I recently visited Chicago over the summer and was amazed by what it had to offer. From really good food to really cool museums, this place was just really awesome. So I decided to hop on the travel video bandwagon and make one about my brief visit to Chicago. Enjoy!
A few of the places we visited that I found particularly remarkable were the Art Institute of Chicago, Navy Pier, China town, Millenium Park and Northwestern University.
China Town
China town is a great place for breakfast, dinner or lunch. It's filled with great Chinese restaurants and bubble tea shops. However, the bubble tea there tends to go heavier on the tea, so if you like sweeter boba or if you want to fall asleep, then I recommend going to other places.
Art Institute of Chicago
The Art Institute of Chicago is absolutely massive. For any experienced art connoisseur with calves of steel, I'm sure standing five hours is a walk in the park. But for ignorant, lowly tourists like me who only have a few hours to spend before moving onto their next destination, I'd move quickly. Usually, my museum experiences consist of me trying to read all the descriptions before realizing I'm too tired to actually appreciate anything but a bench. So for any visitors like me, don't go full out on the photographs and paperweights only to miss the O'Keefes and Picassos. Walking through the museum helps you fixate on it as a whole. And it is grand. Though the walls and exhibits are quite minimalistic and contemporary, the openness of the place makes the halls feel like a palace. Some of my favorites parts of the museum were the modern, contemporary, European painting/sculpture and ancient/Byzantine exhibits.
Navy Pier
Navy Pier is also good fun. The riverwalk makes for a nice after dinner stroll and a Giordano's ensures all tourists can experience Chicago's famed deep-dish pizza. Aside from that, there's plenty of other attractions like rides, Ferris wheels, an indoor garden and a Chicago Shakespearean Theater. The whole place is packed with restaurants and sometimes, a boat or yacht sails by on the river. The highlight of my trip there was quite possibly an outdoor fountain crammed full of screaming kids playing with water. Naturally, I joined them. Although during my vacation, I noticed tons of fountains people just decided to stand, play or wade in. I have no idea why, but all I request is that it be socially acceptable for me to do that anywhere.
Millenium Park
I love the environment in Millenium Park. It seems like everyone was there from jogging moms with babies in strollers to older people taking a walk. Not to mention the playgrounds there are huge. From pirate ships to castles, even I couldn't resist running across the rope bridges. The flowers and gardens are absolutely lovely coupled with an amazing backdrop of the city skyscrapers behind them. And of course, there's cloud gate. Surrounded by a sea of people, I thought it would've been annoying or exhausting to stay there, but it was actually quite invigorating and interesting to see a busy mass of people clustered around a giant metal bean. Around the area was also an incredible orchestra that sounded so full, resonant, loud and in tune I thought I was listening to a giant speaker at first. House music from a festival nearby mixed in with the sounds of the orchestra while aisles of restaurants with stringed lights sat below. The only way to describe what it felt like was being surrounded by everything yet feeling at peace with it all.
Northwestern Univesity
The campus at Northwestern University is beautiful. They have it all from lakes to beaches. I visited their beach filled with rented boats, kayaks, and sails. Though I loved watching people enjoying themselves, the only complaint I have is that the water is way too cold. I have no idea how some people were swimming in there but it was literally like liquid ice. Still, it's okay. I love it nonetheless. Nearby is also a harbor filled with giant rocks former college students painted. From stupid paintings of farts to poetic love declarations, it's almost like a museum exhibit in itself. I saw lots of people sunbathing on them and BBQing nearby with the Chicago skyline ahead in the distance. It's a great place to visit for a nice walk, suntan or sail.
I hope some of this helps anyone who might be planning to visit Chicago for the first time or anyone who wants to see what it's like. Though I didn't get to stay long, I thoroughly enjoyed the time I was there for and I hope you do too. Happy traveling!
