The next day we took a journey by foot to the ‘Magnificent Mile’ the shopping district of Chicago. The Magnificent Mile has over 460 stores, 275 restaurants, 51 hotels, 2 unique museums and a host of other things. Department stores like Macy’s, Bloomingdale’s, Neiman Marcus, Saks Fifth Avenue, Nordstrom, Lord & Taylor, boutiques like Cartier, Hermès, Giorgio Armani, Salvatore Ferragamo, Ermenegildo Zegna, Burberry and Tiffany & Co. Hotels like The Peninsula Chicago, Park Hyatt Hotel, Four Seasons Hotel Chicago, Ritz-Carlton Chicago and Le Meridien Chicago. Also to be found are horse drawn carriages, different varieties of flowers in the pavements, street players and colorful tourists.
We went to Macy’s situated on State Street, which is the 2nd largest department store in the world and is also a national historic place. Macy’s offer shopping and dining with tradition. You find some of best international brands like Frango, Marc Jacobs, Levenger , crystal and bone china items, a beauty department, wine and chocolates, sports items, jewelry , designer items and places to dine like the ‘Walnut Room’, serving since 1907 at the seventh floor. In every place you find an attendant eager to help you and at the entry and exit points you find well built security guards assisting your entrance and exit.
From there we went to Hershey’s Chocolate Shop where a variety of chocolates, different in size, shape and rate providing one ample opportunity to choice from. Also available are souvenirs, cake and pasties and coffees. We were lucky for the special offer – $ 10 for 3 packets of Chocolates, actually $ 10 plus taxes.
We usually bought our necessary articles from the 7 – Eleven shops which offered a huge array of things ranging from Pencil batteries, Water, Juices to Ready to eat sandwiches, burgers etc. Form such a store we purchased a 3 days validity CTA pass entitled to travel end number of times by Bus and Train run by CTA. As the bus stop was nearby to our hotel we studied the route and boarded the bus with the route 147 which had the longest route from this stop. Five of us were the only passengers to board the bus driven by a lady driver. After asking the ladies from where we are, she jokingly said “Do you have lady bus drivers in India? If No, then you have to get down.” As we moved through the rods of Chicago the bus was filled up with passengers but never was the bus getting overcrowded. The bus moved to the outskirts of Chicago and passes by the side of the Lake Michigan. The roads are less crowded and the driver took the liberty to press the accelerator paddle more. The picturesque beauty is beyond any words for describing. People enjoy a lot on the shores of the lake – some are jogging, some are cycling, some are sun bathing, and so on.
We got down from the bus to visit Dominick – a one stop shop for all household goods – processed foods, vegetables, fruits, juices, meat, fish, electronic goods, flowers, souvenirs, wine and alcohol, biscuits, cakes, ready to eat sandwich, burgers etc. etc. One thing that amazed us was the size of the tomatoes, onions and fruits like apple, we stand a poor cousin in front of them. Then we had a stroll in the place and found some Indian shops there too; as the area had considerable Indian population.
We came back in the same bus but the route was a bit away from the lake. We got down at 875 North Michigan Avenueto visit the John Hancock Center. This 100-story, 344 meter tall skyscraper was designed by Mr. Fazlur Khan, a Bangladeshi-American structural engineer. It was completed in 1969, and is the sixth-tallest in the United States. It stands at 459 meter when measured with the antennas at the top. Residential floors start from 44th to the 92nd floor with a swimming pool in the 44th floor. In the top there is a band of white lights which changes colours for different events. For example, Christmas – green and red.
The observation deck is in the 94th Floor called the Hancock Observatory. A ticket costs $ 14 and you take the elevator to reach the observatory in the 94thfloor in mere 39 seconds. Oh, what a breathtaking view of the Chicago City, Lake Michigan and the nearby areas. With a Multimedia Headphone detailing all the information’s one has to enjoy the view and click pictures. A special meshed-in area is there to feel the real life situation in the 94th floor, the winds at 314 meter above ground level. One can also buy souvenirs and have a bite while enjoying a 360 degree view.
In the 95thfloor a restaurant, named as “The Signature Room on the 95th Floor” is there for one to go and have a cup of coffee and have a view of the city, if one doesn’t want to shell out $ 14.