My Trip to Chicago

My trip to Chicago, IL…. Where do I begin haha

As a photographer there are certain locations, places, and destinations that will spark your interest and fit your style.. Chicago, was one of them. I had always wanted to go to Chicago, I heard so many things about this city good, and bad. I wouldn’t let the bad stop me. To star off here are some cool & interesting facts about Chicago:

1. Chicago was one of the first and largest municipalities to require public art as part of the renovation or construction of municipal buildings, with the passage of the Percentage-for-Arts Ordinance in 1978.

2. The Willis Tower (formerly Sears Tower) is the tallest building in the Western Hemisphere at 110 stories high. Its elevators are among the fastest in the world operating as fast as 1,600 feet per minute.

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3. The first televised U.S. presidential candidates’ debate was broadcast from Chicago’s CBS Studios on September 26, 1960, between John Fitzgerald Kennedy and Richard Milhous Nixon.

4. The “Historic Route 66” begins in Chicago at Grant Park on Adams Street in front of the Art Institute of Chicago.

6. Four states are visible from the Skydeck Chicago (formerly the Sears Tower Skydeck). Indiana, Illinois, Michigan & Wisconsin.(seen in picture below)

When I landed in Chicago, I was with my Uncle, who is just like me in every aspect. We wanted to explore. The first thing we did on our taxi ride to our hotel, was scout locations. We wanted to see everything and anything, during our stay! So, we did! We walked roughly 27 miles that day, going all over Chicago, trying different forms of transportation, looking up, down, right, left, and every angle… We wanted to see everything.

I am from the Bay Area, and I love my city….. but Chicago took my heart. The people, the food, the history, everything fascinated me so much. I felt like a 5 year old boy in a candy/toy car store. Okay, now for the reason why I was in Chicago… It wasn’t just for fun, I had been hired to cover a very important event. Although, I knew I had a job to do, I was so focused on the perfection of Chicago.. I was truly amazed!

During my stay in this beautiful city, I stayed at a hotel that goes by the name of The Drake. Now if you haven’t heard of it, it is a very exquisite, upscale, fancy, 5-Star spot. Here is a little history about it!

-In 1920, on New Year’s Eve, 2000 Chicagoans attended The Drake’s opening night. It became the most talked about hotel in the country. The Gold Coast Room hosted lavish floor shows and big bands. The depression hit and then prohibition—but the bands played on. At prohibition’s end the Coq d’Or, Drake’s famous bar, stocked 200,000 gallons of whiskey for an all-night celebration.

-During WWII, The Drake was used to house the military. Refurbished at war’s end, she continued as Chicago’s grand dame. By 1980, however, she was none-too-gracefully showing her age.

-In 1981, The Drake was listed on the National Register of Historic Places. She also found, in Hilton International, the rich admirer she needed to restore her to her former glory. Hilton, like many a suitor, underestimated the cost of keeping its new love in style. They had planned a lavish $4 million restoration and $41 million later, they are still at it.

(entrance to lobby check in)

After my stay, I have always wanted to go back. There are so many things I have not talked about in this post. I could ramble on for hours about how great this city is! I hope to visit Chicago soon, and take more pictures, and explore more of its history.