Chicago Exit

 

For the third time this trip, the weather turned on us as we were leaving town. Chicago had been hot and humid during our stay, but rain descended overnight and continued into the morning, making our dash to the train station with our baggage pretty sketchy.

We made it to the station relatively unscathed. Fortunately, the 'L' is under cover at O'Hare International Airport, so that was the end of our battle with the weather.

We found some breakfast at the airport before boarding our flight to Washington, D.C.. We have somehow managed outrun winter again!

Griffin Museum of Science and Industry

Harry and I headed to the Museum of Science and Industry while Kerri did her own thing around the city. The MSI is a bit of a bus ride south of our hotel, but well worth the trip. Our first impression was simple... WOW! There was so much to see and do.

Just inside the museum, the Swiss Jolly Machine was created as a travel advertisement for the Swiss National Tourist Office.

Chicago's Museum of Science & Industry is a premier attraction for lovers of science and innovation. The largest science museum in the Americas, it rivals Munich's Deutsches Museum and features a mix of iconic artifacts and hands-on exhibits. We immediately saw the steam train at ground level & the Boeing 727 suspended on the first floo.

The Boeing 727 features working flaps and landing gear. Visitors can board the aircraft at that level and view the cockpit. The port engine has been cut away to reveal its inner workings, allowing you to see the different components in action, he turbine even spins, bringing the mechanics of flight to life.

Below the Boeing 727 is a massive 325 m² HO-scale model railroad. It depicts a 3,500 km journey from Chicago to Seattle, featuring 425 metres of winding track, with more than 30 trains running simultaneously through mountains, cities, and forests.

The city models aren’t exact replicas, but they’re still very recognisable. For example, the inclusion of the Space Needle, along with several familiar skyscrapers and the port, makes it clear that the scene represents Seattle.

As with the Seattle model, the Chicago section features plenty of easily recognisable skyline monoliths. The most prominent is the Willis Tower, but there are many other familiar buildings that make the city instantly identifiable.

Of course, no model of Chicago would be complete without the 'L'.

One of the more interesting interactive displays is the 40-foot tornado simulator within the “Science Storms” exhibit, where visitors can manipulate a swirling vortex of air and vapour. Using interactive controls, it demonstrates the physics behind tornado formation, making the science both engaging and easy to understand.

Another impressive display is the periodic table, which includes samples of every element along with real world examples of their uses.

The Farm Tech section also draws attention, featuring modern agricultural equipment and an interactive harvester simulator.

There were many more interactive exhibits, but I have few photos due to the poor lighting. We did shell out for the flight simulator, at Harry’s insistence, where he had us literally upside down for a good portion of the ride.

Beneath the museum lies the German submarine U-505, a Type IXC German U-boat captured in 1944. Now a National Historic Landmark, it’s the only one of its kind in the United States. It does feel slightly out of place, something you might expect to find in a dedicated military museum rather than a science and technology institution, but its scale and history make it a fascinating and memorable exhibit.

Having worked our way through just about every exhibit (some two or three times), we headed back to the hotel, opting to take a Metra train for something different. While we were waiting on the platform, we spotted a coyote sitting right on the railway line, ironic, considering how difficult they had been to find in Yellowstone National Park.

The Magnificent Mile

 

To end the day, we walked the Magnificent Mile, admiring its luxury shops, landmark hotels, and architecture.

The highlight was the LEGO Store, complete with a detailed LEGO model of the Willis Tower. The shop is far more impressive than our local one in Australia. 

Next door to the LEGO Store Chicago is Unicorn World, a colourful and sparkly children’s boutique, unapologetically targeting rainbow princesses as its customers.

We also stopped by It'Sugar Chicago, a candy lover's paradise packed with every sweet imaginable. This type of store seems unthinkable back home in Australia.

Just as we turned the corner towards our hotel, we spotted the massive four-storey Starbucks Reserve Roastery.

We knew we were getting close to our hotel as we began crossing beneath the elevated tracks of the 'L'.

Skydeck - Willis Tower

 

Perched on the 103rd floor of the Willis Tower, the Skydeck delivers sweeping, unobstructed panoramas of Chicago, the vast Lake Michigan, and the wider metropolitan region, stretching across Illinois and three neighboring states.

Conditions could not have been better for visibility, with clear skies and no trace of haze or pollution to dull the view.

Millenium Park.

From the Skydeck, we had a great view of the museum campus at the far end of Grant Park. The standout features are easy to pick out, the brown dome of the Adler Planetarium at the tip of the peninsula, the Shedd Aquarium in the middle with its distinctive semi-circular atrium housing the Abbott Oceanarium, and the sheer scale of the Field Museum.

Stepping onto 'The Ledge', a glass balcony that juts more than a metre beyond the building's exterior, sparked of nostalgia, recalling a scene from Ferris Bueller's Day Off.

The Shedd Aquarium

 

After our visit to the Field Museum, we headed back to the Museum Campus, this time to explore the Shedd Aquarium. Although the building itself isn't especially large, it cleverly accommodates around 1,500 aquatic species within a series of impressive habitats.

We arrived at the Shedd Aquarium right as it opened and stopped at the Stingray Touch Lagoon just inside the entrance. The lagoon features both stingrays and eagle rays, and getting up close to these graceful creatures was a cool, hands-on experience.

Once inside the building, we made our way down to the Abbott Oceanarium, home to the beluga whales and Pacific white-sided dolphins.

The belugas were cruising around, seemingly just as interested in us as we were in them.

These unique creatures captivate with their gracefulness, agility, and, most of all, their intelligence.

Sharing the Abbott Oceanarium is an acrobatic pod of Pacific white-sided dolphins, instantly recognisable by their striking black-and-white markings.

We stayed for a while and watched the dolphins run through a series of skills with their trainers. They are an incredibly active and agile species, bursting with energy.

From the underwater viewing area under the Oceanarium, we could watch the belugas and dolphins from below the surface—where they are truly in their element.

Adjacent to the underwater viewing area is the Polar Play Zone, home to both Southern rockhopper and Magellanic penguins.

The Abbott Oceanarium can be quickly transformed into a show arena by dropping curtains in front of the panoramic windows overlooking Lake Michigan. Images and videos are then projected onto the curtains, creating a colourful backdrop.

We moved up to the main floor of the Shedd Aquarium, where an array of large aquariums showcases wildlife from a wide range of ecological zones across the planet. The variety is staggering, with aquatic plants and animals displayed in an expansive and thoughtfully designed space.

From vibrant tropical reefs to Amazonian freshwater rivers, each exhibit offers something completely different.

The Wild Reef, features a vast enclosure filled with sharks, rays, and a host of large fish, including grouper.

The Shedd Aquarium is a surprisingly impressive facility, especially considering the relatively small footprint available.

As we left the Shedd Aquarium, we discovered that some of the best views of the city are from the Museum Campus. The only way to truly take in the full skyline is from a bit of distance, where the skyscrapers come together as a single, impressive panorama.

On our way back into the city, we stopped at the Eleven Diner, a well-known local favorite that quickly lived up to its reputation.

We enjoyed burgers, fries, and a sandwich, all flavorful, well-priced, and satisfying. With friendly service and quirky décor, it felt like a true Chicago hidden gem. I had food envy when I saw a Rueben Sandwich on a neighbouring table.