Being A Tourist In My Own City For A Day
This past weekend, I had a friend from home come visit me in Chicago! She has been here before, but has not done many touristy things. So, that Saturday that she was here, I made sure we did as many touristy things as we could! In this post, I will be talking about how fun it is to be a tourist in your own city every once in a while!
The first thing we did after the St. Patrick’s Day parade (which was the same day) was get lunch and eat it along the lake! One of the most beautiful things about Chicago is being right next to Lake Michigan. We went to Chick-Fil-A for a chicken sandwich (there are none in Michigan where we come from, so this was a touristy thing!) and we found a wonderful sunny spot on the other side of Lakeshore Drive to sit and eat as we watched people bike by. It was so relaxing and calming! After lunch, we decided to walk along the lake until we hit Navy Pier. We walked around the inside of the pier and explored all of the cool shops inside! We walked all the way to the end of the pier, where we went outside right by the Grand Ballroom. The end of the pier is absolutely beautiful. On each side, there is a wonderful view of the lake and the cityscape. We made sure to take pictures! My friend also told me here that she has never been on the Navy Pier Ferris Wheel! So naturally, that is where we headed next! I was terrified though, as I hate heights! But once we were on board and heading up, the view was just enough to make me forget my fear. The city and lake looked amazing from the top of the wheel! I’m definitely glad I forced myself to go on!
Once we were done with Navy Pier, we decided to take an architectural boat tour on the Chicago River (which was still green!) The tour left from Navy Pier, and traveled down both branches of the river and lasted 75 minutes. Our tour guide was really excited about the architecture, and his excitement led to our excitement, and it was great to learn about the buildings of our great city! We learned about the original shores of the lake, old warehouses, new modern architectural marvels, different architects, the old and new post offices, the Merchandise Mart, and the Sears Tower (Willis Tower) among much more! I learned many new things about this great city that I have never known, and it was a wonderful tour!
The next thing we did was go shopping! My friend was really looking forward to the shopping that Chicago has to offer, so I made sure to take her all along the Magnificent Mile-Michigan Avenue! We also stopped by the Water Tower Place, which always has wonderful shopping. After shopping, it was beginning to get dark. We ended our night with a classic Chicago dinner-deep dish pizza from Gino’s East and a delicious cupcake from the Sprinkles Cupcake ATM!
My friend truly had a wonderful stay in our beautiful city, and I had tons of fun being a tourist again! Sometimes, it is good to get out of your daily routine and to take a look at the fun around you! Chicago is a wonderful place to do this. Although I’ve been here for the past seven months, I forgot how much fun the tourist aspect of the city could be and I really loved touring with my friend! So, get out there and do something you haven’t done in ages, like riding the Navy Pier Ferris Wheel! You won’t regret it!
