Chicago, Part 1
Chicago, I think everyone has heard about this city at least once in their life! Well, I want to tell you about it twice! One article just wouldn't do it justice, so you're getting two.
Over the last few months, I was lucky enough to be invited twice by Choose Chicago to spend a few days there, both times for mid-November.
And to be honest with you, I'm happy to write these two articles because I love Chicago: if I had to move tomorrow, it would be in my top 3 choices! Whether we're talking about the architecture, the history, the culture, the general feel of the place (because everyone there is lovely), the food, thehotels, I love it all!
So I won't give you a simple description of both of my trips, but instead give you two articles about
everything you have to see in Chicago, and all the cool stuff you can do, the cool places you can visit.
Here we go, are you ready?
The coolest thing you can do just after getting to Chicago, to really appreciate the size and the architecture of it all, is to take a boat trip along the Chicago River, this 251 km-long river which goes all the way to Mississippi! I was lucky enough to do it by day and by night, both of which are awesome, although my personal favorite was still the night trip!
Many companies offer tours, but I would suggest Chicago's First Lady Cruises!
After that, we're off to the Museum of Science and Industry, a really cool place to visit with friends or family!
Founded in 1893 and housing 35 000 collections, it's the 4th most important landmark in the city.
There are many beautiful things to see, my favorite of which being a really impressive submarine!
I will now share with you one of the things I fell in love with... the subway! That's right, the subway L, and no, I haven't lost my mind!
We're far away from the Parisian subway which I'm used to, or from those I have used in many cities around the globe.
Its main particularity is that it's mostly above ground, which is just awesome! You get breath-taking views of the city at many stations, and you can't help but look both ways when it's moving. Personally, I had to get out and onto the platform several times, just to take pictures!
Many stations also display works of arts and cultural works, which are absolutely gorgeous!
If I've ridden the subway so much, it was mainly to discover various parts of Chi-Town!
This city is made up of many communities, so I went to Andersonville, a neighborhood of Swedish origins, filled with lovely houses and truly gorgeous!
In Pilsen, the Mexican neighborhood, well-known for its colorful street art !
And also Chinatown, a real Chinese neighborhood where you quickly feel like you're in a different country, and can enjoy incredibly tasty Chinese food! You can also find one of the "Nine-Dragon Walls", one of only three replicas existing outside of China !
Next, I'm taking you to something pretty special, because it's not every day I get to take part in the Lights Festival! It's a massive parade of flaots, busses, and giant mascots going through Chicago, and which sort of kicks off the holiday season (Thanksgiving, Christmas). It's really cool and an impressive sight to see!
For the more romantic or idle of us, Chicago Navy Pier is really nice, especially at sunset. Hop on the ferris wheel, and you'll get an amazing view of the skyline!
Speaking of heights and skylines, I'm taking you to the ultimate experience you can have in Chicago: a helicopter ride!
I was able to fly twice, once thanks to my friend Anne, who you can see in the picture, and both times were magical!
The "free doors" option at dusk was something else. I have rarely been this cold in my life, but it was worth it a thousand times over! It was just incredible!
There are many great spots to see the city from above (I'll get to that in my second article), but in a helicopter? It's crazy!
I hope you've enjoyed this first look at Chicago, if so I would direct you to click on my second article; if not, click anyway so I can change your mind!
