Chicago Subway

My final post from Chicago is of the subway. Some sections of line are elevated, and the first picture is of one of those taken from underneath.

From these elevated lines you can see all the buildings next to the trains - this one was taken on the ride back to the Midway airport.

I wish my city had better public transportation. All we have is a few bus lines and they aren't properly supported, so you've got to have a car to get around.

Chicago At Night

On our last evening in Chicago I went for a walk down the Miracle Mile to the John Hancock building, and went to its observation deck. My family didn't join me, but at least that meant I had plenty of time for photographs. Please bear in mind that all these photos were hand-held as I didn't have a tripod.

One of the oldest buildings in Chicago is the old water tower, and it's well preserved. It was built in 1869, and was one of the few buildings in its district to survive the great Chicago Fire of 1871. It's also rather photogenic.

  

At the top of the John Hancock building, there are many great views. Here's a photo towards the Willis Tower (formerly the Sears Tower).

Here are a couple of views looking down on other buildings.

This view looks north along Lake Shore Drive. It's obvious where Lake Michigan starts.

This is a view of the Navy Pier.

And finally, here are a couple of other city views of the city from the top of the John Hancock Center.

I can't compare the views from this tower and the Willis Tower, but certainly these ones were very impressive.

Chicago - Museum of Science and Industry

One of the better science museums I've seen is the Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago. They have many interesting things there, this is just a tiny sampling.

I was intrigued by the new-born chicks - some were still coming out of their eggs.

They also had a massive train set, and having enjoyed toy trains when I grew up I loved seeing this.

And this land vehicle, the Spirit of America, broke land-speed records back in the 1960s, topping out at 539.89 miles per hour.

This museum is highly recommended, particularly for those with children.

Chicago - Morning Walk

On our second day in Chicago, we started with a morning walk in the cold sun. The bridges over the river were up!

And here's why - several tall-masted ships were going by.

We went back to Millennium Park, and over a pedestrian bridge...

...which brought us to this marina.

And finally, at the end of the day (after visiting another museum) we went to the Willis Tower, formerly known as the Sears Tower. The line was far too long so we didn't go to the top.

Chicago - Walk in Millenium Park

After the Field Museum, we walked back to the hotel through cloudy skies and bursts of rain. We saw this large fountain near Lake Michigan.

Then we walked through Millenium Park. It includes some great outdoor art, such as the Crown Fountain, with water cascading down the sides of two large obelisks which include changing images.

This is the Jay Pritzker Pavilion, an outdoor theater.

The Cloud Gate provides a varied view of the skyline reflecting off its curved surfaces.

You can go underneath it for amazing reflections.

And here's a view of the Sears Tower through the horrible weather.

In nice weather, this looks like it would be an amazing area to hang out in. I can imagine its popularity in the summer, especially because it's so close to downtown.

Chicago - Field Museum

The Field Museum is a famous museum of natural history in Chicago, and a must-see for anyone interested in such things. It includes many dinosaur skeletons, including Sue, an impressive T-Rex skeleton found in the main hall.

In addition to Sue are numerous dinosaur skeletons of various shapes and sizes.

It also includes numerous preserved animals.

We also saw the Inside Ancient Egypt exhibit, with hieroglyphics and mummies, and more.

These photos barely scratch the surface of this museum, and it's a great way to spend a day.

Chicago

My wife and I just got back from Chicago, where we went for a couple of days to celebrate my father's 75th birthday. The whole family met up there, including my father and his wife, along with my brother and his wife and kids. It was a very enjoyable celebration, and I'll have some pictures from there to post over the next few weeks.

Here are a couple taken from our hotel room, downtown on the Miracle Mile. We were on the 42nd floor so had some nice views.

And skipping ahead to the last day of the trip, here are a couple from the Chicago Marathon, which ran right by the hotel. I couldn't believe how many people were running, and some of them had great costumes.