Chicago travel article

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Bursting with a colorful diversity of culture, flavor and song, Chicago is a city that will evoke all of your emotions. Leading the world in so many feats, this young and cosmopolitan metropolis has quietly yet confidently evolved at a blistering pace, contributing and influencing the development of modern day culture. In just a few days you will discover the home of Jazz and Blues, experience renowned art and architecture, sample world class cuisine and visit some of the most innovative boutiques and hotels. Join me while I get swept away by the vibrant Windy City.

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03 01 Chicago, situated along the shores of Lake Michigan, is home to one of the most iconic skylines in the world.

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02 The Chicago Theater is a legendary auditorium that hosts a variety of entertainment, including concerts, plays, dance, comedy and more.

03 Soldier Field, home of NFL team, the Chicago Bears.

© City of Chicago / GRC

f New York is the city that never sleeps then Chicago is the city that just never stops. As Mark Twain, author of the famous Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, commented in 1883“It is hopeless for the occasional visitor to try to keep up with Chicago. She outgrows his prophecies faster than he can make them.” Already half way to putting its stamp on the world, Chicago was a mere 46 years old when Mark Twain wrote these words, but it maintains this reputation today.

Established as a city in 1837, Chicago was a small centrally located trading post, perfectly placed to benefit from the raft of trading possibilities presented by America’s westward expansion. Up came canals, built to link the Great lakes around which this impressive urban centre is situated, followed closely by rail transport and, latterly, aviation. Today, Chicago welcomes 50% of the United States’ rail freight and is the Nation’s busiest aviation hub. And no doubt you will capture your first glimpse of Chicago when you touch down in the bustling O’Hare airport to where the excitement begins.

There is so much to tantalize, enthrall and stop you in your tracks in this legendary city; it’s hard to know the best place to start. First things first, find the right hotel to stay in the heart of the action. Whether in town for a short shopping break or a longer, more lavish vacation, it would be difficult to discover a more fabulous dwelling than The Drake Hotel.

The Drake is a reflection of all that is great about its famous home. A city confident in itself and what it has achieved, not only was the first skyscraper built here, Chicago gave a home to the rhythm of Jazz and moody Blues. These glorious, tell-tale sounds, first came to life at times of great excess and upheaval during the roaring twenties and the turbulent thirties. Two very different eras that gave birth to a sense of style, music and a mysterious aura that continues to move us today.

It’s this very feeling that flows throughout The Drake. Transporting its guests through what feels

04 During the winter months you can enjoy outdoor ice skating at the McCormick Tribune Ice Rink, Millennium Park.

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05 The Buckingham Fountain, located in Grant Park, is one of the largest fountains in the world.

06 Hop on a boat cruise down the Chicago River and marvel at the incredible architecture the city has to offer.

07 Anish Kapoor’s Cloud Gate sculpture in Millennium Park is a 110-ton stainless steel sculpture with a mirror finish. Viewers are able to walk beneath the sculpture and look up into an omphalos, or navel above them.

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© City of Chicago / GRC

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like a classic 1920’s film set, it’s easy to feel like you’ve stepped back in time the moment you walk through the door. This is the real and original Chicago at its best. Sumptuous comfort with hints of art deco glamour offers a sophisticated and opulent base to enjoy the original Chicago experience.

I always find that the best way to get to know a new city is to revisit the past and experience its history and culture. Chicago offers myriad choices of museums and galleries that are among the best to be found the world over and some of the most visited sit along the beautiful shores of lake Michigan. To discover how this urban heart of America started pumping life throughout the nation, look no further then the Museum of Science and Industry. Explore some of the surprising inventions that took place on these streets and created a future full of possibilities.

Closer to the hotel in the edgy, energetic downtown area, known as the Loop, the Art Institute of Chicago entices its visitors into a realm of impressionism, modern and classical art by a selection of iconic household names.

Conserve enough energy to take in the exquisite shopping emporiums and boutiques Chicago has to offer. After all, no trip to the states would be the same without it! Snuggled amongst the city’s eye-catching architecture and just a stone’s throw from The Drake, lies the ‘Magnificent Mile’. Running from Michigan Avenue along the Chicago River to Oak Street, it offers hundreds of international designer retail treats to feast your eyes upon and delight in for an afternoon. State Street, in the centre of the Loop, offers more mainstream brands and is also home to the original flagship store of Marshall’s Field, now more well known as Macy’s, which opened in 1852. For something unique and individual to Chicago, make your way to Division Street and the Southport Corridor, where you will find the work of independent and Chicago based designers.

The modern day Chicago experience would not be complete without a ticket to one of the city’s famous sporting venues. Whether it be Basketball with the Chicago Bulls, the team that made Michael Jordan world famous, Baseball, with the Chicago White Sox or American Football,

with the Chicago Bears, it is sure to be a game you will always remember. At the moment the season is just right to catch a football game, so wrap up warm, grab a hot dog or a slice of renowned Chicago pizza and enjoy the electric atmosphere.

After delving into the history and culture, a shopping spree to top all others and cheering on the local team, it’s time to relax, unwind and let this city of music embrace you. Start your evening by taking in the spectacular vistas. As the tallest skyscraper in the United States, the 1,450 foot Sears Tower offers fabulous views across the bright lights of the city and beyond. The perfect way to ease yourself back down to earth is to sample the fine array of cuisine this cosmopolitan town has in store.

Chicago has more AAA five-diamond restaurants than any other city in the nation and the top of our list is the globally acclaimed, award winning Charlie Trotter’s restaurant. Famous in the realm of gourmet gastronomy, Charlie Trotter’s has ways of presenting and creating exceptional dishes that will please the eye and tantalize the taste buds. Selecting one of the tasting menus will bring

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08 © Patrick Pyszka

you on a culinary journey of simple, seasonal and delicious plates that are bursting with flavor.

Once suitably energized, it’s time to hit the town.

The night is young and the home of blues and jazz is waiting to entertain you with its musical sights and sounds.

Spreading from the Deep South in 1910, Chicago became the nation’s jazz center in the twenties. Most live music was found on State Street in an area known as “The Stroll.” Such venues as The Apex Club, Dreamland Café and Royal Garden were the first to showcase world class performers like Louis Armstrong and Fletcher Henderson. To listen to some true Chicago Jazz, drop into the Green Mill. Opened in 1907, the Green Mill is one of the city’s oldest playing jazz clubs.

From one iconic musical genre to another; the history of blues music is woven deep into the fabric of Chicago. Moving North from the Mississippi Delta, blues music settled on the South Side of “Sweet Home Chicago” in the 1930’s. Over the next few decades it became

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a mainstay and many of the bands who played their first notes in the city went on to become international names. Today, blues performers continue to emerge from Chicago, all providing their own contemporary twist to its iconic rhythm. Worth a visit are Buddy Guy’s Legends, House of Blues and Blue Chicago, all situated downtown.

Keeping up with the unstoppable pace of Chicago is a challenge, yet one that is helped along by the energy that resonates through this beautiful and vibrant city. Although youthful and cutting edge, Chicago echoes the soulful musical and artistic heart of yester-year; a proud old head on confident young shoulders!

It’s where many of America’s great forefathers came to create and give life to the American dream. The fruits of which is reflected in the stunning architecture, the legendary music scene and throughout the avenues, parks and lakes.

Representing everything that we love about the United States…get those jazz hands at the ready to discover the real Chicago.

08 The Jay Pritzker Pavillion at night, serves as the centerpiece for Millennium Park and is the home of the Grant Park Symphony Orchestra and Chorus.