The Windy City - Chicago

It's not called the Windy City because of the weather, it's because Chicagoans are filled with Hot Air or at least thats what the New Yorkers claimed in the late 1800s when they were opponents for the upcoming World's Fair. Chicago won and built the largest and first ferris wheel. Instead of baskets holding 2-6people they used rail way carriages. Unfourtunatley it couldn't stand the chicago winter and was demolished in the early 1900s. There's your history lesson for the day.

On the first night we got all social with our hostel & went on a pub crawl. This is us at a bar called 'crocodile' where for every drink you buy you get a free pizza. It was so good we went back on Monday night for dinner. 

This is our Tour Guide. Such a creepy/hilarious guy.

This is Dawson from Victoria in Canada. We don't know his real name but he is a spitting image of Dawson from Dawson's Creek. 

Ewww Jager Bombs. 

Tourist photographs... They have heaps of big bronze statues everywhere in Chicago this one is of Christopher Columbus.

The skyline from the Aquarium.

Pretty amazing aquarium, had everything including Beluga Whales and a dolphin show =D but I couldn't be bothered taking photos because you can't flash ze fishies and all the photos were blurry =(

Abraham Lincoln. They called Illinois the Land of Lincoln but he wasn't even born there. He just ran for the senate there. And he abolished slavery that's why they love him so much.

Fountain at the Art Institute.

Lions at the Art Institute.

A fountain in Millenium Park. 

THE CLOUD. Actually the best thing ever, I came here in the morning when I was running and there was like 3 people here it was so much better.

Underneath it. 

Typical Chicago street - a fancy old building (the library), a subway station and a university.

One night we went to the baseball. We saw the Cubs versus Atlanta at Wrigley Field (apparently the nicest stadium in America). The Cubs lost by 1. Lucky we had a really nice group of people behind us who got us up to speed on the rules. It was super fun and you never have to leave your seat, because there is so many nut/hot dog/beer sales people walking around. Cost us only $30 for tickets and our seats were pretty swell, but we didn't catch any balls. They hit about 15 into the crowd. 

Open this photo large - the bottom floors are the strangest car garage.

The Chicago River. The die it green for St Patricks Day and it was the first river to have it's flow reversed by man in the world. They did this so the people of Chicago could throw their rubbish in the river and it not go into Lake Michigan (which they drink from). By reversing the flow the rubbish flowed down the Mississippi to St Louis and that is why Chicago & St Louis are sporting rivals and generally hate each other. 

From the top of the John Hancock Observatory. 

LEGO LAND!

Our wonderful creation

At the bottom of this tower (the Tribune) there is famous rocks from all over the world stuck into the walls. Like part of the Berlin Walls, The Vatican, etc there are hundreds!

Another typical Chicago Street - check cashed, a hot dog stand, an ugg australia ad and a beer ad. 

The Field Museum. My mummy's home...

 

Wow Mummy you've aged so much in 2 months. 

AN ACTUAL MUMMY! They had so many of these it was so gross and creepy.

Hilarious Taxidermy.

A Mammoth!

Open this big and look on the top of the torch. What are the odds?!

Our Hostel. Yep thats the Subway. It is sooooo loud in Chicago when the trains pass over you you have to stop your conversation because the person next to you cannot hear you. Lucky we are both heavy sleepers. 

From the top of the Sears/Willis Tower at Night it was so beautiful and then there were fireworks at Navy Pier. I need a SLR so badly. Someone give me $2000 =(

Standing on the sky deck =S it was actually so scary. 

At the top of this building is Oprah's Chicago Penthouse. She brought it off Michael Jordan and its now for sale, only $4.5million. 

A beautiful Church. 

The Original Playboy Mansion! It used to have a basement pool with a swim up bar. But now its a carpark. 

Bicycle Tour!

Abraham Lincoln at Lincoln Park. 

FLAMINGOS! at the Free Zoo.

The cutest cat ever.

Lonesome Biker. LC was too sick to come =(

Tour Guide.

Lake Michigan. I jumped into the lake that day too. 

The Art Institute.

Jackson Pollock.

Paul Gauguin.

Monet - they had about 20 of his works. Crazy shit.

Van Gogh, they also had about 20 of his!

Party by the lake. For Grace and Alison =)

In Washington DC now. 

And yes we survived a Hurricane. It was so weak like some rain what of it? Fucking Irene ruined 1 whole day of sight seeing!

Loves xxx