MY VISIT

Our first visit to Illinois was to Springfield, the capital. Both the state capitol building and Liberty Bell were there. As I was walking up the stairs, the bell was directly to the right of the building. I didn’t even notice it, since there was no wooden stand to hold it, no ringer, and no plaque. It was just a bell on a slab of marble. There’s a first time for everything I guess. I had to go around the back to get into the actual building, and was able to take the tour. It was quick, only about forty-five minutes, and the most interesting thing that I saw were the statues arranged in the middle of the second floor- each built to life size (which was a nice detail!). 

Afterwards, I went to where Abraham Lincoln was buried. It was quite easy to find, since there was a huge obelisk on top of the burial chamber. Inside, there was a hallway with multiple small statues of Lincoln, and halfway through, you can see his grave. There are also nine flags, seven for his homes and ancestors, a U.S. flag and the presidential flag. On the way out there were more statues, and outside, there was a bust of his head. We rubbed his nose, for good luck I suppose? I don’t know, but it was shiny and all of the others were doing it as well. 

I then left and drove to a Home2Suites, the hotel that I was staying in for that night. I got ready and went to bed. That was the end of Illinois for a few days as I headed up to Wisconsin for a quick visit. 

From Green Bay, Wisconsin to Chicago, I was back in Illinois. It was a pretty easy day, since all I really did was relax at our hotel until going to sleep. 

The next day, I went to the Shedd Aquarium! It was amazing, along with being well done, and had lots of colorful fish and interesting creatures. They had beluga whales as well. My favorite had to be the flamboyant cuttlefish, a small, purple-yellow animal with tentacles that can change both their color and texture. I love them so much! After about four hours there, I was able to try Chicago’s famous deep-dish pizza at Labriola Chicago, but the sauce on top of the cheese was a little weird. I went back to the hotel, and slept. 

When the next day rolled around, I ate breakfast and visited the Field Museum. There was so much to see, and definitely couldn’t be all seen in one visit. They had three special exhibits that I went to, including a bloodsucker one. They had lampreys, which are like eels that have teeth and suck blood. They were scary and gross, but also really cool. They also had mosquitoes (ugh…) and leeches. They also had a bird exhibit, which was my favorite. They had my two favorites: kiwis and nightjars. They were all taxidermy, but it was like seeing a celebrity in real life to me. There was also a biomechanics section that was very interactive and interesting. After the museum I tried the famous Chicago hot dogs from a place called Devil Dawgs. It was just too much for me, with all of the relish and everything. I traveled back to the hotel.

On the next day, I got ready and walked around the city. I went to Millennium Park first, and got to see the Cloud Gate Statue, or the Bean. Unfortunately it was under construction, but that didn’t stop me from taking a lot of pictures! I came across a donut place called Stan’s, and got, you guessed it, a cruffin. Basically, it is a croissant-muffin mix filled with custard and creme. It was messy, but the taste of it made up for it! It was so delicious. I also got chai and took it with me as I continued to stroll around and window shop. I then headed over to Navy Pier and took a boat tour, which mostly mentioned the architecture and history of the city. It was really interesting, and the best thing I learned was that Chicago roughly translates to “man, this river stinks” because of the onions and garlic that used to grow around the river. From the 1920’s to the 2020’s, the buildings are all beautiful. They never destroy buildings, but instead renovate. After the tour, I ate at an Irish pub called D4 and ordered shepherd’s pie. It was really good! I went back to the hotel and spent my last night in Chicago. In the morning I woke up and hopped on a flight back to my home. That’s it for Illinois!