Black and I in downtown Chicago, Illinois
An old buddy!
We had meant to go into the city multiple times, but because of the long commute we decided we'd come back another time. Chicago is better visited while staying in a hotel smack in the middle of downtown so that you can walk and explore all the city has to offer easily. I also heard that you don't really get a true sense for Chicago until you've explored the neighborhoods outside of downtown. We look forward to coming back and staying a while and really exploring the city.

To see more pictures of Chicago, click here.

Happy Windy City walking,

M.

Email me

No comments:

Post a Comment