An icon of Chicago, Cloud Gate (aka The Bean) weighs in at a whopping 110 tons!  Forged by British artist Sir Anish Kapoor, the sculpture reflects the city’s skyline through a series of seamless stainless steel plates.  Get your selfie stick ready!

Another bucket list item checked off – standing on The Ledge at the former Sears Tower’s Skydeck.  Just hanging out in a glass box 103 stories up…  no big deal.

Anyone’s palms sweating???

Did you know the ferris wheel was actually invented in Chicago?  True story.  The first was created in the 1890s for the Chicago World’s Fair.  More recently, there has been a ferris wheel at Navy Pier for the past 20 years.  The one pictured here gave its last ride in September 2016.  Its replacement stands at 196 feet (48 feet taller than this one.)  Take a spin for spectacular views of the city!

Chicago is famous for its beautiful waterways that run throughout the city.  I’d highly recommend embarking on an Architecture River Cruise for some fascinating history and a different perspective on the Windy City.  It was by far my favorite part of the trip!

Make sure to enjoy a meal at The Signature Room on the 95th floor of the Hancock Building.  Even the bathrooms have stunning views!  And if you’re a fan of seafood, the scallops can’t be beat!

Visit the Field Museum to brush up on your history and science.  And don’t miss the Tsavo Lions (made famous after the 1996 thriller The Ghost and the Darkness.)  These man-eaters terrorized a railroad camp in 1898, and reportedly killed 135 people.  Interesting fact – the lions appear smaller than they actually were because they were originally skinned for rugs (so there was less to work with when they were stuffed for the museum.)

Catch a concert at the Jay Pritzker Pavilion.  It’s the perfect way to enjoy a leisurely summer afternoon!

Chicago is the birthplace for many of the things we still enjoy today.  This includes Twinkies, Cracker Jacks, cell phones, rotary clubs, Pabst Blue Ribbon, vacuum cleaners, zippers, deep dish pizzas, spray paint, and blood banks (to name a few).

The Crown Fountain in Millennium Park is by far one of my favorite reasons to visit Chicago.  It has two 50-foot towers made of glass bricks separated by a shallow reflecting pool.  Faces projected on the LED screen periodically squirt water from their mouths (fun!)  It’s an entertaining and refreshing way to cool off on a hot day (and lots of fun for kids and the young at heart!)

Another popular fountain in Chicago is the Buckingham Fountain.  Does it look familiar?  If so, that’s because it’s the one featured at the beginning of the television series Married With Children.

Chicago is notable for being larger than life. Western Avenue is the world’s longest street at 23.5 miles.  The Taste of Chicago is the world’s largest free outdoor food festival.  It was home to the first skyscraper in 1885 (at a mere 9 stories tall).  And the longest MLB game ever played was in Chicago (where the White Sox defeated the Brewers after 25 innings)!