Chicago

In early August we decided to finally use our free Southwest flights that I had accumulated thanks to my work gigs in So-Cal and spent a long weekend in Chicago. I know, August might not be the best time to visit Chicago, but we went nevertheless and learned to appreciate our nice and cool San Francisco summers. Sven had been there before and I had heard a lot of good things about the architecture of the City and how beautiful it was with all the art deco and the lake etc. We were able to get a hotel in downtown and from there we started walking to explore our surroundings... and we walked... a lot....

I was surprised to find the City as clean as it was, I guess there are just less homeless people due to Illinois' really inhuman winters. Water bodies such as rivers and lakes or the ocean always contribute to the quality of life for me so that Chicago scored on that one right a way. We walked along the shores of Lake Michigan where a huge boat party was happening and people were swimming and enjoying the beach.

Again, the architecture is breathtaking and so Sven went a little crazy with taking pictures (specially since he got a new toy: a digital camera). From the Tiffany Dome at the Chicago Cultural Center to the Sears Tower, the Wrigley Building and the Navy Pier as well as the Hancock Center where we enjoyed a bird's eye view of the City at the 96th floor while sipping cocktails, take a look at the pictures and you know what I mean with great architecture.



One of the highlights and a quick and easy way to see the Loop and the great buildings within was a boat tour named the "architectural river cruise" run by the Chicago Architecture Foundation with a very knowledgeable docent explaining the history, significance, and architecture of all riverfront buildings. I highly recommend to check it out.