The view from above, a hamster wheel, and money, money, money!!!

I don't think you can visit Chicago and not go up on one of the observatories for a sky high view of the city.  We did both the John Hancock Building and the building formerly known as the Sears Tower (now the Willis Tower).


The Sears Tower was the tallest in the world from 1973-1998. With 108 floors, it is 1,729 feet up to the tip of its antenna spire. It is still the tallest building in the United States. The observation deck (SkyDeck) is on the 103rd floor and includes glass balconies that are too freaky for me to stand on.

Skydeck! Wah.

The John Hancock Center ("Big John") is 1,500 feet up to the antenna spire and has 100 floors. It is the fourth tallest buildling in the United States, but when it was built in 1968 it was the tallest building in the world (for just a little bit.)  The observation deck has the worlds highest ice skating rink--it is very small and doesn't actually have ice--it has some synthetic material that you can skate on.  It was a sad sight.  But the sights out the windows were very nice--including the Sears Tower.

Window washing at the Hancock Building

Chicago at night

We made an afternoon trip to the Museum of Science and Industry. This was a fun museum with so much to see and do including a fake coal mine tour in the basement!  There was also a human-sized hamster wheel (RIP, Hammy), which was not quite as massive--or mobile--as I had hoped, but I still took a spin on it.



















And right before we headed back to NYC, we made a quick stop into the Money Museum at the Chicago Federal Reserve.  This was by far one of the favorite things we did on the trip.  Not only was the museum free, but it was very interactive.  I learned all about counterfeit money and how to spot it, and we made our own currency!  It was a Monday afternoon and we were the only visitors in there, and thus, we were asked if the Chicago Tribune could take photos of us at the different exhibits for an article they are doing on the museum.  I looked like hell, but how could I turn them down? Ha.  Will keep you posted if we actually make it into the article!

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Chicago Taste Test!

Chicago is known for their eats, two of which I had planned on partaking of during this trip:

• Deep dish pizza 
• Italian beef sandwiches

Unfortunately, there just wasn't enough time to eat a ton, but we did manage to have 2 of each to compare, and there were clear winners for both.  Now, before any of you die-hard foodies or hardcore Chigaoans get in a huff, I realize that "the best" is a difference of opinion.  It's just like New York City--everyone has their favorite pizza place (Zero Otto Nove) and bagel spot (Absolute Bagels), etc.

Deep Dish Pizza
Gino's East vs. Giordano's

Winner:  Giordano's
Pizza is all personal preference, and Gino's had been recommended to me by several people (and blogs). The funny thing is, as soon as we walked in, I realized I had been there years before when I was in high school.  We were on a family trip to Chicago and my older and wiser cousin David declared we HAD to go to Gino's.  I remember not being so impressed with their deep dish then, and this time around, some 20 years later, I was still not so impressed.

Giordano's had less thick of crust, but more toppings in their "stuffed" pizza.  The crust went down much more easily than at Gino's.  It was delicious.

Gino's East Deep Dish

Giordano's Stuffed Pizza

Italian Beef Sandwich
Al's vs. Portillo's

Winner: Al's
I've never had a Chicago Italian Beef sandwich, but my research indicated it was a must.  Lucky for us, there were at least three spots within walking distance from our hotel.  Unfortunately, there is only so much Italian beef sandwich you can eat in one meal.  Originally I had Mr. Beef on my list, but some of the blogs touted Portillo's (generally known for their hotdogs) as fantastic.  It was more of a tourist spectacle at Portillo's, but hands down, we enjoyed Al's (divey fast food) much more.  The meat may not have been as high quality, but the flavor and wetness from it being dipped in the meat juices, and the hot peppers were really good.  The french fries weren't bad either.

Al's Italian Beef

Portillo's Italian Beef

It is worth noting that we did not have any Chicago hot dogs.  I like my dogs with just ketchup, so all of those toppings would have been wasted on my simple tastes. However, I did have my very first Chick-fil-A ever.  It was a fancy one, but I would not say for all the hype, that it was life changing.

The not-so-windy city

5 and I headed to Chicago for my birthday weekend. Yes, I am fully aware that Chicago in January is a frostbite death wish, but airfares were super cheap and we wanted to get away Funny enough, it was almost 50 degrees here!

Day 1:
Arrive at Chicago O'Hare. I have 2 memories of this airport.
1) The toilets have a plastic seat cover that changes automatically.
2) Running (far) to catch a connecting flight. It's a big airport and connections are always in another corridor. Everyone I know has the same issue w ORD.

Getting to the subway was easy peasy and the fare card machines were exactly like NYC's. Then the epic train ride into town.

We checked in to our hotel and spent the next few hours walking around in the balmy weather.