Exploring Chicago

From Minnesota to Illinois, we passed through Wisconsin, where we picked up some string cheese and postcards. We eventually landed (parked, I guess) in Lombard, a suburb about an hour outside of Chicago whose purple downtown area reminded me of a college friend’s similarly decorated dorm room.

The Friday post arrival, one of the girls and I hopped on the train from the Lombard station – destination: Chicago. We discovered that not all train stations have ticket booths or machines, in which case you just pay on the train when the lovely train man with the belt-o-change comes around to check tickets. Besides our one plan to visit some goat under a bridge, we allowed the day and our feet to take us where they wished.

In some ways, Chicago is a big city like any other – beautiful historic structures and museums alongside skyscrapers. On the other hand, its streets-turned-bridges set it apart from other big cities that I’ve visited. As we made our way toward Michigan Avenue, I couldn’t help but be the tourist that I was – camera in hand as I surveyed the river to my left.