September 7th, 2023

Hello Readers,

A busy summer is coming to an end. Orange and red leaves are starting to decorate the trees where I live, and stores are starting to bring out Halloween (and Christmas?) decorations. But just last week I visited an iconic city in the United States: Chicago. I have to be honest, when I had heard about Chicago, I always visualized those crime tv shows and I had very little desire to visit a city that was infamous for the amount of crime, but my perception was pleasantly changed once I visited. Something that I might have not mentioned before is that I LOVE cities at night. Something about all the buildings being lit up, brings some magic to the city, and Chicago did not disappoint in this regard.

This first day that I arrived I decided to do a boat tour where you can see the city skyline and the boardwalk from afar as you get talked about the architecture of the city. Plus, it was a nice, warm, sunny day, something that is rare in Chicago from what I’ve heard. From the boat I was able to see Willis tower, the tallest building in Chicago since 1973, with 110 stories. But apart from just seeing Willis tower I was able to see the boardwalk and all the other buildings making up the Chicago skyline. This tour was done by tall ship Windy and I definitely recommend checking it out if you get the chance!

After talking about Chicago’s skyline, it would only be logical to talk a bit more about Willis Tower. I was able to go to the top and the views are unparalleled. Thankfully, we got a little window of sun to take pictures on an otherwise cloudy day. Willis tower is 1,450 feet tall, imagine about 97 giraffes stacked on top of each other. From the top of the tower, you get a beautiful view of the city with Lake Michigan in the background. If you go when the sun is setting you get orange hues in the sky as well so it is really a sight to see.

Another part of the city that is cool to walk around is Millenium Park. It has a huge amphitheater where they do concerts during the summer. The amphitheater has a very unique shape and the architect is Frank Gehry, the same architect of the MoPop museum in Seattle and the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao, among many others. All of his buildings have very abstract shapes and they are amazing to see. There are also fountains for kids to play in, cool waterfalls with screens and small details such as colorful lamps hanging from trees in the park.

Another place to visit in Chicago is “The Magnificent Mile” full of high-end stores (many of which are mentioned in the series “Friends”), and nearby is the Chicago Water Tower. The Chicago water tower became the first American Water Landmark in 1969, 100 years after it was built. Here is also a prime spot to take pictures of Chicago at night (I promise there is no filter on the picture).

The final place that I visited in Chicago is the riverwalk. You can walk across the DuSable Bridge on the Chicago riverwalk and get a picture of the river with the kayaks and boats. There are restaurants along the river that you can pop in for a bite and a drink. It is the perfect place to end the day and see some of Chicago at night.

I hope you enjoyed the pictures that I have shown from Chicago and learned a little more about this beautiful city. I hope you have a lovely fall season as everything starts going back to normal with a routine.

Sincerely,

The Eternal Traveler