Chicago Day 1

A very beautiful day. Blue skies, sunny weather.

Sears Tower

Spring must be the best time to visit Chicago. Unlike the endless lines of Empire State Building, there were hardly any crowd at the Sears Tower. It was a pleasant surprise. We were "beamed up" to the Skydeck in 60 secs.

Here are 2 views of the lake front from the Skydeck.

To the left - Navy Pier, Millenium Park, Grant Park.

To the right - the Planetarium, Museum of Natural History, Aquarium and Soldier Field Stadium.

The architectural wonders of Chi-town.


Millenium Park

Cloud Gate or the Bean (local nickname for this unique looking structure). People go there and take pictures of their own reflection. Vanity wasn't in my cards that day, ha! ha!

Spring blooms at the park.

Pritzker Pavilion & Harris Theater plus a bit of the Great Lawn.

Saffron monks added some color to the park. They were admiring the Bean earlier on.

Instead of the usual straightforward bridge, BP came up with this "S" shape bridge for people like you and I to "ess" our way across the road.

Further down Columbus Drive, I had this preconceived image about Buckingham Fountain at Grant Park. Waters spouting and spraying out in grand fashion and all the works.

Like this, thanks to the internet research I did prior to my trip.

Instead, this was what we got. A bone-dry fountain with a big crack on the top portion *sigh*. No water! No spouting/spraying fountain! It was still under renovation. What a major disappointment :(

Field Museum of Natural History. The entrance facade (Roman columns) is similar to NY's Metropolitan Museum. Even the exhibits are alike. So we gave it a pass. Night at the Museum all over again?! Nah...

Adrian testing a komodo dragon's patience at the Shedd Aquarium.

A gigantic man & his equally big catch outside the Aquarium.

Here I am on top of the Shedd Aquarium grounds with the Chicago skyline and Lake Michigan in the background.

We got ourselves a 3 day CTA pass for $12 per person. Cheap! So, after exploring this part of the City, we took the #29 Bus to ...

Navy Pier (since 1916)

The 3,000 ft long Pier by Lake Michigan.

One can always rent a double bike to paddle around the Pier. Cute!

McD's ferris wheel for the young at heart.

Carousel for the even younger ones or not so young ones :)

Shakespeare on the Pier (no pun intended).

The decommissioned third USS Chicago anchor outside the Grand Ballroom.

Blue vs. Blue - the blue waters of Lake Michigan meets the blue sky. My favorite photo!

This is for all you yacht lovers! Lots of luxury yachts at the Pier - for sightseeing & perhaps, a private function.