A trip to Chicago in mid-March was a rather risky decision, as the classic Chicago weather would only be exaggerated by the late winter cold and wind. I had packed with the cold in mind, but as a true Californian, the only thick clothing I owned was a small peacoat. I was bracing myself for the worst, but my first few days in Chicago threw my expectations off. Clear sunny skies, warm weather reaching a high in the upper 60's, and light wind had me optimistic about my abilities to tolerate the weather. On the third day, however, I realized how very wrong I was. The sky was still clear, but the temperature had dropped and the wind picked up. The moment I stepped outside, I realized just how fortunate I am to live in SoCal, where winter often doesn't exist.

Bracing myself against the cold, I spent the day very leisurely with a friend around Millennium Park. As a student at SAIC, she lived in downtown, so I was staying with her at her very central location. Going beyond just a great host, she also took a day off to join me and show me around the downtown area and  the Art Institute.

Millennium Park is filled with different pieces of art, fountains, and activities. Again, my trip timing wasn't perfect, as the ice skating rink had just closed, but the large fountain was not yet open. However, Cloud Gate, more famously known as the Bean, is there year round, and was quite unpopulated for such a touristy location. The Bean was not only a great reflector of the clear blue skies, but also lay in front of a beautiful skyline background. Walking underneath the Bean is definitely recommended - the reflective surface and unique shape gives the underside a fascinating experience. On the other side, the skyline was no longer a background; instead, it reflected nicely onto the Bean, contrasting nicely with the blue sky. 

The art institute was our second destination of the day, As she showed me through the back student entrance, I found myself jealous that students of SAIC have unlimited access to such a large museum. Large is rather an understatement - the museum was massive, and quite a maze to navigate. 

While the temporary exhibit on Ireland and Irish art was beautiful, my favorite was on the impressionism era. The combination of stunning landscapes, gorgeous color pallets, confident brush strokes, and famous artists (so much Monet!) had me returning to the exhibit multiple times. Seeing Seurat's A Sunday on La Grande Jatte was quite a funny experience - since I had followed the walls of Monet into the room, I turned the corner to the label of Seurat's piece, sitting next to a tiny version, no larger than approximately 8" x 10". After seeing the small size of the Mona Lisa in France, I wasn't overly surprised, but was rather disappointed, until my friend grabbed my shoulders and turned me. On the opposite wall, the actual painting was hanging, large enough to fill most of the wall from floor to ceiling, giving a great visualization of the pointillism technique. 

There were multiple temporary exhibits, including the one of Ireland and one containing ancient Greek, Roman, and Byzantine Art. The exhibit was filled with very old sculptures, mosaics, and paintings, but I completely geeked out over a manuscript of the Iliad from 1055 AD. Making our way down, the lower level contained two unique exhibits - paperweights and miniature rooms. I never imagined that paperweights, an item whose purpose I questioned, could be made so intricately and delicately. Each paperweight, ranging in size from a few centimeters to nearly a foot in diameter, was filled with colored glass flowers, bees, or sculptures. The miniature rooms were just as fascinating - almost a hundred little rooms, no larger than 2 to 3 square feet in area were exact replicas of American and European homes from the 1800's. The amount of detail in each room was mind-blowing, going down to each piece of furniture's engraving and shape, as well as the textile patterns and textures.

I still can't believe I managed over two days in Chicago without trying out deep-dish pizza! (A sin, I know). Finally, on my third day, I tried out the classic Chicago deep-dish, over at Lou Malnati's. Understandably, the wait was very long, both for the table and the pizza, but it was all worth it. Eaten with a fork and knife, the pizza was stuffed with cheese, meats, and tomato sauce - heaven on a plate. 

We stuffed ourselves with as much pizza as we could eat, and in the midst of a food coma, headed back towards her place, taking a little detour to the waterfront. Our goal was to see Buckingham Fountain, which, sadly, was not on, so we went past it to the lake. We sat along the edge, taking in the crisp, cold air, and enjoying the calm night surrounded by city lights - the best way to end another day in the Windy City.

Smile c:
~michelle

The hardest part about solo trips is choosing the right place to go. A quick Google search pulled up a variety of different cities, including New York, San Francisco, Chicago, and New Orleans. While New York and New Orleans were great choices, trips there would consist mostly of night life, food, and meeting new people. Unfortunately, those were things I can’t and don’t really want to do at this age. Chicago was the perfect alternative – the city itself revolved around a normal working day, but was also filled with a variety of museums, parks, and sightseeing tours to ensure that each day, I could do something new and have fun while traveling solo. To make the most of those attractions, I decided to buy a City Pass – it would give me admission to not only the museums and observatories, but also any special exhibits or shows. Since almost all of the museums were centered in Museum Campus, I had a choice in what I wanted to visit and when. Of course, I started off with the Shedd Aquarium.

The Shedd Aqaurium has an interesting ticket system, in which the museum is sectioned off into sections, with increasing ticket prices for adding access to different exhibits. The City Pass came in very handy, allowing me to visit all the exhibits and watch a 4D film. Unfortunately, the Stingray Touch is open only seasonally, but not in March. I did get the chance to visit all of the other permanent exhibits, including the habitats containing beluga whales and white-sided dolphins. I have to admit - I spent a good hour or two, just watching the dolphins swim by and play around. The aquarium also has an oceanarium, in which aquatic shows were held, very unique for an aquarium. The story of Luna the sea otter was also told, one that had gone viral a few weeks back, when the pup was rescued by the Monterey Bay Aquarium, and transferred to Shedd for extensive care.

Shedd was a long, but fun day, so I decided to end it relaxing at John Hancock Observatory, watching the sunset. John Hancock Observatory, now called 360 Chicago, sits at the north end of the Magnificent Mile, giving a prime view of Lincoln Park to the north, Lake Michigan to the east, and downtown to the south. Unfortunately, the West face of the observatory was under construction, but the north wall had a small area where we could sit and enjoy the sunset. 

The sunset was gorgeous, but the best part had to be the view of downtown in late twilight to dark. With a the recognizable skyscrapers in the distance, the sky was a stunning combination of pink, purple, and orange, extending across the horizon. After dark, all the city lights were on, a bright contrast to the dark night sky. Playing with photo filters gave beautiful images, accentuating the contrast,

By the end of that night, I was in love with the city. Ease of access, uncharacteristically nice weather, numerous things to do, and a beautiful skyline - it was perfection.

Smile c:
~michelle

My impromptu trip to Chicago was one of the best I've ever made, and I wanted to remember it by scrapbooking. That way all of my thoughts, photos, and drawings were easily accessible and presentable in a cohesive story. That story begins with my flight there, and my first day in the city, visiting Lincoln Park Zoo and Navy Pier.

Lincoln Park sits at the north side of Chicago, looking south to downtown. The park itself was beautiful, even during the winter. The weather was very nice for mid-March, not too chilly, not too windy, so I spent a lot of time just wandering around, taking in the new sights and environment. A lake runs through the middle of the park, but it was, for the most part frozen over. The bridge crosses the lake gave a wide, uninterrupted view of the Chicago skyline. 

Since the zoo was open to the public, 365 days/year, free of charge, I wasn't too sure on what to expect. I was pleasantly surprised by the large size and diversity of animals available. There were feedings and shows for a lot of the larger exhibits, and educational facts posted everywhere. 

The trip from Lincoln Park to Navy Pier usually involves taking the bus south and transferring downtown. When I got off the bus, however, the massive skyscrapers and Chicago River tempted me to skip the second bus and opt for a walk along the Riverwalk. The Riverwalk trailed along the north shore of the Chicago River, all the way until the river merged with the lake. Since St. Patrick's Day weekend had just passed, so the river was actually dyed green, which was a dark murky color after a day of diffusion. I actually didn't even realize that until it was pointed out to me that it's pretty hard to miss a green river (oops!). 

Jutting out into the lake, Navy Pier gave an incredible view of the water, and parts of the skyline. The pier was lined with indoor shops and restaurants, including Garrett's (the popcorn is so addicting!). A small garden was upstairs of the shops, complete with fountains that jump water over walkways. Outdoors was actually more beautiful after sunset. At dusk, the Ferris Wheel was a stunning contrast to the low sun, and at night, it lit up the pier. 

By the end of the first day, I knew i was really going to enjoy my trip to Chicago. I'm a bit picky when traveling to new places, but the ease of access, lovely weather, and multitude of things to do and see convinced me that the next few days were going to be amazing.

Smile c:
~michelle