I Go Chicago

Since there's not a great deal to do in Cleveland, I headed further west to Chicago (very) early on Tuesday morning.  After my bus experience the night before, anything would have been an improvement.  Which is just as well, because two hours spent waiting at a train station at 4am in the morning is never fun :(  Anyway, the train eventually arrived, and once it got going, it was actually a great trip, and a really good way to see some of the country.  Most of the trip went through various parts of the so-called Rust Belt - particularly Ohio and Indiana.  This was the industrial heartland of America, where scores of migrants came and essentially built the nation.  However, there was a huge decline post-1945, with the advent of better technology, outsourcing and increased global competition, which saw massive job losses in the region.  I had always thought the term 'Rust Belt' was just a euphemism to refer to the economic situation, but no!  There is actually a whole lot of really rusty stuff around these parts - it's as if the factories just closed down one day, and everybody left them to rust.  It's an incredible post-industrial landscape, and there's more fascinating history of the region here - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rust_belt.  I found it a really interesting trip.

As for Chicago itself?  I love it, it's my favourite city so far.  A lot of the buildings are glassy and steel (not like New York's bricky art deco), and the Chicago River breaks the city up so that it's not such a continuous concrete jungle.

The skyline is dominated by Willis Tower (formerly known as Sears Tower, and formerly the tallest building in the world.  Bit of a has-been, really lol).  The building in the foreground on the right is Union Station.

And then there are the famous L-trains, which run above street level.  Although I didn't get to ride one, they do look extremely cool and give the city another talking point.

The East side of the city is essentially the tourism & culture hub, with attractions like the Art Institute of Chicago and Orchestra Hall.

The absolute highlight though is Millennium Park.  Originally intended to be ready for the turn of the millennium, it was eventually delivered in 2004, horrendously over budget, but I think the end result is worth every penny.  There are numerous public spaces, including the Crown Fountain, which consists of two brick pillars, facing each other, which display continuously-changing images.  It's also a popular spot for kids to play under the water.

A bit further up is Cloud Gate, colloquially known as 'The Bean', which is a massive, polished stainless steel structure.  It reflects not only the people around it, but also the park and the city as well, which is incredibly cool.  There are some awesome photo opportunities, and people pose in all sorts of crazy positions to get something new and different.  I, of course was very restrained :)

This is a particularly crazy one, taken from underneath the hollow part in the middle, looking up.

Just further East is the Jay Pritzker Pavilion, which is an open-air venue for various concerts and screenings.  During the Summer, the orchestra rehearses at lunchtimes, so I was able to stop by and enjoy some free classical music.

And just a little bit further around is the Lurie Garden, which seems to be a relatively well-kept secret, and would be a good place to sit out and read a book, if it hadn't been drizzling.

And after a day of sightseeing, where might be a good place to get a drink?  For some reason, this place gives off some good vibes ;)