One
of my favorite parts of Chicago is the main street that runs through it, The
Magnificent Mile. It is also known as Michigan Avenue. This is like the main
artery of the city and one of the most beautiful parts of it as well. There is
so much to see and do that one can spend an entire day just walking back and
forth eating and sightseeing. Actually on my last trip out there I did just
that. It was a day well spent and I know every time I return I will seek out
something to do even if it is just to walk around and take in the beauty.
There
are many places to eat here and my favorites were posted in the previous blog,
“For a Wonderful Weekend in the Windy City Part II: Food”. I adore Garrett
Popcorn, the Ghirardelli Square store and nearby Hershey Chocolate store. This
is also the pathway where you will find the stairs that lead to the underground
hot spot The Billy Goat Tavern.
My
absolute favorite spot on the mile is at the center on the bridge right near
the Chicago Tribune building. Before I head off in any direction I must stop
there and take in the scenery. There will no doubt be countless photos taken
and no matter how many you take they never seem quit able to capture the
feeling of standing there. I especially enjoy being there late in the afternoon
as the sun is going down for the day and the river is glistening in all its
glory.
Since
I am talking about the Chicago River I should note that there are many bridges
along it that connect one side of Chicago to the other. This is not to be
confused with the lake, Lake Michigan, that has a shoreline and that gorgeous
clear blue water I mentioned in Part I.
The
Chicago River perhaps looks its best on St. Patrick’s Day (http://thequeenoff-ckingeverything.blogspot.com/2013/03/for-luck-of-irish.html). It certainly gets a lot of
press for it and as the years have gone by other cities are taking notice as
they imitate the master.
After
taking in the river view I find it best to turn around, cross the street, and
head over to the Chicago Tribune building. There is a great big sign on top.
There is no way you can miss it. In the square adjacent to this building there
is often large works of art being displayed. A good example of this is the
enormous Marilyn Monroe statute of which photos appeared in Part I of this
series.
The
Chicago Tribune is of course where the paper originates. But what I find the most
fascinating is what is on the outside of the building rather that when comes
out of the inside.
The
owner, Robert McCormick started collecting pieces of famous structures that he
found along his travels. It currently includes one hundred and thirty eight
fragments in all. Among them are chunks/shards from:
·
The Great Wall of China;
·
Taj Mahal in India;
·
The White House
·
Arc de Triomphe in Paris;
·
The Berlin Wall;
·
Roman Coliseum
·
London's House of Parliament;
·
Great Pyramid of Cheops in Giza, Egypt;
·
Original tomb of Abraham Lincoln in Springfield, Illinois; and
·
Steel from World Trade Center.
After
you have looked and touched all these amazing spots it’s now time to head
inside and visit the Chicago Tribune store. It is located on ground floor of
newspaper offices and has many great books for sale. I naturally got that day’s
paper. It completed my visit and this experience allowed me to touch parts of
the world that I haven’t gotten to just yet.
Next if
you walk further down (on the same side of the road) you will come upon the
John Hancock Observatory, which has now been renamed 360 Chicago. From far away
it is easy to confuse it with the very similar looking Willis (Sears) Tower as
I alluded to in Part I of this series. However the best way to tell them apart
is to look at the very top. On the Hancock building there are only two antennas
and the building in even from top to bottom. The Tower on the other hand has
what appears to be five or so leveling off points ascending upward.
The
John Hancock Observatory/ 360 Chicago is the third tallest building in Chicago
and from the top you can see the view of the three surrounding states. There
are many exhibits along the walls that explain the city's history.
From
the visitor’s floor, you can take part of the Skywalk, which is an open-air
viewing space that allows visitors to feel rush of wind at thousand feet. To
get to this floor the elevator only takes 40 seconds. It is such a rush.
There
is a brand new experience besides the Skywalk that is now available but it is
not for the faint of heart. It is called TILT!. TILT! Is also a platform that extends out a thousand feet above the Magnificent Mile. It can hold up to eight
passengers at a time and offers a view looking up and DOWN. That’s right in
spins toward the ground so that you appear to be in a glass cube looking down
at Lake Michigan and its surroundings. I am not sure I would ever do this it
looks terrifying. When I was on the Skywalk feeling the wind at that high up
was crazy enough. Even though you know you aren’t going to fall just feeling
the air intensity was too much. I went out and in back quickly.
On your
way out be sure to stop on the ninety-fifth floor and go to lounge on for
drinks and a view. There is also a restaurant there called the Signature Room.
When
you exit this building it would be nearly impossible for you to miss the Water
Tower and Water Tower Place.
The
Water Tower is one of the few buildings to survive the brutal fire of 1871 that
devastating almost all of Chicago. The main purpose of this building originally
was to pump water from Lake Michigan. Today the tower houses the Chicago Office
of Tourism and Art Gallery. For a funny piece of trivia look closely at the
pictures of the Water Tower and of fast food chain White Castle. Allegedly the
burger makers like the architecture so much that was their inspiration for
their brand.
The
Water Tower Place was the first big indoor mall to open in downtown Chicago in
1975, with its glass elevators and shiny gold trim this place has a glamorous
air. You will find all popular chain stores here and just about anything that
you are looking for. Actually that can be said for Michigan Avenue in general.
It is like Fifth Avenue in New York City. There are stores that line both sides
of the street and vary in price and style from moderate to high end. If you
want to spend some money this is certainly a good town to do it in. Please be
aware of the sales tax, it is very likely that it will cost more to buy the
same thing here than from your local mall. But it depends on what kind of
souvenir shopping you have in mind.
If you
are hungry after shopping the Water Tower Place has a funky food court that is
a great way to refuel.
The
last stop on our tour of the Magnificent Mile is quite a ways away from The
Water Tower. It is all the way down at the opposite end of Michigan Avenue.
The
Art Institute of Chicago is a world-renowned museum. When you approach this
large structure with the columns all along the sides you will see the bronze
lions that welcome you near the entrance. There is so much to see it is a good
idea to look at the website ahead of time and layout your top priorities. My
visit lasted a couple of hours and I was able to see just about everything. But
it can be exhausting and depending on when you go it can get very crowded. To
ensure you see what is most important to you make your way to those
works first. I recommend seeing the room of miniatures, the armor collection,
and of course anything by Picasso Matisse, Pollack, and Warhol. For me my main
goal was to see "American Gothic" by Grant Wood. It is been around
for so long you will definitely know it when you see it. It is the portrait
that looks like two older farmers, a man and a woman, and the man is holding a
pitchfork.
Well
there you have it, my marvelous Mecca, The Magnificent Mile!
You
can clearly spend more than one day touring such a big space but these are the
musts on my hit list. I encourage you all to find which should be on yours.
For
a Guide of the Magnificent Mile:
Next
up in my Chicago series is:
For a
Wonderful Weekend in the Windy City Part IV: Must Do Activities
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