Γουίλις Τάουερ: τι υπάρχει τριγύρω, πώς να φτάσετε και πότε να πάτε · 2026

DUDaria Udalovaudalova.darya · 9 Δεκ 2019Διάβασμα

Where I stayed: Holiday Jones Hostel It took me 8 hours by Greyhound bus to reach my dream city from Columbus, Ohio. I enjoyed traveling with them; the buses are comfortable, rarely full, the trip is cheap, and you can choose any seat, plus use the onboard restroom while moving. Definitely bring a jacket or a sweater, as it is very cold on the buses due to the air conditioning. In general, be prepared for the fact that in all public places, transport, and taxis, the air conditioning is often running at full power. I already wrote that you shouldn't take a large suitcase, and well, it was inconvenient for me to get around with my suitcase, a rolling bag, and a backpack because the subway is absolutely not designed for people with luggage: no elevators, no escalators, only stairs! If you are staying at the same hostel, keep in mind that there are no elevators. The receptionist helped me carry my suitcase (I didn't tip, I don't even know if I should have). The hostel is clean, the bathroom was shared per floor, but it locked from the inside. I was disappointed by the lack of a power outlet on the top bunk of the double bed. To say that I dreamed of visiting this city is an understatement. Since I was 12, I've had a photo in my memory of my friend's older sister who left for the States back in 2008 on the Work and Travel program, which I knew nothing about at the time. In the photo: her, skyscrapers, and a strange mirror object - a bean... At that moment, I felt a burning desire to visit that very city and that very place; I literally saw myself in the photo... All this time, I was sure that one day I would come to this city and see its strange futuristic symbol. First thing after checking in, I headed to Millennium Park; that's where the most popular attraction is located in the very center of Chicago - Cloud Gate. On the way, it seemed to me that very soon, the photo, already quite blurry in my memory, was about to become reality, only I would be in it. When I saw it in person, my smile knew no bounds; I couldn't believe it wasn't a dream. But it was, which made me shine and glow. Many might find such admiration for public sculpture strange, but for me at that moment, it meant only one thing - dreams come true! The next morning was foggy, and I thought it would prevent me from visiting the observation deck on the 103rd floor of the Willis Tower, so I headed to Lake Michigan. On the way, I was surprised by the number of ducks and seagulls freely walking around in the parks near the lake, like pigeons in our cities. The lake turned out to be very clean and blue, which was unexpected for urban conditions. Chicago is a city with an illusion of crime. Why? Because when you hear about it, the persona of Al Capone pops into your head, and personally, I immediately remember the Russian film Brother-2, which takes place in Chicago. The music from the film was playing in my headphones and accompanied all my walks around this city, creating a special mood and the impression that I am here, in a completely unfamiliar city, not alone, like the main character, and Chicago is not a stranger to me. But that's a plot for another movie. Closer to noon, the fog cleared, and I accomplished what I had planned - I went up to the observation deck. The view from there is impressive; you don't even believe or feel that you are so high up, of course, if you are not afraid of heights. The windows with a glass floor protruding from the building are such a popular place for photos that visitors are given only 60-90 seconds depending on the number of people in the group. What I like about such tourist places are the good souvenirs: beautiful, original, high-quality, a little more expensive - so what?! On the evening of the next day, I went to Navy Pier. Admission is free, and the view from there is worth a million dollars - a beautiful night city shimmering in lights. Look at it from the Ferris wheel – the sensations are indescribable! Three days of endless

SSSaniya Shonbayevashonbaeva99 · 6 Δεκ 2019Διάβασμα

Chicago is my love. Yes, it is my favorite city. A city I fell in love with at first sight. The city where my trips across America began. Chicago is an insanely beautiful city. I compare it to New York; they look very similar, probably because of the large number of skyscrapers, but it is much cleaner and not as hectic. When I said I wanted to stay and live in Chicago, everyone replied, "Come on, Chicago? Have you seen the winds there?" And you are saying this to a person who lived in Astana with its harsh frosts? Believe me, that doesn't stop me. In Chicago, I brought along a couple of my close friends, which made this trip unforgettable. But besides them, we met several other J-1 participants from Ukraine and Romania, with whom we had a blast. You know what you absolutely must do while in Chicago? Try deep-dish pizza and go up to the 103rd floor of Willis Tower. This pizza is made only in Chicago, and it is incredibly delicious. By the way, it is one of the tastiest pizzas in my life. I am telling you this as a pizza connoisseur. There is one place that makes the most delicious pizza in Chicago; you must go there. Address: 130E Randolph Street Willis Tower is the tallest building in Chicago, and most likely in America. The ticket price is $23, but this is not something you should save money on. You know those pictures of skyscrapers from Pinterest? Well, you will see them with your own eyes and take such pictures yourself. And you will also have the opportunity to stand on a glass floor. I thought it wouldn't be that scary, but... Have you heard that among all the skyscrapers there is a prison skyscraper? I still can't understand how a prison can be in the city center. I was so curious about what was happening inside that building that I examined it from top to bottom. And suddenly, a prisoner started waving at me from a window on the 8th or 9th floor. It was the strangest and at the same time eerie feeling. I couldn't make out his face, but I saw his silhouette and hairstyle. When I walked past, I was left with an unpleasant feeling. But in my opinion, it is worth seeing and experiencing those emotions. And, of course, at night, don't miss the opportunity to walk around Chicago at night. Such a number of lights create a romantic atmosphere. Go to the waterfront, walk around Lake Michigan. Its size is impressive, and the water is crystal clear. Perhaps, after this, you will fall in love, just like I did.

GIGera Iakuninajakunina.g · 30 Νοε 2015Διάβασμα

Part 2. Chicago. JFK again, everything is clear again. Departure, an hour of chatting with my neighbor in economy class, and I'm there. Chicago didn't welcome me with good weather... it was cold, a fine, terribly nasty rain was falling, and my rather large body was being blown away by gusts of wind. Well, that's understandable! Windy City, duh!)) And since Her Carefree Highness Hera didn't bother to check the weather in the arrival city beforehand and dressed in shorts and a tank top, she unpacked her suitcase right at the airport to get warmer clothes. In the Chicago subway, for some reason, I felt a pleasant sensation of traveling alone for the first time. That feeling when you realize you are alone on another continent, with not a single Russian speaker around you... it's an indescribable feeling. And yet, you feel completely safe. As one guy said later: "This is America! What is there to be afraid of?!" - and that's true! I only had one incomplete day in Chicago, and it was wet and cold. So I left my things at the bus station and quickly trotted to Lake Michigan and back, just to catch a glimpse of the great lake. At the station, I met some girls from Kazakhstan, and I spent the day with them. By the way, we are still in touch!) I returned here on my way back and fell head over heels in love with this beautiful city of skyscrapers, trains rumbling overhead, metal curbs, and a fresh breeze. When my bus arrived, and it was 5:40 AM, it was starting to get light... I, as a person not on friendly terms with common sense, tired, frozen, with all my belongings, firmly decided to watch the sunrise on the shore of Lake Michigan. And so, this frozen, homeless-looking girl drags herself across the entire Loop to watch the sunrise! I will never forget this sunrise!! It was probably the most beautiful thing I have ever seen! I watched as the sun slowly rolled out from behind the horizon, illuminating the coast with a reddish light, while the seagulls, in their characteristic manner, walked around with an impudent look and disturbed the dawn silence with their cries... it was delightful. Afterwards, I wandered to the hostel, finished all the formal business, and went for a walk again. I will say it again, and perhaps a thousand more times, THIS CITY IS MAG-NI-FI-CENT!!! With its architecture, its rhythm of life, its air!! People here have a spark in their eyes; they are different from New York residents! After watching the locals, I wanted to have lunch not in a cafe, but on the street, well, in a park, for example. I took my lunch and went to the coast, and just as I had settled on the lawn under a tree and started devouring my delicious meal, I was attacked by geese!!! GEESE, Karl!!! (Beautiful ones, black and white) A horde of geese surrounded me and filled me with fear! A minute later, miraculously not pecked by the birds, I was already running for my life to a safer place. Evening Chicago is a different story. The lights of the high-rises here replace the stars, which, like in any metropolis, are practically invisible. You can look at the coastline in the evening endlessly. Well, you'll see that in the attached photos. The whole next day I wandered around again, and in the evening I had a trip planned to probably the most famous landmark in Chicago - Willis Tower (Skydeck). You have to see it!! A panoramic view of this wonderful city from a height of 412 meters! The emotions there are just off the charts! I was very afraid that I would be sad and bored when I was going to Chicago, but this is not the kind of city where moments of sorrow can strike... here you enjoy every minute spent on these streets and every breath of always fresh air. So, let's get back to our sheep... that is, to my further journey to the workplace... I waited for my bus, loaded into it, and we headed towards Minneapolis, where my employers were supposed to pick me up in the morning.

VSVioletta Solodkovave-tochka · 19 Νοε 2015Διάβασμα

Our road trip was coming to an end; we had to drop off our baby (a little Nissan sedan) at the Miami airport (I should note, safe and sound) and head off on our own to a new place – Chicago. (Chicago vibes) (In Chicago, this sculpture is called the Giant Bean. Although in reality, the author was trying to show a drop of mercury a moment before falling) (Skyscrapers at night) (we took a tour of the rivers and canals of Chicago) Arriving in the city, we headed to the very center to the foot of what was once the tallest tower in the world - Willis Tower. Our new couchsurfing host, Sean, lived next to it. This time it was a fairly small apartment with two cats, Violet and Veruca (remember the gum-chewing girl and the spoiled daughter of the tycoon from "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory"?). When Sean found out that I was named after his cat, he immediately took a liking to the three of us. (Veruca the cat) For many, Chicago is associated with gangsters, Route 66, and jazz. But today, the famous route to California has been closed, the gangsters have remained in the decade of their heyday, and as for jazz, well, it is jazz. More alive than ever! For us, Chicago became the first skyscraper city. I had never seen so many high-rises per square meter before. The Willis Tower alone is worth it! Surely you have seen photos where people stand in transparent boxes with a glass floor, under which the city spreads out, where people and cars are like tiny ants. Another hallmark of Chicago is its signature pizza. It looks like a pie with cheese on the bottom and toppings on top – a kind of quiche. And of course, Chicago has a stunning gallery of modern art with famous originals of world masterpieces, where it is worth going at least for Van Gogh's "Starry Night". In parting, Kristina baked Sean Russian pancakes with jam, which he devoured with pleasure, coming home from a nightclub at 4 a.m. Just at that time, we were packing our suitcases. Sean, finishing the last pancake, asked us: "Do you know which airport your flight is from?" We hadn't even thought about the fact that there could be several airports in Chicago handling domestic flights. And then, literally a couple of minutes before leaving, it turned out that we had to go to the other end of the city – it was the wrong airport. We were incredibly happy about this, because if it weren't for Sean's concern, we would clearly have missed our flight due to inattentiveness. But our morning worries didn't end there; things got even more interesting. Arriving at the newly designated airport, we discovered that we had mixed up the departure time – instead of 8 p.m., we showed up at 8 a.m. All those stupid AM and PMs that I didn't notice when buying tickets. In Russia, of course, this would hardly have happened; it's impossible to confuse 20:00 with eight in the morning even in a drunken stupor. But what were we, sober in America, to do? Going back to the city with suitcases (and remember, we had 6 of them!) seemed insane. Hanging out at the airport for those 12 hours? We probably would have killed each other out of boredom. But the most disappointing thing was the precious time we could have spent in New York, as we had planned. The solution came to our heads quite quickly. I approached the check-in counter and began to beg the lady to let us fly earlier. She, having listened to our silly situation very carefully, without much surprise or indignation, checked in our luggage and sent it on the next flight to New York. She escorted us to the standby list and wished us luck. That's how things are done in America! Even if you miss your flight, the airline will take care of you and put you on some other flight, maybe with 4 layovers, but you will still get to your destination. (at Chicago airport) We didn't manage to fly on the first available flight. But on the second one, a couple of hours later, by some miracle, three empty seats appeared on the plane, which we successfully took and flew to a city