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Kathy Horowitz facilitates |
| We were in Chicago during the New Year’s holiday for my son and now daughter-in-law’s wedding. The evening was remarkable and so was, as we dis- covered, the city. Nestled alongside Lake Michigan and marked by architectural wonders are Willis Tower (formerly Sears), the Hancock Building, the old Water Tower by the Magnificent Mile (high-end retail stores and restaurants), and contemporary buildings such as Marina City (corn-cob shaped mix-use complex). We couldn’t take in enough! Visit wheretraveler.com/chicago for more. Bundled up, we walked with friends to Millennium Park where the Maggie Daley Park skating ribbon allows skaters to wind around the park. To our left was the “Bean,” an architectural icon with a mirrored surface that reflects those walking in the park. It’s a great photo-op! We continued toward Navy Pier, which is host to Winter Wonderfest where exhibits, activities, stores, and restaurants as well as the Chicago Children’s Museum, and Shakespeare Theatre can be found. It’s also home to the Ferris wheel, invented in Chicago in 1893 for the World Fair. Lincoln Park Zoo and the neighboring Conservatory are a treat for families (free admission). Polar bears, penguins, gorillas, and monkeys will entertain you. Afterwards take a quick walk to the Conservatory where the orchid and floral displays are akin to New York Botanical Garden, although on a smaller scale. If you’re interested in the “mob scene,” take the Chicago Crime Tour, a bus tour with an excellent guide who explains the mob’s history with stories of the infamous Al Capone, John Dillinger, and others. One of the stops is at Harry Caray’s restaurant (the late radio and TV announcer for the Cubs and White Sox, among others). The walls are packed with dozens of pictures and newspaper articles, and the basement contains Frank Nitti’s safe (Capone’s top henchman) and underground tunnels once used as a mob getaway. The second stop is at the Biograph Theatre where Dillinger was shot in a nearby alleyway. A favorite site was the Chicago Cultural Center (1897), a landmark building which is the city’s official reception venue where Chicago’s Mayor has welcomed Presidents, royalty, diplomats, and community leaders. Located in the Loop across Michigan Avenue from Millennium Park, the interior displays beautiful mosaics inscribed on the ceiling with the names and words of writers, poets, and philosophers as well as magnificent chandeliers. Exhibits also run there and admission is free. Have I mentioned (deep dish) pizza? Here’s a list of the best (I’m told): the original Uno’s, Lou Malnatti’s and Giordano’s (several locations), and Chicago’s Pizza. Chicago is full of treasures to explore no matter the season. It’s worth a “go!” |
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