Chicago

Set on the western sandy shores of Lake Michigan, the vibrant city of Chicago is a joy to visit with an array of man-made and natural wonders. One of America's largest cities, Chicago boasts it's own beach and a theatre district second only to New York's famed Broadway. The modern city focuses on the area known as the 'Loop' and it offers an abundance of lakeside parks, shopping, world-class restaurants and entertainment. Chicago's famous Sears Tower offers fantastic views over the city from the 103rd floor Skydeck and on a clear day you can even make out the curvature of the earth. The John Hancock Center is a quarter-mile high skyscraper which although 125 feet shorter than New York's Empire State Building offers superb panoramic views from it's 94th floor Skydeck Observatory. The ground level houses Chicago's prime shopping district with the likes of Bloomingdale's, Tiffany &Co and Benetton represented together with the famous Cheesecake Factory restaurant which is well worth a visit. The Navy Pier and the Waterfront offers shops, parkland, cruises, restaurants, a Ferris Wheel and carousel while Marshall Field's is to Chicago what Harrods is to London. The Magnificent Mile on Michigan Avenue is a shopper's paradise with fashionable shops and department stores.