Chicago Buildings

There are a TON of buildings in Chicago that are architectural and historical gems. As a history nerd (and a nut for cool or old architecture) I noticed awesome buildings everywhere we went. Too bad we were often just whizzing by on our way to an event or venue. One place I wish I has gotten a chance to see was the Chicago Water Tower- the second oldest water tower in the USA and one of the few buildings to survive the Great Chicago Fire of 1871. I only got to zip past on the way to the airport, so the picture I have kind of sucks.

Not a bad picture...but not even close to how awesome this place looks in person

THE WILLIS TOWER

So let's just get this out of the way, I have never heard of anyone refer to this building as anything other than the Sears Tower. No disrespect to the Willis Holding Group, but, yeah, it's going to be the Sears Tower to Americans over the age of 10 forever. Completed in 1973, this building was the tallest in the world until 1998, and is today the 7th tallest in the world. There's a bunch of history and nuances about the battle for tallest building you can read about on that link- but I wasn't so much interested in that as I was the fact that this building is by far the tallest I've ever been inside of and was another one of those American icons that I wanted to see for myself.

Decorative wall showing how many stories up you are about to rise

For $18 bucks (each), my friends and I entered Sky Deck (the touristy part of the building- people actually have to go to work here still, so gawking tourists would probably be a distraction) and walked through a meticulously managed maze of information and informative video clips about the building and Chicago history and influence. We didn't spend too much time in each area, but some highlights were bios of famous people tied to Chicago, and a glass display showing comparative building heights of some of the world's most famous structures. 

Does this mean 3.3 Million adults have been up here??

We were herded into steel elevators and took and incredibly speedy ride to the top of the Tower while being entertained by a video further discussing the height of the building. There were observation binocular things at windows, and signs showing what part of the city you are looking at (on our overcast day we could only see out about 5 miles, but on a clear day you can see as far away as 50+ according to one employee), more Chicago history in a mini exhibit on the walls, and of course a gift shop. It was pretty interesting, and with the last few drops of battery power on my iPhone I recorded a video with my friends while up there. Then we went over to the west end of the building, where the actual Sky Deck is located- a slew of glass landings that stick out 4 feet from the building so that all that separates you from certain death is a few inches of (well engineered) glass. For whatever reason I wasn't afraid to step out on the ledge, but there were plenty of people who were. In any case, it made for great silly pictures and awesome memories!

My friend Melanie taking a picture from the top of the Tower

Those are my leopard-clad feet...quite a journey back to the ground indeed!

THE FRANK LLOYD WRIGHT ROBERT ROLOSON ROW HOUSES

The FLW Row Houses...people actually live there, so no inside tours :(

This was a VERY brief stop in my time in Chicago- literally maybe 5 minutes there total. I especially wanted to see these houses in particular because they are the only row houses Frank Lloyd Wright ever designed. FLW set his studios up in Chicago, and there are 400+ of his 536 buildings still standing around the world. Chicago has a few of FLW focused tours available and while I didn't actually take one of the tours (my friends and I stopped here en route to President Obama's house) I'm glad I stopped through. Other than their unique look and color from the rest of the block (most of the other houses and the school across the street are red brick), the only other thing that let's you know this place is special is a small pillar with hard to read information on it to the far right of the buildings.

Seriously, can YOU read this?

Speaking of President Obama's house, we had a hilarious time trying to look at his Chicago home. Naturally being the President the place is heavily guarded, and hidden behind all sorts of barricades and trees. My silly sorority sister, after we had already caught the attention of the Secret Service Officer on duty, sticks her hand out of the car trying to get a picture-- at which time warning sirens blared out. We zoomed off, fearful of being arrested, but later we had a great time laughing about our "dangerous bout with the government".

That's it for Chicago- see you guys on the next adventure!

Take Me Out To The Ball Game...

Howdy readers! Here's another installment of my awesome weekend in Chicago. The last touristy place I went to before I left was Wrigley Field, home of the Chicago Cubs baseball team. Let me first admit that I know very little about baseball as a sport so I took this tour strictly because of the history this place holds and frankly, I've never been inside a baseball stadium before, so why not? (In a cultural and historical context I know a bit more about baseball, but stats and team rankings and all that? Naw, not me!)

Wrigley Field Sign

I took a tour on a Sunday afternoon, and they are offered on a fairly regular basis. The tour guides were freakishly friendly and informative (I mean seriously, Chicago was absolutely awesome on the customer service front) and they all seemed interested in baseball as a whole. When they found out I lived in Pittsburgh they began telling me Pirates statistics and factoids about PNC Park (where the Pirates now play).

Super nice tour guides. My guide was Molly Phillips, on the far right

It was a bit chilly (and windy) when I took my 90+ minute tour, but I learned quite a bit. Wrigley is the second oldest baseball park in America (Fenway in Boston is the oldest- I guess I have a date with that place this July!) and is home to the first ever concession stand in a sports venue. Molly (my tour guide for those who didn't read the captions) gave lots of interesting facts about the Field. I kept getting distracted by the luscious looking grass- I mean seriously it looked fake it was so perfect looking- but I picked up quite a few tidbits. For example, there is an "elephant gate" that used to connect right to the street before a new outer wall was built in recent years, and it got its name because when circuses used to be held at the field, that was the entrance that they let the elephants in through. I learned a ton of sports legends- everyone from Babe Ruth to Michael Jordan- have come through Wrigley. I learned about why there are roof-top seats in adjacent buildings (and a little about the financial and contractual pros and cons of having them). I learned what a "bleacher bum" was, learned that the famed ivy that usually covers the wall can be an arm's length thick (the ivy wasn't there because it was still too early for it to sprout), and learned about the W and L flags that signal to everyone if the Cubs were victorious or not.

By the Elephant Gate

The tour was quite extensive, we went everywhere from the field, through the stands and bleachers in several different spots, both the visiting team and home locker rooms, the dug out, and the press box- everywhere pretty much! I thought it was a pretty decent tour, and loved all the history the place has. I know it isn't as flashy or impressive as a newer place like PNC Park, but to me I think that's what gives it it's charm. (Apparently I'm in the minority on this though. Here's a recent article featuring comments from people shamefully calling the place a dump!) I think that's a horrible way to view a place as beautiful as this and folks should feel ashamed for treating it that way. I hope Wrigley Field lasts another century (it will be 100 years old very soon!) and that they continue to give tours and educate the baseball-illiterate public (such as myself!)

View from the Press Box

Framed W sign in the home locker room that celebrated the Cub's 10,000th victory

Me in the dugout

I still have a little bit more to discuss about my trip to Chicago (The Sears Tower and the Frank Lloyd Wright row houses!) but those will come another day. Until then, please feel free to check out my (still uncaptioned) Facebook photos and follow me on Twitter and Pinterest. Very excited about the rest of my upcoming trips, but until then thank you for reading my blog, and I'll see you on my next adventure!

Pizza, Popcorn, And Peppers On My Hot Dog

I just had an AMAZING weekend in Chicago, Illinois! My primary reason for being there was the wedding of a very good friend and sorority sister of mine. It also happened to be my birthday weekend so I was celebrating ME as well (I turned 30- yikes! I can remember turning ten and being excited because my age would now have double digits). In between hanging with friends and dancing and drinking (*blush*) I got to do a little sightseeing in the Windy City. This post here is going to focus on the food I ate there- since much of what makes Chicago, Chicago is their unique food culture.

Ms. Biscuit on South Wabash Avenue

MS. BISCUIT

This was not a place I originally looked up, but as my hotel roomies and I got in EARLY on a Friday morning, breakfast was certainly in order and a local had suggested this place to them. It was a little (well okay, VERY) obvious that we were tourists and had no clue where we were or what to order, and we were stared at a little bit with very audible "Where are they from?"s and other curiosity fueled comments from other diners. The waitress was a little testy at first but had really warmed up to us by the time we left (in her defense one of my party is notorious for asking a million irrelevant questions about a menu item before ordering, so I can't blame her). I ordered French Toast, grits, and hash browns- not their namesake biscuits- but my friend gave me half of one of hers and it was very delicious! She also had grilled biscuits which look pretty much how they sound, but taste even better than the regular biscuits. I also loved my grits- apparently there are people who don't know how to make them! Who knew? The French Toast and hash browns, however, were just okay. Not terrible. But nothing to really shout about. By the time we left we had several employees laughing and joking with us, taking our pictures, and giving us suggestions on where to go in the city. Nice little nook with affordable prices and a CLEAN bathroom (I mean a REALLY clean bathroom- I was almost scared to use it!)

French Toast, Hash Browns, Bacon, Grits and a piece of my friend's Biscuit

GIORDANO'S

One of the great American food debates is who makes better pizza- New York or Chicago. I've had a New York Jumbo slice before (but when I get there I'll go after an authentic one for you guys), but with my only Chicago pizza experience being UNO'S (which I'm told doesn't count), my friends and I went to this place upon the recommendation of quite a few Chicagoans. The taste wasn't all that different from any other pizza I've ever had, but the look and make of it was totally different. Instead of a disc of dough with sauce and cheese, this was more like a pie, layered with cheese and toppings and topped with a very tomato-y sauce. Very filling and gooey- and tasty! While I'm still partial to my UNO'S, my first taste of a real Chicago pizza pie was great.

Pepperoni Pizza- Chicago Style

WRIGLEYVILLE DOGS

During my last hours in Chicago, I had a mad dash to get a lot done in a little bit of time. This is partly my fault (probably not a good idea to plan to wake up early to sight see the morning after partying and chit chatting until 6am!) I took a tour of Wrigley Field (which I will write about later), and asked where the closest place was I could grab an authentic Chicago style hot dog. My friends had Portillo's the day before, but at the time I just wasn't in the mood to eat. The (super friendly!) tour guides at the Field told me about this place and promised I would get an even more authentic dog from there than Portillo's. About a block and a half or so up the street, this place doesn't look very impressive (and how many greasy spoons do?) but more than anything I was thankful I got there when it wasn't crowded so I could get in and out and head to my final Chicago food place quickly. A poppy seeded bun propped up a thin beef weiner covered in relish, mustard, tomatoes, pickles, hot peppers, et al and I was nervous. I mean, who actually EATS all this crap on top of a hot dog?? Well, consider me a convert. Not only was it delicious, every bite tasted slightly different as the larger chunky ingredients shifted around bite by bite. I probably won't try to re-create this at home, but if I'm ever back in Chicago, this is a must-have!

GARRETT POPCORN

My final Chicago must-try food was Garrett Popcorn. I have quite a few friends from Chicago- who don't know each other so I know they aren't pulling a fast one on me. They all SWEAR that this is popcorn sent from the heavens. After my Chicago dog, I hopped on the L Train (more on that later) and went to the closest location to me (Michigan Avenue). I should probably let you know that it's actually OFF of Michigan Avenue because I accidentally walked by twice before I saw this particular store, but I could smell the delicious smell of popcorn, butter, and caramel for blocks around. My friends (whom I'd ditched so I could tour the ball park) were already in line-- yes a line that wrapped around the block like this was a nightclub. Admittedly, the line moved quickly so in less than ten minutes we were inside where friendly employees (seriously, is this a thing Chicago? Everyone was so nice!) took our order and mixed and bagged our flavors right before our eyes. You can get free samples too (though seriously, there isn't THAT much variety). I ordered four bags of the most popular flavor (Chicago Mix: cheese and caramel mixed together- it tastes a LOT better than it sounds) and then we headed to the airport. I gave one bag to my grandmother, took two bags to my part time job (gone in less than an hour!) and brought the fourth bag to my full time job (where two former Chicago residents gladly took large handfuls back to their desks). While I still think my friends were all exaggerating a bit on how good it is, I can understand how one might be nostalgic for this great popcorn when they move away from the Chi.

No, that's not how big the bags you take home are

Well, that's it for now friends. I will write about my other Chicago adventures in the upcoming weeks. I have a very-homemade looking iPhone video of my friends and I in the Willis Tower (aka the Sears Tower to any American older than 10) and have lots of beautiful pics from Wrigley Field. In the meantime, check out my yet-to-be-captioned Facebook pics (Pinterest will be updated soon!)

Until then, be safe and see you on the next adventure!