Day 2 in Chicago began with some snow which then turned into a steady drizzle.
Lisa and I hopped on the red line and rode it to Chinatown. We made our way up and down the street ducking into little shops along the way. These shops were usually crammed from front to back, floor to ceiling with a multitude of different items. After browsing the merchandise, we decided it was time for lunch. So we ate in a nice restaurant in Chinatown which gave us some of the largest helpings of Chinese food I have ever seen. It was delicious but altogether too much food. On our way out of Chinatown, we stopped in a Chinese bakery and bought some Chinese cookies. (They were okay, but a little too crispy and airy for my liking.)
We dropped the cookies off at the hotel and boarded the bus for Navy Pier. We ended up walking quite a distance to get to the pier itself, but that simply allowed a chance to see more of the Chicago streets. Once at Navy Pier, we purchased tickets for the 3D Imax film "Aliens of the Deep. This film was directed by James Cameron(also directed the movie Titanic) and basically was about the creatures that live in, on and around the steams vents on the floor of the Pacific Ocean. The film was a bit disorienting at times, and there didn't seem to be too much that utilized the 3D effect. Overall, Lisa and I decided the film would have been better if it were just a normal film and not a 3D film.
After the movie, we walked around for a while looking at the shops. The weather was too nasty to be outside, so we didn't get to ride the Ferris Wheel or the swings - maybe next time. We did, however, stop by the Popcorn Palace and buy three varieties of the yummy goodness - Butter favored, Cheddar flavored, and Caramel Macadamia Nut. Mmmmmm. Then we stopped by a hot dog place and each enjoyed our meal. There was a cheerleading competition taking place at the pier the same day we were there, so there were literally hundreds of middle school girls running around and thousands of parents trying to keep up. By this time, we were ready to leave and crash at the hotel, which we promptly did.
Lisa and I spent the extended holiday weekend in Chicago. We left from St. Louis on Saturday morning, flying Southwest Airlines to Midway. Upon arrival, we purchased a three day visitor's pass for the CTA and hopped on the Orange Line toward our hotel. Some guy climbs on the train after we do and falls asleep in the seat directly behind Lisa. It was a great start to our trip to the city.
We dropped our bags at the hotel and road the bus up Michigan Avenue through the Magnificent Mile to the John Hancock Building. We entered the building, climbed aboard an elevator and were whisked to the Signature Room on the 95th floor in about 30 seconds. We had a wonderful buffet-style lunch with an amazing view of Chicago. Our seat was on the southeast corner of the building, overlooking Michigan Avenue. You could see everything from Navy Pier to the Sears Tower to the Aquarium. It was spectacular and delicious. It was a great way to get an overview (literally) of the city we would be traversing for the next few days.
We then walked to the Center of Modern Art, which was just a few blocks away. Upon entering the building, you are greeted by this wall. This stairwell was actually one of the highlights of the museum in my opinion. We left the museum and waved goodbye to the spaghetti men that stood as sentries to the door.
We then made our way back to Michigan Avenue and walked the Magnificent Mile, stopping in The Pottery Barn, Gap and Crate and Barrel. We also stopped and browsed in Border's for a while, where we both purchased books to read on the trip. Feeling quite tired, we hopped on the bus back to our hotel and checked in. We took a little nap, then made out way back to the southern end of the Magnificent Mile (the intersection of Michigan Avenue and the Chicago River). We watched a fireworks show that was set to showtunes, along with a couple of hundred other people. It was quite the experience, with the explosion of each shell reverberating off the buildings around you, and their colors reflected in the windows. It was great fun to be downtown in the city, at night, with tons of other people. This is what I'd like to see take place in downtown St. Louis, but I know that a lot would have to happen to bring that anywhere near to reality.
Day One was a huge success and we were both thoroughly exhausted but very happy.
We dropped our bags at the hotel and road the bus up Michigan Avenue through the Magnificent Mile to the John Hancock Building. We entered the building, climbed aboard an elevator and were whisked to the Signature Room on the 95th floor in about 30 seconds. We had a wonderful buffet-style lunch with an amazing view of Chicago. Our seat was on the southeast corner of the building, overlooking Michigan Avenue. You could see everything from Navy Pier to the Sears Tower to the Aquarium. It was spectacular and delicious. It was a great way to get an overview (literally) of the city we would be traversing for the next few days.
We then walked to the Center of Modern Art, which was just a few blocks away. Upon entering the building, you are greeted by this wall. This stairwell was actually one of the highlights of the museum in my opinion. We left the museum and waved goodbye to the spaghetti men that stood as sentries to the door.
We then made our way back to Michigan Avenue and walked the Magnificent Mile, stopping in The Pottery Barn, Gap and Crate and Barrel. We also stopped and browsed in Border's for a while, where we both purchased books to read on the trip. Feeling quite tired, we hopped on the bus back to our hotel and checked in. We took a little nap, then made out way back to the southern end of the Magnificent Mile (the intersection of Michigan Avenue and the Chicago River). We watched a fireworks show that was set to showtunes, along with a couple of hundred other people. It was quite the experience, with the explosion of each shell reverberating off the buildings around you, and their colors reflected in the windows. It was great fun to be downtown in the city, at night, with tons of other people. This is what I'd like to see take place in downtown St. Louis, but I know that a lot would have to happen to bring that anywhere near to reality.
Day One was a huge success and we were both thoroughly exhausted but very happy.
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