Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
177
North Avenue Beach
All ages.
One of the most famous views of Chicago (and one
that you'll find in many guidebooks as a featur ed photo) is taken on the lakefr ont bike
path, looking south to the J ohn Hancock Center. To get a photo of y our family in this
picture-perfect scene, walk nor th on Lake S hore Drive to the tunnel at N orth Avenue
that leads under Lake Shore Drive to North Avenue Beach. Once on the lakefront path,
turn south to ward the city, and y ou will hav e your photo oppor tunity. (Just watch out
for cyclists, skaters, r unners, and dog walkers if it 's a nice summer day!) S ee “Enjoying
the 'Third Coast': Chicago's Beaches,” in chapter 8, for mor e information.
Lake Shore Dr. at North Ave.
&
312/742-PLAY
(742-7529) for Chicago Park District and beach information.
Sears Tower Skydeck
Overrated
All ages.
When you stand on a per ch this high
and view the trains, riv er traffic, and expr essways streaming with cars, y ou can teach y our
kids the meaning of the term “ transportation hub.” Sears Tower is one of Chicago 's most
popular attractions. Since its debut in 1973, the Sears Tower's lock on the crown of “world's
tallest building” has been a source of civic pride for the city. Sadly, the building's namesake,
Sears, sold the building and mo ved to cheaper suburban offices in 1992. Another blo w to
morale came when Petronas Towers in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, went up and laid claim to
the title of world's tallest buildings. ( The Sears Tower has since put up a 22-ft. antenna in
an attempt to win back the title—and for what it 's worth, the building is still listed as the
tallest building in the world under the categor y of “including antenna. ”) And no w, Burj
Dubai is developing as a new contender. Tallest-building posturing aside, this is still a great
place to orient y our family to the city , but I wouldn't put it on the top of must-see sights
for any family with limited time or limited patience for cr owds.
The view from the 103rd-floor Skydeck is everything you'd expect it to be—once you
get there. Unfortunately, you're usually stuck in a v ery long, v ery noisy line, so b y the
time you make it to the top , your patience could be as thin as the atmospher e up there.
One suggestion:
I once w ent up the to wer at night on a w eeknight, a couple of hours
before closing (in summertime, it stays open until 10pm). We had the observation deck
practically to ourselves. If that's too late for your kids, try the late afternoon, when crowds
have thinned. O n a clear day , visibility extends up to 50 miles, and y ou can catch
glimpses of the surrounding states. Despite the fact that it's called a “skydeck,” you can't
actually walk outside (though I can 't understand why you'd want to—but that's just my
fear of heights speaking!). The 70-second high-speed elev ator trip will feel like a thrill
ride for some, but it 's a nightmar e for any one with ev en mild claustr ophobia. Allow 1
hour, more if there's a line.
6
Moments
A Great View
After visiting the Lincoln Park Zoo or the Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum, take
a stroll on Fullerton Avenue to the bridge that runs over the lagoon (just before
you get to Lake Shore Dr.). Standing on the south side of Fullerton Avenue, you'll
have a great view of the Chicago skyline and Lincoln Park—and an excellent
backdrop for family souvenir photos. This path can get very crowded on summer
weekends, so I suggest trying this photo op during the week.
