I’ve been mostly off the grid (sort of) for the past five days because I took a family vacation to visit a friend in Chicago. I wasn’t completely tech-free, I used my phone to snap tons of photos of the city and my kids, and I definitely relied on it for directions (because I’d have been lost without it!). But I stayed away from web browsing, videos, and even Hive, though I did sneak on for a few minutes one night. I wanted to give my full attention to my family this weekend, especially with my oldest starting kindergarten this Wednesday (a bittersweet moment for this proud parent).
My oldest loves building things with Legos, wood, or anything else he can find—like toilet paper rolls, paper, and pipe cleaners. So, of course, we had to check out the architecture of Chicago, and what better way to do it than with a boat tour? We decided to go on the Shoreline Sightseeing architecture cruise.
We had to take cover on the lower deck with most of the other passengers for about 15 minutes when it started pouring rain. In our absent-mindedness, we left our umbrellas at our friend's place, so we did miss a few buildings. But overall, the tour was great, and my kid loved it.
The skyline was amazing, showcasing a variety of architectural styles. One of the first buildings we saw, and one of the tallest in Chicago, is the Trump International Hotel & Tower® Chicago. While I'm not a fan of Trump, this building is worth mentioning because its architect, Adrian Smith, also designed the Burj Khalifa. He is also involved in the design of the Jeddah Tower which will surpass the Burj Khalifa!
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One of my kid’s favorite buildings was the Marina Towers, mainly because its design stood out from all the others we saw. The building, along with a few similar ones, was designed by Bertrand Goldberg, who believed his buildings should foster a sense of community.
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Another iconic building we visited was the Sears Tower, though it’s now called the Willis Tower. It’s had that name for about 3 or 4 years. We went up to the Skydeck and stood on the glass floor, looking straight down, but I’ll save those photos for another time. You only get 90 seconds to take pictures before you have to wait in line if you want another turn on the glass floor.
At this point, I had basically stopped listening to the tour guide because I couldn’t absorb any more information. It was great, but it was just too much. I decided to just enjoy the rest of the tour until the very end.
I finally tuned back in towards the end of the tour as we passed near where we were staying. The St. Regis is an incredibly expensive hotel and condominium complex, with floors 71 and 72 selling for over $20 million combined! The architect of the building, Jeanne Gang, is known for designing the tallest building ever created by a female architect.
I'm not sure I’d ever spend millions on a condo, even if I owned an entire floor. It just doesn’t seem worth the money. Plus, I’m terrified of heights, so being near the windows would make me really uncomfortable.
The St. Regis is the one just barely covered by clouds. It has a pretty cool wavy design to it. After passing this location we made a U-Turn which allowed us to get to get some great skyline photos before the tour ended.
Overall, if you’re ever in Chicago, I definitely recommend this tour, it’s worth every penny. Just be sure to check the weather before you go. Rain on the boat isn’t enjoyable, and it can be uncomfortable if it’s really hot since there’s no shade and the cruise doesn’t move very fast
Some awesome pictures man! Don’t know if you have been to the city in your account namesake but it’s starting to look like that these days!
I’ve never been to Chicago and may go one day, not sure yet but I do like the architecture!
It’s awesome and important that you stayed off your phone when you were with your family and kiddos. I’ve made it a point to do that and it’s been years but I notice the dividends it pays in terms of my son. They are incredibly aware of what they see around them and will emulate that when they get older. They deserve our attention at these tender ages as much as we can give them, because at 14 or so that will change and we can use it more if we want, but this time is fleeting!
I haven’t made it to Boston yet, but I’m hoping to visit soon. Something that stood out to me about Chicago was how the buildings seemed to have a bit more space between them compared to other cities.
I totally agree that time flies by. People are often surprised when we go out to dinner, and neither of my boys is on a phone or tablet. We bring things for them to do, like drawing or coloring, but honestly, they spend most of the time talking about what’s going on around us.
The biggest thing I’ve noticed is that when we all use less technology, the kids fight a lot less and have fewer tantrums.
Oh absolutely it's so important how more receptive and responsive the kids are when they don't have the technology stimulus. We don't give our son anything technology especially when we are out. Sometimes he will use the phone to help us navigate directions but that's it. Otherwise he's singing, watching outside, or building Lego in the back seat or when we are out. What we did as kids!
At the same time, if they DO need to use technology, enabling the "night mode" on the screen is crucial. It significantly reduces the blue light exposure their eyes and brains are getting. The blue light is what is so bad for us and our brains. All of my devices have night mode turned on especially at night. The screen ends up looking orange anda little weird but it's important for our health. We sometimes will let our son use an iPad to soak in the tub a little longer and I give it to him with night mode on, regardless of the time of day and he's much less activated when that happens. Something to keep in mind!
I have never been to Chicago but it definitely looks impressive, though I have stayed in apartment in a sky scrapper, it was amazing watching a storm approach one night but it did make me feel uneasy when the storm actually arrived.
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I can imagine! I stepped out onto the balcony where we were staying, but the wind made me feel a bit uneasy, so I ended up staying inside most of the time. My kids, on the other hand, loved being out there. If they went out then I was out there with them.
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Awesome shots, love me some high-rise buildings!
Thanks! I loved them, and I really appreciated how they were a bit more spread out compared to some of the other places I’ve visited.
I have to add Chicago to my list of places to visit in the future. These skyscrapers look so familiar, even though I haven't been there. It's probably because I've seen so many Hollywood movies that I can easily recognize some of these buildings. Thanks for sharing—your stroll looked exciting!
Chicago was a lot of fun! I know the city sometimes gets a bad reputation because of what you hear in the media, and while some areas do have their challenges, there are plenty of great, beautiful places to explore.
No worries, I don't pay much attention to what mainstream media say unless someone I know/trust confirms it.
The vibe that I got from your post is that Chicago has such a unique charm. It's great to hear you enjoyed discovering the city's vibrant and beautiful spots!
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STOPThere are too many skyscrapers and they all cover the sky when looking from below. I look so small 😆