Tips and Ideas for Visitors & Travelers Visiting USA

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Visitors to Chicago, USA

Chicago is often called The Windy City, is the largest city in the Midwest and the third most-populous city in the United States.  Chicago has something for offer every type of visitor, and is a popular tourist attraction in the U.S. with more than 32 million domestic leisure travelers and over 1 million overseas visitors to USA visiting Chicago every year. Chicago is located at the southwestern tip of Lake Michigan, which is part of the Great Lakes.

While undoubtedly one of the United States’ major metropolises, Chicago is a major transportation hub and airline travel is available from just about every U.S. city. O’Hare International Airport is the second-busiest airport in the world, and Midway Airport also sees a great deal of air traffic. The Chicago Transit Authority’s rapid transit rail system, locally known as the L, serves both O’Hare and Midway, making travel from either airport to downtown Chicago a breeze. Taxis are also available from both airports. The Greyhound bus system has many intercity buses to Chicago and the Amtrack train system has many trains to and from the Chicago Union Station.

Chicago offers something in every season, but the peak season for travel to Chicago is the Spring, through Summer and up to late Fall season from April through December, with throngs of visitors flooding the windy city for popular summer events such as Taste of Chicago. Chicago has notoriously cold winters, but cost-conscious travelers willing to brave the elements can take advantage of promotions from hotels and cheap airfare during the low season from January through March.

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Chicago features a wide variety of attractions to tempt every type of traveler. In terms of culture, the city is home to critically acclaimed theatre and comedy troupes. Chicago also prides itself on its historic Cultural Center and Museum Campus. The Cultural Center, erected in 1897, originally housed the Chicago Public Library and now features various galleries and exhibit halls that highlight rotating exhibits, as well as the city’s Visitor Information Center. The Museum Campus encompasses the Adler Planetarium & Astronomy Museum, the Field Museum of
Natural History, and the Shedd Aquarium.

While the vast offering of attractions can make it difficult for travelers to choose how to spend their time in Chicago, visitors and locals alike agree that there are certain must-dos in the Windy City. Recommendations typically include the following attractions, in no particular order. Navy Pier, with its stunning Ferris wheel, shopping and dining, and excursion boats; Wrigley Field, home of the Cubs and the United States’ second-oldest major league ballpark; the Museum Campus, which hosts exhibits for all ages; and the Skydeck at the Willis Tower (formerly Sears Tower), where visitors can take in 360 degree views of up to four states from over 1300 feet above ground level.

Chicago lays claim to franchises in all four major sports leagues including the Major League Baseball teams Chicago Cubs and Chicago White Sox, the National Hockey League team Chicago Blackhawks, the National Basketball Association team Chicago Bulls, and the National Football League team Chicago Bears. The Wrigley Field is the home of the Cubs which is the second oldest active major league ballpark, and the Chicago Marathon is one of the five World Marathon Majors. Chicago’s football history goes back to the 1930’s and the Chicago Bears play at the newly renovated Soldier Field located on the shore of Lake Michigan just south of downtown. The Chicago Bulls and the Chicago Blackhawks play at the United Center which is a tourist stop for those wanting to see a life-sized bronze statue of former Bulls’ star Michael Jordan.

Chicago pays homage to Mother Nature with its 7300 acres of municipal parkland, including 29 public beaches along historic Lake Shore Drive. Visitors to these beautiful beaches can enjoy bike rentals and a refreshing dip in Lake Michigan. Lincoln Park stretches 5.5 miles along the waterfront and features the Lincoln Park Zoo, which is home to more than 1,000 animals. Grant Park, flanked by the Museum Campus, is home to the beautiful Buckingham fountain and also hosts the immensely popular Taste of Chicago culinary event each summer. Millennium Park, one of the city’s newest additions, offers visually stunning attractions such as the stainless steel Cloudgate sculpture, while also providing for ice skating in the winter and the interactive Crown fountain in the summer.
 
Navy Pier once again highlights the importance of Lake Michigan as a defining factor in Chicago’s identity, and, as Chicago’s number one tourist attraction, is certainly not to be missed. The 3,000 foot long pier has a 150 foot-tall Ferris wheel that attracts more than 8 million people annually. Navy pier is also home to various exhibitions throughout the year and is an embarkation point for tour and excursion boats, such as the popular Tall Ship Windy.Navy Pier has been a Chicago landmark since it opened in 1916.It now showcases a unique collection of restaurants, shops and plenty of entertainment. At Navy Pier you’ll find the Chicago Children’s Museum, an IMAX theater, an indoor botanical park Crystal Gardens, the Chicago Shakespeare Theater and Smith Museum of Stained Glass Windows.

The Art Institute of Chicago is one of the world’s great art museums, with collections dating from 3,000 B.C. through the present, including famous French Impressionist paintings and drawings; fine and decorative arts from America, Europe, Africa, Asia and Latin America; photography, textiles and architectural works. The Chicago Botanical Garden is a world-renowned garden and is located in a 385-acre, living museum features 23 specialty gardens set on a series of islands and lakes. The Garden is always in bloom, featuring year-round exhibits, festivals, tours and special events.

The Field Museum is another Chicago landmark where you can discover Sue, the largest and most complete T-rex ever found! At The Field Museum, you can get a bug’s-eye view in Underground Adventure, descend into an Egyptian tomb, watch a glowing lava flow, be dazzled by sparkling gems, come nose-to-nose with the man-eating lions of Tsavo, and learn about the worlds cultures and environments. The Shedd Aquarium houses the world’s largest indoor aquarium offers more than 22,000 aquatic animals from around the world.

At the Chicago Children’s Museum there are hands-on exhibits and new activities daily make every visit unforgettable for toddlers to ten year olds and adults also. Visitors to Chicago will want to check out the Legoland Discovery Center and thrill seekers of all ages can face their fears and take in the wondrous views provided by Skydeck Chicago at the Willis Tower (formerly Sears Tower). Cultural enthusiasts will relish the city’s renowned comedy and theatre troupes.

The Frank Lloyd Wright Home and Studio complex located in Oak Park, Illinois is just outside Chicago and  has served as Wright’s private residence, studio and architectural laboratory during the first twenty years of his career from 1889 to 1909. The Frank Lloyd Wright Preservation Trust offers guided interior tours of the Home and Studio.

Perhaps Chicago’s most identifiable claim to fame resides in its architecture, and the city is a veritable museum of modern architecture. Best view of Chicago from one of the world’s tallest buildings.The Sears Tower Skydeck offers a free touch and tell computers featuring Chicago’s landmarks in six languages. See some of Chicago’s world-famous architecture. Take a virtual tour or browse on your own. Learn about the architects who influenced the city’s architecture and view their creations. Boat cruises offer the opportunity tour Chicago’s world-renowned architecture aboard the Architectural River cruise or experience Chicago’s rich history on the Historical Lake & River cruise. Boat tours depart daily from River East Plaza, a short walk from Navy Pier.

Chicago is home to a vital, vast and varied community of theatrical companies, as well as several large independent theaters, where you’ll find everything from traveling Broadway mega hits to experimental theater, to Chicago’s famous improvisational groups that display the wit and humor of the Second City. The rich contrasts of the city are wonderfully reflected in music. At Symphony Center, you’ll find the world-famous Chicago Symphony Orchestra. The blues, jazz, reggae, modern rock and more are alive in Chicago, with dozens of clubs all over town.

The 94th-floor observatory, more than 1,000 feet above Chicago at the John Hancock Center, features an open-air Skywalk, the Midwest’s highest open-air experience; Sky Tours, which takes you on a personal audio tour of Chicago’s incredible sights and remarkable history; Soundscope 3-D “talking” telescopes that speak in four languages and create startling real sound effects; a Chicago history wall; and a theme park-style ticketing area that recreates the construction of the John Hancock Center.

The Magnificent Mile offers 460 stores in eight city blocks. Beyond shopping, choose from delectable restaurants, unique shops and several museums and galleries to round out your day on the mile. Dining Out at Chicago mainstays like a perfect steak or deep-dish pizza, the city’s diverse dining offerings feature everything from ethnic dining to traditional family fare to the hottest new restaurants.

International visitors to USA do require a visitor visa to enter the United States. Elderly folks and senior visitors to the U.S. need to take precautions and plan for walking a lot, or plan for handicap wheel chair. There is abundant of food and variety of cuisine available to accommodate all tastes and requirements. Be watchful and wary of street vendors and other touts. It is prudent that visitors to USA get the health coverage and medical protection needed in the form of visitors health insurance for sickness, injuries or hospital emergencies while visiting USA. Enjoy your visit to the windy city and your stay in America.

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