Earlier this year I decided I wanted to return to Chicago and, once a resident long ago, spend some time in the city strictly as a tourist. I was grateful that I could take time off last week to do it (note to self: planning ahead is a good thing).

I ended up flying into the city on Wednesday, August 31st, and I came home on Tuesday, September 6th- a span which gave me 5 full days to wander around, and wander I did.

As part of my prep, I found a GoCity pass that gave access to a wide array of city attractions for a pretty good price point ($189 with a discount)- many attractions which I knew I would want to visit.

I have had airline points accrue for a number of years on a credit card that easily paid for my flights into and out of Chicago. My airfare for the trip cost $11.

Once I arrived at Midway Airport, I picked up a CTA/Pace 7-day transit pass there which would provide the bulk of my transportation for the week for $30. And then I was on the Orange Line, headed into the city to start my adventure and to find my lodging.

In brief, my visit’s schedule played out like so:

Wednesday, Aug 31: arrival, dinner at Flo- a New Mexican restaurant right around the corner from my Airbnb (right? go figure) in the West Town neighborhood.

Thursday, Sept 1: a late morning architectural boat tour of the riverfront; early afternoon visit to the American Writer’s Museum; a long photographic walk at the riverfront until after dusk.

Friday, Sept 2: a visit to Skydeck and 4th Floor of Willis Tower; a downtown walk; lunch at Giardano’s; an afternoon visiting the Bean, the “spitting” Crown Fountain, and a Jazz Festival in Millennium Park; an evening walk across the riverfront and up Michigan Avenue.

Saturday, Sept 3: a lovely midday at the Art Institute Chicago; planter photography on Michigan Avenue; dinner at Portillo’s.

Sunday, Sept 4: a morning at the Field Museum; an afternoon of lakefront Leisure followed by a downtown walk, another riverfront stroll at dusk; dinner in the South Loop at Lou Malnati’s.

Monday, Sept 5: a mistart in Chinatown; a morning at Shedd Aquarium; a stroll through Lincoln Park Zoo; a long walk from North Beach to Navy Pier; dinner at Harry Carey’s Tavern; last rider on the Ferris Wheel.

Tuesday, Sept 6: breakfast at Hoosier Mama Pie Company, and a stop at a neighborhood church; a 10 AM tour of Wrigley Field; a visit to Obvious Shirts; and a mad scramble to make my flight home.

This trip involved lots and lots of walking, and most of my destinations had little to do with my former life, when I lived in the city. Still, the visit did stir some emotions for me, about my struggles when I was living there, and about my present life as a solitary wanderer.

Aside from a strong desire to visit some key attractions (the American Museum of Writers, the Art Institute of Chicago), my main goal for the trip was just to walk and take in much of the downtown and riverfront areas. I hoped I would practice taking photos in an urban setting and maybe improve my camera skills a bit- but I am not sure I did that. Falling back into some old habits with a move-and-shoot approach to photos, I continued to blur quite a few of them. But that’s okay.

The weather for the trip was absolutely ideal- each day was either sunny, or overcast and breezy, but the temp remained pleasant either way.

I’ll add one follow-up posts to this summary o highlight some moments or experiences I had in the Big Shoulders place.