Update aus Chicago

Chicago

We landed in Chicago on 14th October at 3pm. After that we took a 1 hour train ride to the Getaway Hostel. There we had a short time to settle in and went off to get dinner right after. We were free to choose our own dinner spots within a big street full of food spots. That was the start of our journey in Chicago.

On the second day, after breakfast we went to get something to drink at Trader Joe’s so we could go and explore the city of Chicago. We took the train to the main parts of the city and walked around. We saw some statues, for example the Picasso Statue, Calderˋs Flamingo, and the Cloud Gate also called “the Bean” in Millenium Park. Sadly, we weren’t able to see the Cloud Gate up close because it was closed off due to construction work. For lunch we went to Willis Tower which is the tallest building in all of Chicago. There we had an hour to get lunch and explore the tower. After that we continued with our adventure and went on a 90-minute boat tour on Lake Michigan to get a view of the city from further away. Our tour guide‚ Bobby, explained the history of the buildings to us and on the boat we were able to walk around, get some snacks or something to drink. It was pretty windy and cold. After our boat tour we walked to Navy Pier, there we had the opportunity to ride a ferris wheel or a carousel, we were able to get something to drink and go shopping in some of the many shops. After Navy Pier we took the bus back to the train station to get back to our hostel. On the way there, we were able to get some dinner and walk around the region. In the hostel we could hang out in the lobby and talk to each other until we went to sleep.

On the third day, we took the train again and went to a park on train trails called the Bloomingdale Trail. We walked a bit on the trails before we went down to an artistic district. We had 2 hours to eat and go shopping. After that, we took the nearest train back to the hostel. We had a bit of time to rest and then we took the train to a tower called John Hancock Center. Before you could take the elevator to go on the 94th floor for a 360 degree view over Chicago, you had to get the tickets. It was a beautiful view that we were able to experience while the sun was there, setting and gone. A few of us also did the “Tilt” which is a unique experience where you lean over the city. You could also buy some merch there and walk around to take pictures. After that, we could eat at a place of our choice and then we went back to the hostel. And that was the third day.

On the last day we got ready and met at 10:30. The weather was pretty, so we went to the Lincoln Park and even walked through the zoo. At the end of Lincoln Park there was a nice beach where we stopped to take some pictures of the skyline of Chicago. Then the group went to the Magnificent Mile where we had some time to eat lunch and to go shopping. After two hours we met again and walked to Old Town which is district where a lot of Germans used to live. So then it was time to leave so we went back to the hostel, grabbed our suitcases and went to the airport.

That was our trip to Chicago!

Mara, Hannah, Leni, Anne