I've Bean Travelling

See more from my On This Day series here, where I celebrate travel memories on their trip anniversaries.

On April 7, 2018, I was at the Magnificent Mile, Chicago, USA.

A few years ago, I had booked a week off work around my 30-something birthday, so Mr. Chuckles and I decided to celebrate with our first visit to Chicago — heart of the Midwestern United States. Back in those pre-pandemic days, we lived just a short walk from the downtown Billy Bishop Airport in Toronto, where we were able to board a Porter Airlines flight for the quick two hour trip over to Chicago.

We landed in early afternoon. Following a strange interaction at customs where I was diverted into the “special” line for additional passport checks (perhaps I have a suspicious name), we caught the L train into the city.

Our hotel was located right off of the grand Magnificent Mile. Running from the Chicago River to Oak Street in the north, this upscale section of Chicago’s Michigan Avenue earned its nickname in the 1940s. It is the city’s largest shopping district, occupied by various mid- to high-end shops and restaurants, museums, and hotels. Rent here is the eighth most expensive in the United States, behind Fifth Avenue in New York City and Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills, Los Angeles.

Mag Mile is distinguished by several notable architectural landmarks, including the former John Hancock Center, the Wrigley Building, Tribune Tower, and the Chicago Water Tower. One of my favourite views was seen from the DuSable Bridge, overlooking the Chicago River and the city’s impressive skyscrapers.