Where The Wildings Are

Chicago is one of the coolest cities we’ve visited. There’s a great vibe to the place that we felt the moment we arrived. The diversity of the city gives it great character, from the astounding architecture such as the Bean, to the quint little beach on the lake. These are just 5 of the cool things to see and do in Chicago…

Lincoln Zoo

The zoo is only a short bus ride away from the city centre and from the entrance there’s a wonderful view of the Chicago skyline. We spent the best part of a day here and took a ridiculous amount of photographs! Although I always feel slightly sad at seeing so many amazing creatures trapped in a cage or fenced area, it is also a great way to see wild animals in the flesh. I would have to say that my favourite animals were the excessively cute red panda and the solitary polar bear, that had more water in its cage than land.

Take a ride on the water taxi

A ride on the water taxi is a much more interesting way to travel to certain parts of the city, and at only $3 for a single, it is certainly worth a trip. The uniquely built buildings along the water’s edge tower over the river and the water taxi gives you a unique view of the beautiful architecture around the river. The murky green water and rustic steel bridges are a nice contrast to the unusual buildings that are crammed in to every spare inch.

Cloud Gate ‘The Bean’

‘The Bean’ as it’s called by the locals for obvious reasons is a fascinating modern art sculpture. The sculpture looks out of place against the buildings that surround it. The Bean looks awesome from a distance and when you get closer it only gets cooler. We had a lot of  fun taking photo after photo of our slightly distorted reflections.

Navy Pier

I loved the pier in Chicago. It is huge and I felt that it could quite easily fit in to an English seaside resort, except everything is on a bigger scale, obviously. The Navy Pier has a good food court, so you won’t go hungry and there are stunning views of the lake and the city. There was a volleyball tournament taking place when we visited, but we couldn’t afford to pay to watch, but I did manage to grab a sneak peak before scooting back outside.

Sunbathe on the beach

That’s right, the city of Chicago which is nowhere near the sea has a beach. A beach on the lake. There is a large main road right near the beach, which makes it look even more out of place. But I love the idea that a busy city can have a beach for people to enjoy at the weekends or maybe after work. Who says you have to go to Australia for that kind of lifestyle…

Take a stroll down the Magnificent Mile

The magnificent mile is a mile long stretch of road that has been given its name because it is crammed full of shops, hotels and attractions. A day can easily be spent walking up and down the mile eating, shopping and sightseeing. Some of the tallest buildings and best architecture in the US can be found here. The road is really well located for accessing other parts of the city or hopping on the water taxi. The magnificent mile is an interesting and unique road, with enough variety to suit everyone.