I can now say that I have experienced the typical ‘windy city’ Chicago day with wind and rain that made my umbrella turn inside out.  But yesterday was a beautiful, clear and sunny day that was perfect for walking up Michigan Avenue North and taking in all the sights along the ‘Magnificent Mile’.  Lake Michigan is on the east side of the city (compared to Toronto with Lake Ontario on the south end) and the city is laid out in a grid system so it makes it easy for a tourist to navigate and find their way around downtown.  Heading up the ‘Mag Mile’ I stopped at Millennium Park, an award-winning outdoor cultural centre for architecture, sculpture, music and landscape design.  It is a ½ acre gathering place located in the heart of downtown Chicago.  The big drawing card to Millennium Park is  ‘The Bean’, a stainless steel, highly polished, huge (66 ft x 33 ft x 42 ft) bean-like sculpture.  The sculpture’s surface has no visible seams and it reflects and distorts Chicago’s skyline.  Great photo ops!  I continued up Mag Mile and could have stopped and shopped at every conceivable retailer imaginable (one reason it is called The Magnificent Mile) but I did not stop or shop.  Instead I headed to the John Hancock Center (known as Chicago’s Greatest High) to ride the elevator (1000 ft in 40 seconds) to the top.  At the top you get a breathtaking 360 degree view of 4 states – Illinois, Michigan, Indiana and Wisconsin.   I recommend going to the ‘Signature Room at the 95^th’ (no charge) instead of the Observation Deck. ($15 per adult)    At the Signature Room the views of the Chicago skyline are outstanding; it is the perfect place to take amazing photos plus you can have a cocktail while admiring the view.  And as I like to say when 95 floors above the ground, “I would rather be holding my glass than standing on glass!!”  Cheers!

           View of Chicago Skyline at The Bean, Millennium Park    

           View from the Signature Room at the 95th, John Hancock Centre