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.
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.
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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,
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,
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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
Smile c:
~michelle
