Day # 21- My Kind of Town...

...Chicago is!  Our adventure of the day was to explore Chicago.  Since we had limited time, I chose Navy Pier for our place to focus on.

Before I tell about today, I just need to give a little background information on Chicago.  For people who blindly follow the news or who ignorantly believe what they hear without researching on their own- Chicago appears to be a rough place.  Much like people's unfounded fears of Detroit, Chicago gets a bad rep.  In both Detroit and Chicago, there are areas of violence.  I don't dispute that.  Where I have the problem is when people have not experienced the great beauty of both cities.

I did a little digging about Chicago before we headed into the city.  Did you realize that 75% of all of the violence is black on black attacks?  Did you know that these acts of violence occur in poverty stricken areas?  Gang members do not hang around tourist areas and prey on visitors.  The same can be said for Detroit.  Both cities have sporting venues, cultural events, and museums downtown.  Both cities have wealth as well as poverty.  A smart visitor to ANY city city should be aware of the their surroundings, but not live in fear.  If you don't go driving through neighborhoods that are potentially dangerous, you should be fine.  People also have to remember that every city, including Austin, have areas that are best to steer clear of.  Few things make me more angry than listening to derogatory statements about these two wonderful cities with so much to offer.  Ok, stepping down off my soapbox to continue on with our day.

I love big cities- London, NYC, San Fran...and Chicago did not disappoint.  As we drove into the city, I actually had goosebumps.  On one side of the road was a magnificent skyline while on the other, the lake was blue and filled with boats.

We made our way to Navy Pier and tried to find parking.  We chanced upon a parking garage and pulled in.  Surprise to us- parking was $30!!  That was hard to swallow, but we have paid almost that much for sporting events and concerts.

Navy Pier is like a carnival boardwalk and shopping mall all in one.  On the bottom floor, shops and restaurants could be found.  On the top was the real fun.  There was a giant ferris wheel, merry-go-round, a swing ride, and more.  There was also an indoor garden with plants and fountains.

Since we had already paid $30 to park, we decided against the rides, as they were each around $20.  We did sneak into the line for the ferris wheel, had our picture taken, and then ducked out of line.  The picture was taken in front of a green screen and when printed, it shows us in front of various Chicago backdrops.

We had lunch at Jimmy Buffet's Cheeseburger in Paradise.  The food and music were great!  We then shopped for our magnets, which we collect from every place we go while on vacation, and tshirts for ourselves.

Tired from our fun day, we decided we would drive to the Wisconsin Dells for our next stop.  Should be another fun day and new adventures- so stay tuned!