C is for...Chicago

Illnois, U.S.

The Oprah Empire expands outwards from here. Rapper Common spun words about it on his track, “Chi City.” Barack Obama called it home. So did that talk show stud, Jerry Springer. And now, I too, have a (little, 10-hour-layover) piece of Chicago in my heart.

The only way I could get a cheap flight to Europe was to stop here for nearly half a day. One of my girlfriends had just returned from an Oprah taping and raved about the city, so I decided to take a ride on the L-Train and head downtown.

I picked a random stop in the Loop (the downtown core), found a Rite Aid and bought a map for $7.99, which isn’t cheap but it was 3-D. So don’t judge.

My first stop was Millennium Park. Actually it was a rejuvenation stop at Starbucks, since my flight from Toronto had been at 6 a.m. Then I went to the park. Greenspaces like these, I must admit, make me wish I lived somewhere other than Toronto. T.O., I love you, but your parks are kind of hurting.

Millennium Park has fountains with live pictures of Chicagoans’ faces on them. It has this massive cloud shaped gate made of steel where you can see your reflection, increasingly distorted the closer you get. It has a Frank Gehry-designed overpass that was probably a distraction to most drivers when it was first unveiled. I would pay big bucks to listen to a concert -- with few exclusions -- at the park’s outdoor pavilion.

I finished my park tour and fell asleep on one of the benches for an hour (Mom would be so proud). After another caffeine jolt, I walked the Millennium Mile, a shopping heaven that spans more than a dozen blocks. I managed to buy only one shirt, for $6. (Mom would be so proud. Actually.) I then spent the equivalent or more on ice cream at the Ghirardelli Chocolate store (which should have come to Canada before Abercrombie & Fitch).

I walked back across town to get a view from the Sears Tower, since renamed the Willis Tower, Chicago’s tallest skyscraper and the fifth tallest in the world. They wanted $12 to ride the elevator to the top, and seeing as I hadn’t even landed in Europe yet, I decided to save the dough. Nice lobby though.

Blisters abounding, I hopped back on the L-Train. In my short time there, Chicago had blown me away. I guess that’s why they call it the Windy City.

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