Hello Chicago!

After Ithaca and the Finger Lakes, our next stop was Chicago.  We didn't have nearly enough time to explore all that the city had to offer -- all-in-all we had about a day and a half -- but we did our best to see as much of the city as we could.  We started out in Millennium Park, where we walked through some of the gardens, visited Cloud Gate (the bean), and strolled along the Lake Michigan waterfront.

Welcome to Chicago!

Locals gathering for a concert at Millennium Park

Cloud Gate on a perfect summer day

Cloud Gate with clouds

On the advice of our resident Chicagoan (thanks, Jackie!), we hopped on an architectural boat tour that went up the Chicago River and out on the lake to see famous Chicago buildings and hear a little about the city's history.

Waiting for our tour to start along the Chicago River


Example of old and new architecture juxtaposed along the Chicago skyline

Enjoying the view on a gorgeous summer day

Beautiful Chicago skyline

In the evening, we met up with Jackie and Andy at the famous Chicago Diner ("meat-free since '83!").  It was a fun and delicious way to wrap up our day in this big city!