Summertime Chi

How I Spent My 2017 Summer Vacation

By Tessa Smith, Writing Consultant

 

This summer I visited Chicago for the first time with my sister and a couple of friends. As a New Yorker, I’m admittedly biased in my evaluation of other big cities, but Chitown didn’t disappoint. Downtown Chicago during the summer was a very touristy place. Like many others, I visited landmarks like “The Bean” in Millennium Park and tried deep dish pizza at Giordano’s. My group hopped on the trains and buses to explore what other parts of the city had going on. We even went to a vegan festival at Chicago State University, which is roughly an hour outside of the downtown area by public transportation.

I did note some of the pros and cons of big city life. For instance, the bright lights and brand name retail stores of Chicago’s largest shopping district, The Magnificent Mile, stood in stark contrast to the city’s homeless and underprivileged residents.

Next time I would probably visit earlier in the summer to avoid the somewhat chilly days at the end of August. But the people there made the experience a little warmer.

Would I visit again? Without a doubt. Yes!

 

Cloud Gate, nicknamed The Bean, is a popular attraction for tourists visiting Downtown Chicago			Fake laughs make fun photos with friends at Navy Pier
Giordano’s stuffed deep dish pizza		At nearly 200 ft, the Centennial Wheel at Navy Pier gives riders a 360-view of Chicago and Lake Michigan		View from the Signature Room on the 95th Floor of the 100-story John Hancock Center on North Michigan Avenue