Chicago Part 3

Chicago Part 3

Last day in Chicago! After grabbing breakfast and then checking out of our hotel, we took the L one stop and came out along Michigan Avenue, also known as Magnificent Mile. Magnificent Mile is similar to Fifth Avenue, where all the ritzy hotels and designer shops are lined up down the street. As we walked towards the John Hancock Center, we also passed by many historic buildings along the way, including the Fourth Presbyterian Church and Water Tower Place.

Chicago Chicago

Once we finally reached the John Hancock Center, we exchanged the last ticket in our CityPass and went up to see 360 Chicago. Even though we had already seen the Chicago skyline the previous night, it was a completely different experience seeing it in the morning.

Chicago

After we came down, we continued walking down Magnificent Mile and browsed through some of the shops along the way. Finally we made it to the Rookery Building for our tour at noon. The Rookery Building was completed in 1888 and the lobby was remodeled by Frank Lloyd Wright in 1905. I’ve been a fan of FLW since high school, so I was really excited to see some of his work during our time in Chicago. Since we didn’t have time to visit his home and studio in Oak Park, I’m glad we made it to at least one of his buildings.

Rookery

Right at noon a volunteer led our small group for a tour of the building. We started by heading outside and crossing the street to get a good view of the exterior of the building. As it was originally built as an office for a safety deposit company, the building looked massive and impenetrable from the outside. The ornamentation used on the walls was also very unique, as were the decorative rooks that were found above the doorway.

Rookery Rookery

There was a very large disconnect between the exterior and the interior of the Rookery. While the outside looked like a fortress, the inside was very spacious and welcoming. As our group made our way back into the lobby, we were led up the staircase. This area is usually closed off to the public since there are offices on the upper floors, but because we were part of the tour group, we were able to go up. I was able to catch a glimpse of the centre courtyard and the gorgeous spiral staircase that led up to the top. Overall I really enjoyed the tour and I would recommend it to anyone who visits the Rookery.

Rookery

We didn’t have a lot of time left by the time we finished the tour, so our last order was business was grabbing lunch at the Russian Tea Time. It was my first time having real Russian food so I was at a loss of what to order. I decided to pick off their lunch special menu, which included a cup of borscht soup (I’ve never seen soup so red) and one stuffed cabbage served on buckwheat kasha. We also ordered a plate of dumplings to share. A pretty yummy lunch overall. =)

Russian Tea Time

Russian Tea Time

That was probably the last thing we did in Chicago. Afterwards we took the L to Midway Airport and had some time to browse through the airport shops before we boarded our flight back to Toronto. I also got to eat the pistachio cheesecake I had bought from Magnolia Bakery prior to our departure. I’m glad the three of us were able to take a trip together and I hope there will be more in the future!

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