September 2023.
Luckily the flight from Madrid to Chicago was not 9.5 hours, but 8.5 hours from, yet that meant some pretty strong tail winds, so it was a bit shaky most of the time. Landed, and pretty much headed straight to the beach, as Chicago greeted me with 28 degrees and beautiful sunshine.
City beaches are kinda cool and Chicago has plenty. The views are awesome!
I had never been to Chicago, so there was a lot to explore.
Chicago (also called The Windy City, City of Big Shoulders, The Second City, The White City, and The City That Works) is the third largest city in the U.S. and is home to an estimated 2.7M residents.
Chicago has 45 km of lakefront with 24 beaches, more than 8,800 acres of green space and 600 parks and around 480 km of bike lanes. It's also the birthplace of Electric Chicago Blues and house music.
So, let's explore.
Navy Pier - a 1km long pier on the shoreline of Lake Michigan.
Headed away from the center to explore Lincoln Park area.
Lincoln Park Zoo is one of the oldest and largest zoos in the USA and the admission is free. It's home to more than 1,100 animals from across the globe and also includes a conservatory, sanctuary and a nature museum. 80% of the zoo's operating costs are supported by zoo members, donors, and visitors. A subsidy from the Chicago Park District covers the remainder. As far as zoos go, it looks as ethical and humane as possible, they seem to attempt to improve the welfare of the animals and educate humans about this as well.
Lincoln Park.
No visit to Chicago would be complete without a chunky slice of deep-dish pizza. A local friend recommended Pequod’s Pizza on North Clybourn Avenue. Absolutely worth it. Be sure to book a table in advance.
Walked around at the Magnificent Mile area, theatre district, and visited Millenium park to see Cloud Gate – also called “the Bean”. It's an impressive reflective sculpture by Indian-born British artist Anish Kapoor.
It was pouring rain in Chicago one morning, so decided to take a daytrip to a nearby Michigan city, Indiana - only an hour train-ride from downtown Chicago.
It was only 2 months until Halloween, so I guess it was time!
Beautiful beaches dunes and the Michigan City Lighthouse and pier. Apparently it is the only public operating lighthouse in Indiana
Lighthouse Place outlet mall.
From Friday to Sunday there was a Taste of Chicago food festival in Grant Park. Next to a lot of street food, there were performers, free dance classes, karaoke competitions and lots of other activities.
Friday night was closed by the Masters of the Mic: Hip Hop 50 featuring Doug E. Fresh, EPMD, KRS-One, and Slick Rick.
The weekend continued in a super-chill rhythm. Mornings on the beach, afternoons at the festival taking some dance classes and enjoying what the food stalls and local breweries had to offer, and evenings with old and new friends out and about in the city.
On Sunday there was a Chicago Cubs vs Arizona Diamondbacks baseball game on the famous Wrigley Field Stadium. The stadium opened in 1914 and has since been the home of the Chicago Cubs
Ended the night with delicious sushi and ramen in the West Loop neighborhood and a stroll along the Chicago Riverwalk.
Chicago Riverwalk is a pedestrian waterfront sided with cool outdoor bars, restaurants and even museums.
Art on the Mart.
Founded in 2018, Art on The Mart presents visual arts show by renowned national and international contemporary artists, alongside Chicago-based creatives and local organizations who aim to elevate voices from across the community.
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