When making the big trip to America, travellers can be overwhelmed at how much there is to do. You then get caught up in the excitement and glamour of Los Angles and New York City and while they are good cities, I’m here to convince you there are better cities out there! Chicago, Illinois, is the biggest city in the Midwest with a population of almost 3 million. The city isn’t very big, and to this small town girl, it’s a bit more manageable. The city has everything from sports to fine arts, and better pizza than New York if you ask me.
If you are a big sports fan like my family is, Chicago—while it may not have the best teams—has a team for any fan. My family and I went in the summer, which is the perfect time for baseball. We started our Chicago trip with a visit to U.S. Cellular Park, home of the White Sox. It’s a great park and even offers free WiFi. It was, however, overshowed by the historical and oldest park in the States, Wrigley Field. The beauty of this stadium is in its history, traditions, and curses. You can still purchase tickets with the building’s support beams blocking your view of the game. The scoreboard is still to this day manually operated and until last year there was no Jumbotron. Get to the games early enough to take in the culture of the stadium. It is basically in the middle of a neighbourhood and is surrounded by street vendors and sports bars. If you were to go to the city in the colder months, you can take in a Blackhawks ice hockey game, a Bulls basketball game, or a Bears football game. The city is a sports fan’s dream!
To satisfy my sister’s appreciation of art we also took a trip to the Art Institute of Chicago. It is ranked the number one thing to do in Chicago on TripAdvisor and it houses a great collection of artwork with some classic pieces like American Gothic by Grant Wood and A Sunday on La Grande Jatte by George Seurat. While this museum isn’t nearly the size of The Louvre, it offers a good day’s outing for any level of art appreciator. It is a bit expensive to get in to, but well worth it if you are into that kind of activity.
The next stop on our tour of the city was Millennium Park. This is where you will find one of Chicago’s most iconic photography spots, The Big Bean. Here you will find every sort of tourist taking the same mirror selfie in the reflection of the bean, like my sister and I did (no shame). The park is a great place to sit and relax and have a picnic. You can stroll around see views of the city and other pieces of art work. Definitely.
If shopping is your scene, don’t count Chicago out! Michigan Avenue is the place for you. Michigan Avenue has a wide range of stores from the higher end shops like Chanel to the trendy stores like Forever 21. Even just window shopping down this street is a blast. You can get some great views of the city and the Chicago River from the DuSable Bridge from walking down this avenue. It is a great evening activity to just stroll around and take in the city life.
Chicago does not get the credit it deserves. It houses amazing culture, food, and entertainment. Don’t just fly over it on your way from Los Angeles to New York, take a couple of days layover and experience the beauty that is the Midwest.
Chicago: CC Bert Kaufmann
Kristi Tucker was born and raised in Kansas, United States. She studied at Union College in Lincoln, Nebraska before moving to Avondale College of Higher Education to continue her studies in marketing and communications. She enjoys travelling, baseball, and online window shopping.