Chicago! Two days, so much to see! I’m not saying this is what you should do, but I did somehow see so much.
I arrived around 10 PM to my friend Alana’s sweet little basement Airbnb on Troy Street. I had been driving for about 15 hours from Colorado, and was desperately in need of a shower and some sleep. We caught up for a bit and soon drifted off to sleep.
In the morning, after getting a bike tube replaced on my Cannondale at The Bike Lane, I headed down Milwaukee Ave toward Lake Michigan. The city is bike-friendly, but I wore my helmet and obeyed all traffic laws like a good city cyclist! Milwaukee was a low-key hipster spot with bookstores, dive bars, and cute cafes. I said to myself, “Now this is where I would live if I lived in Chicago!” Granted I say this about every cute little neighborhood I visit in any city.
I continued all the way to the Navy Pier, a sharp halt at the end of my ride. I followed the signs for the Lake Shore Trail, which offered unparalleled view of the iconic skyline nestled on the western shores of Lake Michigan. The water was a pale, cerulean blue mirroring the sky above me, gentle waves lapping onto the path leveled at the lake’s edge. The water was high and exposed to the paved pathway, if you got close enough the water would lap right over the edge and onto your feet.
Riding north, fatigue began knocking on my inner thighs and booty. I decided to turn around and headed south, past the Navy Pier, until a huge, elegant fountain emerged in the periphery on my left. Muscled horses with mermaid tails rose from the waters, spraying water from their nickering mouths and furrowing their immense brows, as if readying for a battle. Behind the fountain, which I learned was the famous Buckingham Fountain (read more about the Fountain here) rose skyscrapers, and further to the left Grant Park sprawled, creating a buffer between city life and maritime gaiety. This was an aspect I loved about Chicago; all the free public art in forms of civic parks, elaborate fountains, and immaculately designed skyscrapers. Chicago’s architecture tells the history of the city to anyone willing to stop and listen to the lines and shapes of its office buildings and homes.
After snapping some photos of the fountain, I decided to head back into the city. I had wanted to see the Riverwalk. A breezy walk by a river seemed romantic, and the skyscrapers lining the Chicago River was a far cry from the row house lined waterways I’d visited in Europe. Since I had run out of high speed data, I downloaded a map of Chicago in Google Maps offline feature, and knew the general direction in which I had to walk.
I walked further from Lake Front Trail, turning my back on the fountain that had reeled me in. Spotting a map of the park I was in, I found out I was now in Millenium Park-the corner of Grant Park that houses Cloud Gate AKA The Bean! I followed the crowds, and like the sightseeing cattle we were, we ascended to the Bean.
I walked around Cloud Gate, taking some photos of it and my reflection, as one does. But it became much more fascinating to watch visitors directing their spouses, friends, and even strangers (I was personally tasked with taking a shot of three Dutch tourists) to take the perfect photos of them with Cloud Gate. Some spent minutes acquiring the perfect shot, at the perfect angle, with the perfect reflection. Maybe the artist should rename it Clout Gate, as many of the models seemed to be of the Instagram variety. I took some photos of people taking photos before heading on my way, and although I didn’t stay at Cloud Gate very long, I did read up on it. Check out my Cloud Gate Breakdown for more.
Next was Riverwalk. Although Riverwalk was very scenic, and a chance to see the Corn Cob Buildings which are actually boringly called Marina City, it was really just over priced restaurants and bars. I mostly dodged frantic folks trying to make it to their boat tours. I also shamefully stopped for an $11 pint of beer. Also, Trump Tower is right at the entrance closest to Lake Michigan. Nobody needs that negativity in their life.
I rode back to Alana’s house, and after a little nap and a shower, we headed out for dinner. We went to Big Star for tacos and a pitcher of palomas with our friend Claire. By the way, this was the first time I had ever had a paloma, and it was to die for. I don’t think I’ll ever drink a margarita again (not true but I needed to emphasize how good the paloma was). Claire left us to go home, and as I was still pretty beat from my travels the day before, we circled back to Alana’s neighborhood for a nightcap at Longman and Eagle’s . We met up with another friend and chatted into the evening before heading home for some real rest.
If you’re interested in day two of my Chicago trip, check out my blog post part two here!
Punk Prana 