The other week I took a tour that started in Chicago, Illinois, then found its way to Mackinac Island and The Grand Hotel in Michigan and then departed from Detroit, Michigan. This post is simply about my first time 24 hours in the windy city.

What I learned about Chicago is that it’s a multicultural city that thrives on harmony and diversity. That the city embraces the values of America’s heartland which are integrity, hard work and community and that those ideals are reflected in the social fabric of its 77 district neighborhoods.

I also learned that Chicago is a very passionate Sports town and has extensive parklands that attracts an estimated 86 million visitors annually.

So here are some images from the windy city where I saw not one homeless person, not a paper on the ground and endless stretches of beaches and parks.

I stayed at The Hyatt Regency Hotel which was a really good location with the view of the Lakefront right in front of the hotel.

Off State Street I bought a ticket on The First Lady to take a Chicago River Cruise to learn about all the types of architecture that makes up the city. The cruise was voted one of the best boat tours in the United States by US Today.

Then I had a lovely lunch in the Lakefront Area at O’Briens, a fun Irish pub.

Then it was off to State Street to visit Macy’s to see how Chicago’s Macy’s was different than New York’s Macy’s. Yes, there was a big difference. It was far smaller, far less merchandise and the store seemed very old, old, old,

Next morning we had a morning tour with the group that I traveled with.

Our first stop was Wrigley Field, home of the Chicago Cubs!

Our next stop was Millennium Park which is Chicago’s Central Park. It was super lovely and delightful to visit.

And last but not least we got a great view of the Chicago Skyline from afar.

All in all it was a whirlwind of a 24 hours but I feel that I got the vibe of the city and it was all good, all congenial and all definitely worth a visit!