41. CHICAGO’S ARCHITECTURE

Chicago, Illinois

4/9/2010

After a very full day we spent the night in a Super 8 in a town called East Hazel Crest – about a half hour outside Chicago. It was by far the cheapest in the area, and it was actually pretty nice. When we got up in the morning for the breakfast there was another guy eating there too, who kept exclaiming odd things like “CBS.COM IS AN AFFLIATION OF CBS BROADCASTING!” to no one in particular.

With our bellies full we drove back into Chicago and locked the GPS into a course for the Willis Tower (née the Sears Tower). As we entered the sector of town dominated by these massive skyscrapers the GPS flipped its electronic lid. Laura and I guessed that the buildings were so high that they were blocking the satellite signals. We weren’t too worried though. Since the Willis Tower is the tallest building in the western hemisphere it was pretty hard to lose sight of and we made it there without any trouble.

We wound up arriving at the Tower about 20 minutes before it was scheduled to open to visitors and there was already a bit of a line. We stood there patiently, listening to these guys in front of us talk excitedly about Pokémon.

Eventually, we were let in and were led to the ticket desk. It is here that I should mention we didn’t need to buy tickets. Before going on the trip we purchased two “Go Chicago Cards,” which were mailed to our home. You pay a flat fee for the cards and then you can use them for free admission to pretty much all the major landmarks in Chicago. The trick is careful planning, since they are only valid for a set number of days. We bought 1-day cards, and we wound up saving about $70, so you can save a lot of money if you make a lot of use of the cards.

After the ticket desk we were led through security – which is just like you’d find at an airport. Lucky me, I set off the metal detector and I had to be pulled aside. I don’t carry any machetes or anything, but I always seem to set those things off. Finding nothing, I was released and send on my merry way.

We were then led to this big elevator which shot us up 1353 feet. All the while, a video screen presented images of the Taj Mahal, the Eiffel Tower, and other famous buildings as we ascended past their heights. It’s a pretty effective one-minute presentation.

Once leaving the elevator we were treated to an almost unbelievable panorama of not only Chicago’s great architecture, but parts of Michigan, Indiana, and Wisconsin. I was especially proud of Laura, who is deathly afraid of heights, who took it all in stride. She will never in her life be this high off the ground, so talk about facing your fears head on!

Laura did draw the line at standing in “The Ledge” – a series of transparent boxes jutting out from the building. I have to admit, it was terrifying making that first step, and I took Daniel with me – which probably disqualifies me for the “Daddy of the Year” award. Looking down, the mind can’t really take in the enormity of the drop, and I suddenly didn’t feel like I was that high off the ground at all. Very strange sensation.

P.S. FROM LAURA:

I hate heights. I thought I was going to die. It isn’t so bad until you step off the elevator, and you can feel the building move. And no, I am NOT standing on “The Ledge”. I’ve already had my near-death experience by driving through downtown Chicago. There was no thrill in it for me, except cold, cold shivers running down my spine. My men enjoyed themselves, so that’s all that counts. If you are afraid of heights, too, try not to think about the fact that you are trillions of feet off the ground, and focus on happy thoughts, like how you are going to murder your husband for dragging you there.