Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
8
Exploring Chicago
C
hicago may still be stereotyped as
the home of sausage-loving, over-
weight guys who babble on endlessly
about “da Bears” or “da Cubs,” but in
reality the city offers some of the most
sophisticated cultural and entertain-
ment options in the country. You'll
have trouble fitting in all of Chicago's
museums, which offer everything from
action (the virtual-reality visit to the
Milky Way galaxy at the Adler Plane-
tarium) to quiet contemplation (the
Impressionist masterpieces at the Art
Institute of Chicago). Gape at Sue, the
biggest T-rex fossil ever discovered, at
the Field Museum of Natural History,
or be entranced by the colorful world
of the Butterfly Haven at the Peggy
Notebaert Nature Museum. Stroll
through picture-postcard Lincoln Park
Zoo on the Near North Side, and then
enjoy the view from the top of the Fer-
ris wheel on historic Navy Pier.
Best of all for visitors, the majority
of the places you'll want to visit are in
or near downtown, making it easy to
plan your day and get from place to
place. And because this is a town with
a thriving tourist economy, you'll
have plenty of visitor-friendly options:
walking tours of famous architecture;
boat cruises on Lake Michigan; even
bus tours of notorious gangster sites. If
you're lucky enough to visit when the
weather's nice, you can join the locals
at our parks and the beaches along
Lake Michigan.
Extensive public transportation
makes it simple to reach almost every
tourist destination, but some of your
best memories of Chicago may come
from simply strolling the sidewalks.
Chicago's neighborhoods each have
their own distinct style and look, and
you'll have a more memorable experi-
ence if you don't limit yourself solely
to the prime tourist spots. And if you
really
want to talk about da Bears or da
Cubs, chances are you'll find someone
more than happy to join in.
SUGGESTED ITINERARIES
If You Have 1 Day
If you have only a day in Chicago,
sample some of the city's most dis-
tinctive areas. Due to the Great Fire
of 1871 and the determination to
rebuild, Chicago has been a world
leader in architecture for more than
a century. Assuming you're visiting
during nice weather, start the day
by admiring the architectural diver-
sity of
the Loop,
either on a self-
guided tour or one organized by the
Chicago Architecture Foundation
(the early-skyscraper tour is a good
primer). If you're a shopper, spend
the afternoon scoping out
Michi-
gan Avenue
or strolling among the
boutiques on
Armitage Avenue.
Or, if you're here in the summer,
take the El uptown (along with a
whole lot of business types taking a
“long lunch”) and spend the after-
noon watching a Cubs game at his-
toric
Wrigley Field.
If the weather's
lousy, head indoors to one of the
city's great museums, such as the
Art Institute,
the
Field Museum
of Natural History,
the
Shedd
