A WINTER WALK IN CHICAGO
Hello! I’ve been absent from the blog for over a week for a number of reasons. First off, after 4 1/2 months I’m nearing the finish line on my recent home renovation project in Big Bear Lake and have been spending an enormous amount of time on that project of late. But I also made a trip to Chicago for a very important event. I went to watch my son be admitted into the Illinois Bar Association. After 3 grueling years of law school and months studying for the Bar Exam, he finally had the distinct honor of being admitted into the Bar Association by the Chef Justice of the Illinois Supreme Court and received his law license. Those of you who are parents can appreciate the enormous relief, pride and satisfaction that comes from witnessing a child achieve success that will lead to a fulfilling future.
While in Chicago my son and his wife kept me on my feet, doing an enormous amount of walking during my 5 day visit to the Windy City. They live on Michigan Ave., and although they have a car, they are able to walk or take the train almost anywhere they need to go. I recorded the sights as we walked and thought I’d share them with you in today’s post: A Winter Walk In Chicago. Although technically it isn’t yet “Winter”, at 20° outside it sure felt like it!
Walking The Magnificent Mile
After the ceremony my son had to return to work but my daughter-in-law was free, so we took a walk along the Magnificent Mile, Chicago’s premier commercial district.
It’s one of the great avenues of the world. The vibrant, bustling area is beautiful this time of year, with sidewalks decorated for Fall.
The Magnificent Mile, located on a section of North Michigan Avenue, is home to upscale shops, luxe fashion outlets, wonderful restaurants, posh hotels and chic residential apartments. It’s considered the heart of downtown Chicago, and is an international tourist destination. Landmarks include the historic Chicago Water Tower seen below.
The historic Drake Hotel sits majestically at the very north end of the Magnificent Mile.
It is at this point that that Michigan Ave. gets closest to Lake Michigan so we strolled over to take a look. Lake Michigan is the third largest of the Great Lakes and the only Great Lake located entirely in the United States. It really gives you the impression that you are at the ocean and not a lake. Surely that’s why the Great Lakes are sometimes referred to as the “Third Coast” behind the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans.
We concluded our walk just as the sun was setting, and I captured a photo of this incredible view of the Chicago River from one of the tall buildings.
Walking Northwestern University’s Campus
On Saturday I wanted to see more of Lake Michigan so we took a drive to the suburbs, visiting the tony neighborhoods of Winnetka and Evanston. Northwestern University, a prestigious private research university is based in Evanston, so we took a walk around the pretty campus, located right on the lake. Not a bad place to study!
It must be a tradition for students to mark important events by painting the rocks along the shoreline. As you can see, it was so cold that lake water had frozen on top of the rocks.
We also had a look inside the beautiful Alice Miller Chapel, located on campus.
Walking Historic Prairie Avenue
Fast forward to Sunday when we decided to take another morning walk.
My son’s apartment is located near Prairie Avenue, the street where some of Chicago’s finest old, stately mansions are located.
Known as “Chicago’s Palaces”, this street is home to Clarke House, the city’s oldest residence, built in 1836. It is one of only a handful of homes on this street that managed to survive The Great Chicago Fire of 1871. This home is open to tours but was closed on the day we walked its spacious grounds. It was hard to believe we were right in the middle of the city!
Another such home is the Wheeler-Kohn House. Built in 1870, it is one of the finest examples of Second Empire Architecture. It is now a boutique luxury hotel called Wheeler Mansion.
At the end of the street there is a small yet stately square where residents walk their dogs and enjoy the outdoors. I wouldn’t mind living on this street!
Walking The Lakefront Trail
Prairie Avenue is only two blocks off the lake where we wanted to continue our stroll along the Lakefront Trail.
But getting there requires walking through a tunnel under busy Lakeshore Drive then crossing a bridge over railroad tracks. This route also takes you to the entrance of Soldier Field.
All of a sudden we found ourselves in a sea of humanity on their way to Soldier Field for a football game between the Chicago Bears and the Detroit Lions.
What a wild bunch of fans, already hitting the bottle hard at 10:00am!
Eventually we parted ways with the bustling crowd and reached the Lakefront Trail.
The building to the left in the photo below is the Shedd Aquarium.
Walking this trail affords a pretty magnificent view of the city.
Well that concludes our winter walk in Chicago. If you’d like to see more of my visits to Chicago check out these previous posts, and stay tuned for more posts about Chicago coming soon:
- CHICAGO ARCHITECTURE RIVER CRUISE
- GREAT CHICAGO APARTMENT DECORATED ON A BUDGET
- NOW THIS IS A FURNITURE STORE
So there you have it: A WINTER WALK IN CHICAGO
Thanks so much for dropping in!
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All opinions expressed in this post are my own. Unless otherwise noted, all photos are the original property of Celia Becker @ www.AfterOrangeCounty.com and may not be reproduced without specific permission.
