Chicago, June 2013
Since travel is what the two of us enjoy most, for my 25th, S had planned a surprise trip to Chicago for the weekend. It was a city we had heard a lot about and as much I love exotic places, I do love the vibrant feel in large american cities.
The weather (as always!) played spoilsport and it was raining on and off but having always seen the monsoons on my birthday, the rain was no dampener for me.
Travel tip: In cities where the public transportation system is passable (and that is rare in America!), we avoid car rentals to get rid of parking hassles and the like and try to use the public transportation system as much as possible. When we search for accommodation we try to shortlist hotels which are within walking distance from metro stations and are well connected.
Since travel is what the two of us enjoy most, for my 25th, S had planned a surprise trip to Chicago for the weekend. It was a city we had heard a lot about and as much I love exotic places, I do love the vibrant feel in large american cities.
The weather (as always!) played spoilsport and it was raining on and off but having always seen the monsoons on my birthday, the rain was no dampener for me.
Travel tip: In cities where the public transportation system is passable (and that is rare in America!), we avoid car rentals to get rid of parking hassles and the like and try to use the public transportation system as much as possible. When we search for accommodation we try to shortlist hotels which are within walking distance from metro stations and are well connected.
We headed straight to the Millennium park to the Cloud gate to see the famous Bean statue by Anish Kapoor. The rain actually added to the beauty of the work. It was beautiful to see the Chicago skyline reflected on it and we amused ourselves by taking all sorts of funny pictures on the reflective surface. I liked walking around the Millennium Park and was particularly impressed by the Crown fountain and its video displays.
The next item on our agenda was to head to the Willis Tower- not just for the crazy views but also the sky deck. The sky deck has a glass balcony which lets you truly experience the height of the building and enjoy the great views. Not to mention it is a great opportunity to get a cliched touristy picture sitting on the glass deck.
The next item on our agenda was to head to the Willis Tower- not just for the crazy views but also the sky deck. The sky deck has a glass balcony which lets you truly experience the height of the building and enjoy the great views. Not to mention it is a great opportunity to get a cliched touristy picture sitting on the glass deck.
For dinner, S had booked a super romantic fireworks cruise on Lake Michigan. We had a little time to explore the Navy Pier before our cruise and it had such a carnival, festival feel to it. As always, I couldn't resist when I saw the Ferris wheel and insisted we had to take a ride in it. Though S protested at the beginning, he loved the view during the ride. The dinner cruise was a super fancy one with dinner jackets and fancy dresses an the like and there we were in our jeans and converse shoes. We felt out of place or just a bit before an entire family trooped in with shorts and all of a sudden we felt aptly dressed in comparison. After dinner, the dance floor was opened and neither of us being huge dance fans, headed to the top deck to find a good spot to sit comfortably and watch the fireworks once they began. It was a beautiful way to end the night and the fireworks show was splendid. I would absolutely recommend this cruise for those who visit Chicago!
Check out the cruise here.
Day 2 had us starting at John Hancock Observatory which is another great place to enjoy the views. If you have a short time in Chicago, I would recommend choosing between the Willis tower and the John Hancock observatory and not trying to do both. John Hancock does have better views of the water though.
In the attempt to try something new each holiday, we had booked a segway tour for the afternoon. It was a pretty interesting experience to see the city on the segway and they stopped at all the key spots. It was actually a lot more difficult than it looks and our heels and toes started hurting after the first hour or so. I particularly loved the Buckingham fountain and the view of the skyline! I would definitely recommend everyone try out the segway experience atleast once. It is definitely an interesting alternative to walking and exploring a new city.
To check out more details on the segway tours, click here.
All in all, the perfect treat for the birthday weekend!
Check out the cruise here.
Day 2 had us starting at John Hancock Observatory which is another great place to enjoy the views. If you have a short time in Chicago, I would recommend choosing between the Willis tower and the John Hancock observatory and not trying to do both. John Hancock does have better views of the water though.
In the attempt to try something new each holiday, we had booked a segway tour for the afternoon. It was a pretty interesting experience to see the city on the segway and they stopped at all the key spots. It was actually a lot more difficult than it looks and our heels and toes started hurting after the first hour or so. I particularly loved the Buckingham fountain and the view of the skyline! I would definitely recommend everyone try out the segway experience atleast once. It is definitely an interesting alternative to walking and exploring a new city.
To check out more details on the segway tours, click here.
All in all, the perfect treat for the birthday weekend!
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