***CHICAGO*** Second visit to The Windy City. First Day

[Danny]

Hi guys!

From February 22th to February 27 th, my girlfriend and me visited Chicago, "The Windy-Wintry City". This was our second visit to this spectacular city. In this occasion, we wanted to experience an unforgettable week of winter in Chicago, and we got it, of course.

In our first visit, in September 2010, we fell in love with Chicago, and we promised to go back, sooner or later, but return there was our promise.

I can say we have enjoyed with this experience a lot, from our first to the last day. The city was snow-covered and really pretty.

In this first tour, we enjoyed watching Chigago´s skyline from Shedd Aquarium and Adler Planetarium, and walking along Millennium and Grant Park. As you will see, Lake Michigan was frozen, and it was spectacular.

Citizens of Chicago, you don´t know what you´ve got out there!

After taking tons of pictures, which I´ve processed carefully, this´s a resume of our visit in chronological order. I hope you enjoy:


Just arrived from Madrid, taking CTA´s Blue Line from O´Hare to the downtown:



Red Line. Harrison.







On the next morning we got up early, had breakfast at our hotel, and went out to feel the frigid temperatures. At that moment, -3F (-19C), with a wind chill of -19F (-28C). We were so happy...

A view of Chicago River from North Michigan Ave bridge:



Trump Tower. Amazing.



Marina Towers. How we missed you!







This´s the corner of N. Wabash Av with W. Lower Wacker Drive.



N. Wabash Ave and E Lake St.



Some Metra trains at Millennium Station.







Smurfit-Stone Building and One Prudential Plaza



A view from E. Randolph St. Lake Point Tower in the background.



Aqua



Two Prudential Plaza



Jay Pritzer Pavillion at Millennium Park





The Bean (Cloud Gate)







Ice Rink at Mc Cormick Tribune Plaza





The sculpture known as "Looking into My Dreams, Awilda"





Paula, Laura and Inez



Crown Fountain



A view of Chicago´s skyline from Millennium Park



Grant Park



CNA Center from Grant Park



Another views of Chicago´s skyline from Grant Park





Buckingham Fountain at Gran Park



Willis from Buckingham Fountain



South Rose Garden



A very pleasant walk across Grant Park



Branta Canadensis or Canada Goose



Turdus migratorius or American robin in Grant Park





A squirrel in Grant Park





More Canada Geese



Chicago´s skyline from John Shedd Aquarium









A frozen pier



Lakefront Trail









Spectacular winter view of Lake Michigan



Chicago´s skyline from Adler Planetarium



Amazing Willis Tower in the middle





John Hancock Center standing above



Lake Point Tower, one of our favourites buildings in Chicago



CNA again from Adler Planetarium



340 on the park, Smurfit-Stone Building and One Prudential Plaza



Chicago Harbor Lighthouse



Lake Point Tower again. I told you before it´s one of our favorites...



And John Hancock Center too



I love the density of Chicago´s skyscrapers



Man Enters the Cosmos outside Adler Planetarium



Spiral Galaxy outside Adler Planetarium



Ice formations at 12th Street Beach in Northerly Island





Amazing view of Adler Planetarium from 12th Street Beach





In front of John Shedd Aquarium



Love those decorated dolphins



Some school buses waiting outside John Shedd Aquarium



A touristic streetcar



Soldier Field Memorial



Some details of this very nice memorial









Families Memorial





Burnham Harbor







CNA and Roosevelt University



Aon Center, such a beautiful skyscraper!



Daphne sculpture in Grant Park



A CTA orange line train



Stair to go up to one of CTA stations. S Michigan Ave.



Flamingo at Federal Plaza in our way to Willis Tower





And then, we went up to Willis Skydeck, but I will show you all those photos later...

Stay tuned...

Greetings from Madrid, Spain.

[Steely Dan]

excellent shots!

bold move visiting chicago in february, especially this year. it was one of the coldest februaries in chicago history. thank god march is shaping up to be more normal.

[Ant131531]

Nice thread and some excellent shots. Did you hit up some of the neighborhoods outside of the downtown area? I haven't visited Chicago yet, but I've heard the neighborhoods are just great there, especially in the Northern part. I've always wanted to go see Lincoln Park.

[Danny]

Thanks both for your kind comments!

Steely Dan, I can tell you that visiting Chicago in the last days of February was an unforgettable experience. We enjoyed of those very low temperatures, which, I must say, they were what we were looking for. As I said before, this was our second visit to Chicago. First time, we visited it by summer, even we had the chance of swimming in the lake at Oak Street Beach. So this time was completely different, a real experience for us. This visit has made us stronger.

Ant131531, we visited some neighbourhoods around the University of Chicago, in the south side of the city. We visited Lincoln Park too and its free zoo. We spent a very special day there. And we visited Menomonee street and the area around it, but I will show all these photos later.

[streetscaper]

Great shots Danny... I love your attitude! Looking forward to the next batch.

Greetings from New York

[LosAngelesSportsFan]

Nice job!

[ColDayMan]

Great job Danny!

[OhioGuy]

Very nice to see! I'm glad you had such a great time in Chicago. I grew up in the Great Lakes region, so I'm not quite as enthusiastic about experiencing the bitter cold winters... but it's pretty cool how excited you were to experience it!

[mSeattle]

Ice Land! The cold must have been a special adventure coming from your much warmer Madrid. Thanks for sharing great pictures of your visit.

[Danny]

Originally Posted by mSeattle

Ice Land! The cold must have been a special adventure coming from your much warmer Madrid. Thanks for sharing great pictures of your visit.

Thanks for your replies!

Yes, mSeattle, the contrast was very high between temperatures in Chicago and Madrid. After arriving to Madrid, that first day, we reached a highest around 61ºF (16ºC). But, that was not enough, on the next days, temperatures have reached up to 75ºF (24ºC) on last March 8th. Spring is already over Madrid, though on the next days temperatures are going to go down again to normal values for the season.

[xzmattzx]

Nice pictures. After enduring a hard, cold winter, I can't believe someone would want to experience that. But to each his own.

Interesting how the common and mundane becomes interesting to an outsider. Squirrels and Canadian geese are so common that they are seen as pests in some aspects.

[i_am_hydrogen]

Excellent shots, Danny! Thanks for sharing!

[the pope]

no complaints here, aon center salutes you.

[MayDay]

As a native of northeast Ohio, purposely going somewhere colder for vacation is a completely foreign concept to me, but glad you enjoyed it - great photos!

[Danny]

Originally Posted by i_am_hydrogen

Excellent shots, Danny! Thanks for sharing!

Thanks a lot. It´s a true honor for me to receive congratulations from such a great photographer like you are.

[Danny]

Originally Posted by xzmattzx

Nice pictures. After enduring a hard, cold winter, I can't believe someone would want to experience that. But to each his own.

Interesting how the common and mundane becomes interesting to an outsider. Squirrels and Canadian geese are so common that they are seen as pests in some aspects.

xmattzx, what you´re used to see as mundane and common, for us is exceptional, as we´re not used to see squirrels and canadian geese in Spain´s parks. I´d love to see them daily.

To experience the frigid temperatures was very surprising for us. We´re very used to the dry, boring and very hot weather in Madrid by summer, so it´s very interesting to feel the absolutely opposite.

Thanks for your comments.

[Danny]

Originally Posted by MayDay

As a native of northeast Ohio, purposely going somewhere colder for vacation is a completely foreign concept to me, but glad you enjoyed it - great photos!

MayDay, we found what we were looking for with those temperatures and intense cold. For holidays, someone must try every season, why not? I can tell you that this experience was unusual and unrepeatable for us. We´re happy for having had the chance of knowing the winter face of Chicago.

Thanks for your comment.

[mousquet]

Originally Posted by Danny

MayDay, we found what we were looking for with those temperatures and intense cold.

Great tour. Chicago is cold enough to us indeed.

[SignalHillHiker]

Beautiful compositions, Danny. You could photograph anywhere and make it beautiful. And that city is impressive!

[mthq]

fantastic photos Danny!

Even for me in Alaska, those Chicago temperatures are wayyyyy too cold!!