Visiting Chicago

Over the 4th of July weekend, I traveled to Chicago for my very first time. I had a lot of fun during my visit! This trip was also significant because I only recently started to ponder whether Chicago would be a place where I may want to live in the long-term future.

Contents

• Arriving in Chicago
• The Chicago Riverwalk
• Admiring the Architecture
• Getting Around
• One Last Boat Tour

Arriving in Chicago

On Friday, July 2nd, I flew out of Houston early in the morning and arrived in Chicago at 8 am. From the airport, I took a taxi to my hotel by the lakefront.

I promptly left my bags in my hotel room walked to the Navy Pier to do some sightseeing. The weather was windy and partly cloudy that morning. It also felt surreal to be in a city that I’ve never been to, especially since I’ve been stuck in Houston for the past year.

The Chicago Riverwalk

One thing that captivated me was how life in the city revolves around the Chicago River. I noticed this after spending some time on the river walk. On both of the architecture tours that I attended, my tour guides emphasized this aspect of the city. The city has and continues to invest in making the river walk a place for people from all walks of life to gather.

Admiring the Architecture

The architecture of the city impressed me. In the architecture tours, I learned that the Great Chicago Fire in 1871, which destroyed many buildings, encouraged many architects to help with rebuilding the city. I was fascinated by the creativity in the design of some of the buildings. In particular, the Aqua tower has to be one of my most favorite buildings. I find the rippling facade of the building, combined with the spiral staircase at the bottom, to be innovative and unique.

Getting Around

Despite how people say it’s easy to get around without a car, I, unfortunately, didn’t take advantage of the public transportation. Hence, I did a lot of walking. My phone logged that I had walked 15 and 12 miles in my first and second days in the city, respectively. On the last two days of my visit, I decided to take more time to rest and not walk so much. I would typically hang out by the Bean or along the river walk to relax and people-watch from time to time.

One Last Boat Tour

On July 3rd, I took another boat tour on the lakefront. Here, I got some views of the city skyline and the Navy Pier at sundown. There was supposed to be a “high-altitude” fireworks show. Unfortunately for me, I didn’t get to see it. It later became clear that the show wouldn’t be visible from my position on the lakefront, where I had eagerly awaited the start of the show. Alas, I hope I’ll be able to see a fireworks show in Chicago someday.

Overall, I had a good impression of Chicago. Right now, I’m curious about how the city changes when winter arrives. There are also other parts of the city that I wish I got to see. In particular, I wish I had taken the time to explore Chinatown. I also did not get to try Chicago-style pizza. Nonetheless, these are some of the experiences that I will look forward to on my next visit.