City on a Lake

So, hubby had to go to a suburb of Chicago for training for work, which he's had to do from time to time. I decided to tag along and check out Chicago. I'd never been there before and figured what the heck. I blended in with the locals taking the Metra commuter train into the city each day, $3.45 and 40 minutes later, you're in Chicago. Their trains are basically the same, except that they are double decker. There's a top level with single file seats. After his first trip on the train, my hubby informed me that I ought to sit up there or expect people to see down my top. I did happen to notice that it was almost exclusively men sitting up there! I'm sure they keep their eyes straight ahead.


During the day, I wandered around the city visiting tourist attractions by myself. In the evening, I'd meet up with John and we'd go for cocktails and dinner. One of those nights, we went to the Signature Lounge in the Hancock Tower, known for great views, especially from the (smudged) ladies room windows. There are parks all along the water. You can see in this photo a patch of sand that is a beach where you can swim in the lake, that's Olive Park.


This picture was taken looking at the city from the South, at the Shedd Aquarium (more on that later). The lake water is a pretty blue color that reminds me of Caribbean waters. It's so vast, it looks like you are looking out onto the ocean.


There are water taxis, which I'm sure only tourists take, but hey, I'm a tourist. I found the water taxi a good way to get from the remote Shedd Aquarium, back to where I could catch a bus or regular taxi. Along the way, I got a great view looking back at Chicago from the water.

I found it pretty easy to get around and also find my way around the city. I noticed a few differences though. People tend to wait for the walk signal before crossing the street, instead of jaywalking and they walk much slower.

The pictures above and below are the Chicago River. It leads from the depths of the city, out to Lake Michigan.


Before leaving home, I did investigate about Oprah tickets, but you have to plan ahead more than a week. However, now that I've been to Chicago, I feel much closer to Oprah.