Chicago, Illinois

Chicago is hands down great in the summer.

My only trip in the winter was to the airport, to a client’s office, and then back to the airport. I didn’t get the deal and even got sabotaged later by this client (it is a very long story that will be a novel, I promise). I don’t think that counts for a real trip to the city, and it left a bad taste that needed to be resolved.

So this time, I ensured I had several days, and we came during the best weather conditions for a southerner to experience a mid-western city. And I nailed it. I fell in love with Chicago so much that I called my husband to talk about house hunting. He reminded me that I was ignoring the winter and something important called “lake effect” snow.

Yeah, well. Hmmm.

Warning: There are a lot of photos in this post.

I did the best tourist thing ever, something you could not have paid me to do before this. I took a river cruise. The cruise revealed that while Chicago is not as pretty as Miami (ok, yeah, I know I’m biased), it's still architecturally stunning from the water, and that is what my cruise was about. We toured the city for several hours, and I learned all about Chicago, its buildings, and the important people in its past.

There are multiple river cruises, so you can find one that makes you happy. I thought it was worth the $50 I paid.

I was fascinated with a row of townhouses on the river, the skylights, and outdoor spaces to enjoy being on the water. Until my bubble burst with the thoughts of the winters here. Now and then, there would be a gust of a cool breeze, giving a reminder of life beyond July.

A garage underneath one of the buildings along the river housed boats instead of cars. This is what I envision much of Miami to look like by 2100.

The tour gave me a mental map of downtown Chicago, so I had things located correctly and in perspective when I started walking.

I was pleasantly surprised that the Thompson Hotel was located on one of the prettiest corners of the city. Trees and flowers throughout this part of the city always make a city more liveable. Chicago could show Charleston a thing or two about flower boxes.

The Thompson sits in the Gold Coast neighborhood. Several blocks down the street is Lake Michigan.

Trees do make a difference, don't they? I found Northwestern University.

And a historic firehouse not far from the university.

Then I hopped on the subway. They are reasonably clean, and I had no issues using the subway frequently the entire trip.

Jumping off at Millenium station, I walked through the park hunting for the bean-shaped sculpture. Its real name is Cloud Gate, and you’ll have to do with a link to see it. There was a problem, and it was closed off to the public.

In many cities, I find that tourists or the homeless are the ones crowded into parks and enjoying the green space. Chicago is like New York in that everyone enjoys the parks.

Before I left the city, I walked to the lake through the neighborhood above. The city’s inhabitants happily use the outdoor space along the lakefront. A jab of icy wind made me wonder what everyone does to get outdoors in the winter. Am I going to have to return to see the difference?

Another zap of cold air hit me just as I took this photo, so no, I think a summer visit is the gold standard for Chicago. I’m a Southerner with thin skin, not quite ready to pull out snow boots. Sadly, I guess the spousal unit was right.

Wait. What city am I in? This sure looks like New York.