You can explore a brief history of Chicago here https://www.cityofchicago.org/city/en/about/history.html
We travelled by bus to the city. Its flat there and back. Our driver was a great guy. We got tidbits of information about settlement, the best place to buy fried chicken and the steel industry along the lake shore. The bus was like an airliner - complete with overhead lockers, LED screens and plush interior (thank you to CIEDR). Our freeway path was an inevitable corridor stretching on - two to three lanes in both directions and cars and traffic continually by your side and coming back toward you. We had a rest stop along the way. The facilities were jaded from the 70's or 80's. The layouts are similar to but not as well maintained as the German Autobahns.
Corn fields, trees and fields in Indiana give way to a similar look in Illinois. Then you see the lake, but it looks like the Sea: big waves crash to the shore and water stretches into the distance. The remnants of the Steel Industry that flourished in the 1800-1970's are all around. Big Structures show themselves in the distance, but we didn't get close to unpack their shape. The scale is vast. Have you watched the 'Blues Brothers"? The opening scene of the movie shows the Chicago foreshore waking up one morning - the morning - Jake is released. Here we are in that scene.
In the city you can see the dominance of steel in structures like the bridges crossing the Chicago River. Big scale chunky iron girders with Big rivets and Big cross bracing, dominate the rail over lines running above some of the inner city main roads. Chunky is good, a statement of intent, but refined to detail.
In 48 hours we did a lot. The Fulbrighters divided into groups and did different things. Get a GO Chicago Card and visit as much as you can: you can purchase on line. We went first to Navy Pier on Friday midday and then an Architectural River Cruise followed by more to do on Navy Pier. Later we trialled Chicago Style thick crusted pizza at Gino's Restaurant.
On Saturday we visited the Shedd Aquarium - which has every aquatic animal and associated plants galore. We had lunch there and we were reminded of being in the US thanks to the gun sign on the outside of the cafeteria. So strange to think through the psychology that this is even needed in any place - yet alone one for kids and families. The Fields Museum is next door. Standing in the foyer you come across the T-Rex and I thought of 'Calvin and Hobbes'. A note that on the other side of the road is the 61000 seat Soldier Stadium: for football. The All Blacks play there on November 5th. We have tickets and may make it.
We took the Go Chicago bus tour to get to these places. The guided tour is worth it, but it rained. No worries. We put on plastic ponchos and coats and sat it out. I enjoy getting wet. The canyon habitat is constraining and narrow. It's overpowering and locating - like looking at the stars. Some of our group went to the 360 meter Willis Building to get scared looking down through a plate glass platform at the city below. Added in for additional 'thrill' is a 30 degree tilting window you hold onto as you experience a controlled fall into space!@#? Sensible types held down their lunches (which of course is value for money) and retreated for the Hotel.
We took a taxi to and from The Museum for Science and Technology on Sunday morning. This museum is well worth a visit for its scope of themes and interactive exhibits. We saw vortex and particle fluid Physics, futuristic display screens and interactive virtual projection models etc. etc. etc. Tired out, with much less shoe leather than we started with, we headed back for the bus trip home - enjoying the sunset through the wind turbines outside LaFayette.
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