Chicago In Six Hours
When you think of America’s most eccentric and exciting cities, New York, Miami, and Las Vegas may come to mind. One city that is heavily underrated despite a lifetime of action and fun to offer is Chicago. While on a recent road trip, I had a six-hour layover in Chicago, and I will take you on this journey with me.
I started my journey through Chicago as anyone would in any city, facing the challenges of rush hour traffic and trying to find a parking spot. My parents and I battled traffic for over an hour, and once we got in the vicinity we drove around for another half an hour before we saw an open spot a mile away from our next destination. It was stressful, to say the least, but this is what you can expect when you visit a major city. After the great parking extravaganza came to a close, the rest of the afternoon and evening was a delight.
First, my parents and I decided to be spontaneous and get tickets to the Willis Tower Skydeck, which I was ecstatic about because I firmly believe that you can learn a lot about a city based on its skyline. Words can’t express how beautiful the Chicago Skyline is To the left of me there was the United Center (The Chicago Bulls Stadium), Wrigley Field, and architecture that stopped and made you appreciate the beauty; to the right, there was Lake Michigan, which looked as big as the ocean with a beautiful sun setting behind it. I walked through the Skydeck even further and discovered this crazy feature called The Ledge, a glass box that hangs directly over the city. All that was between me and the streets of Chicago was a foot of reinforced glass and 1,353 feet of space. I thought it would be kind of frightening, but it was the exact opposite. There is a famous scene in the movie Ferris Bueller's Day Off where Ferris and his friends go to this exact spot and lean their heads against the glass and take in the whole city of Chicago. As a movie fan, I stood up beside the glass and did the same thing. This truly gave me a better understanding of the city and everything that comes with it. I would rate this experience a 10/10.
The next place I visited in my quest to experience Chicago in six hours was walking along the Chicago Riverwalk. It was a cold evening in October, and I could feel the sharp cold air brushing across my skin; I was bundled up in just about a million layers. I leisurely stroll alongside the river, and it was gorgeous. It was already dark and there was a path of street lamps lighting the way. This river has so much history and overall importance to the city of Chicago. During Saint Patrick's Day, they pour thousands of gallons of green dye into the river for the celebrations. While I was walking, I saw these spectacular rustic bridges that were from when the city was first established, I passed people riding electric scooters and bikes enjoying the cold fall night, and I saw all of these amazing restaurants right on the river. This was truly a great experience, and I would give this an 8/10 only because I’m not a huge fan of the cold.
I finally capped off the night by eating at one of Chicago’s most famous steak restaurants, Smith & Wollensky’s. It was really incredible and surely one of the best meals I’ve ever had:a fifteen-ounce New York Strip Steak with a side of mashed potatoes. Delicious.It was truly an 11/10 experience, and it really showed the more fine dining scene in Chicago.
Overall I would rate the city of Chicago a must-visit place. It has everything you could want in a city; it has a unique culture, food of every kind, quality sports, and a phenomenal skyline. Enjoy and safe travels!
By Avner Belsky