Chicago is a big-time sports town with die hard fans for their Bears, Bulls, Cubs, and the World Champion Chicago White Sox. Even if you don’t like baseball, you’ll have the time of your life just like Ferris Bueller as you take in a Cubs game at Wrigley. The Windy City does a nice job blending in the new while maintaining its old world charm. Incorporated as a town in 1833, Chicago has grown to be the nation’s third-largest city (with a population of more than 3 million), the birthplace of the first skyscraper and one of the few international US cities. Chicago today offers a truly cosmopolitan flare that adds to any visitor’s big-city adventure – a beautiful city in the Midwest heartland that radiates a spirit of energy.

With 77 neighborhoods (yes, we did say 77), you can go from one to the next in a split second before you realize you’re in a different area with completely new sights and sounds. Having unmistakable character, each of this city’s neighborhoods brings a whole new array of shops, restaurants, attractions, historical elements, and intrigue.

Because there are so many things to do, it is hard to know where to go in Chicago. Why not get an overview of the city from 1,000 feet at the John Hancock Center’s observation deck. Or try the 103rd floor of the Sears Tower. On a clear day you can see 40 - 50 miles. On the Sears Tower Skydeck you’ll find museum-quality exhibits highlighting Chicago’s history and historic individuals.

For museum lovers, the Field Museum, located at Chicago’s Museum Campus, was designed for the “accumulation and dissemination of knowledge.” It was designed to house the biological and anthropological collection for the World’s Columbian Exposition of 1893. It has grown since that time through exchange, purchase and world-wide expeditions. The Museum’s permanent exhibits include topics such as bird habitats, African culture, gems, fossils, animal biology, sea mammals, Native American cultures and much more.

If you love architecture, visit Frank Lloyd Wright’s house and studio. The historic house museum has been restored to its 1909 appearance. If that isn’t enough architecture for you, visit the Magnificent Mile, the name given to the stretch along Michigan Avenue from the Chicago River to Oak Street. The Magnificent Mile offers 460 stores, 275 restaurants, 51 hotels, 2 unique museums and a variety of sightseeing and entertainment attractions. Trees and flower-filled medians are some aesthetic enhancements that compliment the unique architectural beauty of Chicago.

Shopping on Michigan Ave. is truly magnificent, so make sure you work that into the plan.