By Water and in the Air

Hello Sunshine - Chicago greeted us on the first morning with pure sunshine. However, we quickly realized that it was still f****** cold. The temperatures of -3°C feel much colder here due to the wind than expected. So, we put on our snowsuits and off we went....

First, we headed to a camera store because Steffi realized in horror on the flight that her camera was peacefully resting at home on the living room table. So, we quickly needed a new one. Said and done.

The plan for the day was initially a river & lake boat tour. However, the newly acquired camera had to be quickly plugged into the charging socket in the hotel room. Since we passed by Millennium Park and "the Bean" (the proper name of the sculpture by British artist Anish Kapoor is 'Cloud Gate') on the way there, we couldn't resist taking a few photos in this glorious sunshine. Originally, this area was planned for another day. But plans are made to be abandoned. We also took in the historic beginning of Route 66 along the way.

Then quickly to the 28th floor and charge the camera. Swiftly back down and to the Wendella boat tour dock - which is practically on our doorstep. We arrived there just in time at 10:15 a.m. and took a seat on deck. It will be fine for 1 1/2 hours...

The tour started along the river surrounded by numerous skyscrapers. Marc, the guide, was passionate about it and had a story for every building. It also turned out that we were on the first tour of the 2017 season. Fortunately, the sun was still shining, so we could stay outside. It was a bit cold, but we thought we could handle it.... Until we got to Lake Michigan and realized: it's even colder. First, we passed through the lock as the water level had to be equalized between the river and the lake. There was already a stronger wind blowing here than on the river. When we went out onto the lake, we could only tolerate it outside for a few photos before fleeing into the interior of the boat as icicles. By then, our hands were no longer part of our bodies but rather numb limbs at the ends of our arms. However, the view of the Chicago skyline was amaaaaaazing. The skyscrapers and Navy Pier with a Ferris wheel were nestled between the blue sky and turquoise water. The boat traveled along the coast in both directions, offering views from different perspectives. This tour is absolutely recommended. Maybe in June though!? :)

After the tour, we quickly retrieved the camera from the room and devoured spare ribs at the Weber Grill Restaurant (Stefan will address this separately). The new camera was now set to accompany us to the next item on the agenda: the John Hancock Building. Here, on the 94th floor, was the 360° Chicago Observation Deck. From up there, we had a breathtaking view of the entire Chicago, the lakeshore, and the seemingly endless Lake Michigan. The sun was still our constant companion. We had purchased the 'Sun and Stars' ticket in advance, so we could race 300m into the air for a second time with the fastest elevator in North America when it got dark.

We bridged the interim period with a shopping trip to Macy's and an extensive walk along the coast towards the north to the Chicago city beach. However, at this time of year, it's almost deserted.

After the 2nd visit to the observation deck and several photos of the illuminated city on the memory card, we headed to the hotel. Our feet were very thankful.

A wonderful, sunny, cold day had come to an end, and we fell asleep exhausted.