FRIDAY, JULY 14, 2017

Today we visited downtown Chicago again. We went to the south end of the Magnificent Mile and hopped onto an architecture boat tour. The boat rocked slowly over the green water as our tour guide talked about the history of the many skyscrapers along the Chicago River. Legend has it that the Chicago fire of 1871 started when a cow kicked over a lantern. Mr. and Mrs. O’Leary, the owners of the cow, were blamed for the fire. The poor O’Leary’s denied this myth because the truth is, nobody knows how the great fire actually started. At the time, Chicago’s wooden buildings and streets were a perfect opportunity for fire. Due to the dry weather and wooden city, a small fire could quickly spread. The Chicago Fire had devastating consequences. The fire left about 100,000 people homeless and 300 dead. Over 17,000 buildings were burnt to the ground.

The fire shattered many lives but made way for the second city. After the fire, architects flooded Chicago to rebuild the city. Rachael, our hilarious tour guide, explained the history of the skyscrapers as well as architectural styles and the trademark of certain well-known architects.

On the boat ride, the wind whipped around our faces. The strong gust was freezing and we shivered. Apparently, in Chicago, the weather is extremely fickle and refuses to make up its mind. “If you don’t like the weather, stick around for five minutes.” Like the common phrase quoted from the locals, in thirty minutes, the wind suddenly disappeared. The sun blazed and toasted us from head to toe. Ten minutes later the wind was back and our butts were freezing again.

After the hour-long boat ride, we were hungry and cold. We went to a restaurant called Howells and Hood, recommended by our tour guide. I ordered fish tacos and my family ordered sandwiches and burgers. The fish fillets were battered and fried to crispy perfection. The fish laid in a taco shell adorned with a tangy sauce and over a refreshing salsa/salad mix.

We rounded the corner of the street to Dylan’s Candy Bar. The place was insane! Two stories high with the most candy I have ever seen. The walls were filled with candy and huge themed decorations. The store was bustling and packed with kids. I got a huge rainbow lollipop and some Chick-O-Sticks. Chick-O-Sticks are pretty much my favorite candy ever. They are sweet and crunchy with peanut butter and a bright orange exterior rolled in coconut shreds. My brother got Airheads gum and money mints.

After gorging on candy to our heart’s content, we walked to the Millennium Park. There was a beautiful stage under a twisted silver sculpture. We had arrived right before a public classical concert. It was relaxing, very relaxing. I started to feel a little sleepy.

After the concert, we went to see the Silver Bean. Formally known as, Cloud Gate. But it really does look like a bean. If you look up at your reflection in the belly of the Bean, the metal reflects to look like many universes.

 

-Mackenzie