Chicago, the City to Visit

The Windy City, Chi Town, Chicago. Known by many names and famous affiliations, it was my great pleasure over the past Veteran’s Day weekend to visit the great city of Chicago. I must say that I was truly impressed. It is much like a less crowded New York City, and for people who don’t like a lot of people (myself included), it is an ideal city. Some of us are pursuing career goals that simply aren’t available in some of the smaller rural towns, and for those of us who want to leave Ohio and explore a new state, I want to put a plug out there for Chicago. With many great sights and plenty to do, it holds as much potential as New York City does. However, even if you are simply looking for a good city to visit for a long weekend, let me give you the 3 top places you must visit:

1. The Chicago Bean: I honestly couldn’t tell you why it seems to be such an attraction, as it is literally a huge metal bean, but it is a site that everyone should visit. The atmosphere of everyone crowding under the Bean, and then taking pictures of themselves of taking pictures of the Bean is fun. Although it is indeed very “touristy,” it is simply too tempting to pass up. (Perhaps it is just that most of us are easily diverted by shiny things.)
2. Willis Tower: Formerly known as the Sears Tower, Willis Tower is impressive. 103 floors up, your ears popping the whole way, you get the most incredible view of not just Chicago, but Michigan, Indiana and Wisconsin. Yes, it is literally so tall that one is able to observe four states from the one location. If this isn’t enough to convince you, let me tell you, the rush you get from going out and taking pictures on the clear ledges is amazing. You look down and see literally nothing but city for 103 stories.
3. The Navy Pier: The Navy Pier is one of the best tourist attractions for finding fun. With plenty of shops and food, it has plenty of activities to fill a day. There are plenty of activities for younger children, but also boat rides and–of course–the giant Ferris wheel. The atmosphere at The Navy Pier is truly about entertainment, and it dishes it up in plenty.

These are only three of the many things to do and see in Chicago, and it barely touches on the amount of shopping that can be accomplished there (the Magnificent Mile). However, I hope this is enough to pique your interest in the Windy City. I must warn you though: when they call it the Windy City, they mean the Windy City. So ladies, bring a hair tie!