CHICAGO- THE WINDY CITY. Review on Chicago

I was visiting my son and his family in Boston USA during June/July 2004. I with my companion decided to go to Chicago as we had heard a lot about this city and not having been there before. We flew into O?Hare Airport from Boston by American Airlines on 26 June 2004 for a four day stay in Chicago.

Chicago is located in the heart of the United States of America in Illinois State in the heart of the Midwest?s Great Lakes region. Chicago is on the banks of the Lake Michigan which is the fifth largest body of fresh water in the world.

The Chicago lake front offers 29 miles of free beaches and lake-front trails for jogging, skating, biking or other outdoor activities. Due to Chicago?s central location it is easy to get there from anywhere in the US. O?Hare International and Midway Airports, Amtrak trains and four major expressways give visitors several options for traveling to and from the city.

In Chicago we stayed with my cousin at Northbrook, one of the suburbs of Boston. We commuted by the local train from Northbrook to downtown Chicago. The local train was a double decker train with cushioned seats and the ride was very comfortable and smooth. It was paradise compared to our Mumbai local trains. In the four days that we were in Chicago we could not see all of Chicago but saw some of the highlights of the city a gist of which is given below:

Bahai House of Worship- This is in the suburb of Wilmette and was completed in 1953. The building is world renowned for its distinctive architecture. The nine sided dome structure which took over 40 years to complete reflects the Bahai belief in unity of religion in its design and ornamentation. It has been listed in the United States National Register as one of the cultural resources worthy of preservation.

Sears Tower- This is in downtown Chicago and is one of the tallest buildings in the world. The tower boasts of 110 stories and it has a ?sky-deck? from where you can view all around Chicago. The elevators move as fast as 1600 feet per minute. Anyway you look at it Sears Tower remains one of the modern wonders of the world.

Chicago River and Michigan Lake Cruise- Chicago River is located on the western shore of Lake Michigan. This river serves as a vital link between Lake Michigan and the Illinois Waterway. The river is connected to the lake by means of gates as the water levels in the river and the lake are different. Another surprising feature of the river is that its flow was reversed in 1900, as a great engineering feat created by the Sanitary District of Chicago to end the overwhelming drinking water contamination problems that killed over 80,000 Chicagoans in the 1880s.

There are a number of boat cruises and we took the 90 minute cruise which took us along the Lake Michigan?s shoreline so that we could have a view of Chicago?s skyline which resembles New York?s Manhattan skyline. We then went down the river which goes right through downtown Chicago giving a beautiful close view of skyscrapers including Sears Tower, John Hancock building and several others. We saw some of the tallest and attractive condominium projects on the banks of the river, in the world.

We were traveling through a narrow corridor of buildings, concrete towers and the occasional walkway, the sides linked by a dozen bridges and gradually giving way to more open industrial spaces.

Tastes of Chicago- Chicago sponsors a number of festivals during the summer and during the period we were there, the Tastes of Chicago a festival featuring food from restaurants throughout the city and suburbs, accompanied with a free music festival was being held. We spent half a day at this festival which had been organized by the Mayor of Chicago.

The festival features about 100 restaurants that offer ''tastes'' from their menus. Festival-goers purchase 50 cent tickets and use them to purchase famous taste-size samples at each of the restaurant booths. The food is great and very diverse. You'll also find plenty of beer and music.

The Magnificent Mile ? This is a stretch of the Michigan Avenue north of Chicago River which has four shopping centers, world-renowned boutiques and locally acclaimed designers. Chicago's Magnificent Mile area is a shopper's paradise. After you've shopped till you dropped you can enjoy a moment to revive and replenish at one of the superb restaurants. A famous landmark at the end of the Magnificent Mile is the Chicago Water Tower.

This is one of the few buildings that survived the Great Chicago fire. It is situated near the John Hancock Building and provides a sharp contrast with the surrounding high-rise buildings. Since its survival of the Great Fire, the Chicago Water Tower became one of Chicago's main symbols. The tower became functionally obsolete many years ago, although the pumping station still pumps water for the city.

Navy pier- This Pier was originally built in 1916 to serve Lake Michigan freighters and provide transportation to other cities on the Great Lakes, as well as for recreational purposes. In 1941, Navy Pier was converted to military use and used throughout World War II. From 1946 to 1964, it was a college campus. After a lull in the 1970?s and 1980?s, Navy Pier was revitalized and, today, it is a multi-million dollar convention, cultural and recreation center and Chicago?s most visited attraction.

The most visible feature of Navy Pier is its 150-foot Ferris wheel. There are a number of shops at Navy Pier, with a variety of unique specialty items and Chicago souvenirs. Dining choices range from concession stands to a food court to fine restaurants.

There was so much more to see but we just did not have the time. We therefore returned to Boston with fond memories of Chicago.