Illinois is mostly famous for being home to America’s third largest city, Chicago which I finally visited in August 2011. Being such a large city, there is plenty left for me to explore and I’ll definitely be visiting it again. This trip I spent most of my traveling time in the downtown parts of the city, but also stayed in a suburb of Chicago. On my first trip to Illinois which was back in 2008, I explored the southern part of the state, which was mostly countryside and reminded me of states like West Virginia or Kentucky.
These two photos are of the downtown areas of Chicago, with the Chicago river running through the city on the left and the shores of the Lake Michigan against the city on the right. Chicago’s American history began in the early 19th century with Fort Dearborn constructed by the US Army. This fort was destroyed in the war of 1812 when the US fought Great Britain again, but only 20 years later settlers returned and the town of Chicago was founded. In the next few decades Chicago grew to become a great city but was the site of one of the most tragic disasters the United States saw that century. In 1871, the Great Chicago Fire scorched nearly a third of the city and killed thousands of people. Investors and new residents arrived to take up real estate and rebuilt the city better than it was. The first skyscraper in the world was actually built in Chicago in 1885 and the city quickly became and remains one of America’s largest population centers.
Some old and new famous icons of Chicago are the Wrigley Building on the left and the ‘Bean’ on the lower left. Above is the Millennium Park Theater and the ‘spitting’ Crown Fountain below. I was surprised to find out that the Wrigley building here is actually the same Wrigley as in Wrigley Spearmint Gum. The company was founded in Chicago back in 1891 but this building was constructed in 1920. The bean on the lower left has become a new icon for Chicago even though it was added just recently in 2006. It’s nickname comes from its appearance, but the original intention was for it to be a cloud, also known as the Cloud Gate.
Above is some art work being sold on the left and the ‘feet’ on the right which are part of the Museum of Art.
One of the main reasons why Chicago grew to be such a great city is because of its efficient public transportation system. Since the late 1800s, Chicago became one of the main rail hubs in the country and today is still one of the largest hubs in the entire continent. The modern rail is known as Metra as seen at one of the station entrances above. The system performs just like any other city subway would just that they are build over the streets. I got to ride to a few places and took the pictures below of one of the trains I got on. Unlike most other cities, there is a flat fee you pay to board the train and are free to go anywhere you want. The only exception is you might have to pay a small fee for switching lines.
Two things Chicago is famous for are food and the great lakes. Above is Giordano’s Pizza, which unfortunately I didn’t have time to eat there because my flight was too soon and they had a wait. On the right, is Lake Michigan, one of the largest fresh water lakes in the world.
I’ve always known that Chicago sits on Lake Michigan, but for some reason I never associated or though of Chicago having real beaches. Beaches stretch for miles here, and with the warm summer weather no one was shy about jumping in even though the water is relatively cold.
Here are two more photos that make you feel like you are right by the ocean instead of lake. Though being the largest fresh water lakes in the world you might as well be by the ocean I suppose. The yacht park on the left was one of many I saw all over the city, and the volley ball court was another common site by the waterfront.
These surrounding photos are of a neighborhood in Chicago called Logan Square. I visited Chicago for my girlfriend’s sister’s wedding reception, and she took me to this area since she used to live here. She describes Logan Square as a mixture of hipsters and different cultures. Above in the center was my first view of Logan Square after stepping off the train, and two cool houses covered in Ivy. Below is one of her favorite cafes that we visited that had some interesting art work made out of trash, such as the cardboard on the lower left, and their bathroom on the lower right.
These surrounding photos are outside of Chicago inside two nice suburb known as Elmwood Park and Oak Park which is where I stayed when I visited with my girlfriend. Above is a house from the neighborhood and on the upper right her sister’s wedding cake. Below are photos of a farmers market that takes place every Saturday.
