Chicago's Hancock 360 Views, Eataly and Shaw's Crab House!

If you visit Chicago please make sure to include a visit to one of the observation decks available that will give you magnificent views of the city! On a prior visit I visited the Willis Tower--click here to read that post.  While that visit was unique, as I was above the clouds, my visit to the John Hancock building's 94-floor observation deck was even more enjoyable! Located at 875 North Michigan Avenue, this buildings views 1,000 feet above the skyline of...

.....downtown Chicago......

......and Lake Michigan, are fantastic!

I loved the view of the historic Navy Pier, where I had so much fun a few days before! 

(click here, and here, and here to read those posts)

On a clear day, it is even possible to see four surrounding states! It is exciting to walk around the enclosed observation deck and see the views and points of interest from North, South, East, and West

I took this photo of a new feature that was almost finished in a portion of the observation windows.  It is called "Tilt" and allows eight people at a time to stand in the special mechanized window which tilts forward and outward for a few seconds.

The following YouTube video shows the experience:

Would you try it?  

As part of the admission ticket we bought to go to the Hancock #60 Observation deck, was a free return nighttime visit. Since our hotel was conveniently located very close by, my husband and I were able to do this after dinner that evening.

It was nice to see the day time views lit up for the night!  Everything looked very magical!

When I lived in New York City I was a frequent visitor of the all Italian specialty store and food hall called Eataly, located in Manhattan (see those blog posts here,  here, and here) Early one morning I had the opportunity to take a walk over to the new Chicago Eataly, located at 43 East Ohio Street! The store was almost an exact replica of the NYC's Eataly, with a few exceptions.  I picked up a couple "hard to find" dried pasta to bring back home with me and wished I could have bought more.  

Of course, no visit to Chicago is complete without enjoying one of the city's fabulous restaurants and this trip my husband and I were able to enjoy a dinner at Shaw's Crab House, located at 21 East Hubbard Street, Chicago. The decor, service, and food were impeccable! We enjoyed a cold seafood appetizer for two, and I had sauteed soft shell crabs served with jicama, papaya, and avocado relish, and my husband had a Parmesan crusted haddock, with sauteed spinach and lemon butter as our entrees. We shared a delicious berry encrusted cheesecake slice.

I have to say Chicago has become one of my favorite places to visit, and I know I will return to this scenic, exciting city again in the future, and I hope I've also enticed you to visit one day.

I hope everyone is having a very enjoyable summer.  My family recently returned from a week vacation in the Outer Banks in North Carolina, where we all rented a beach house and enjoyed the surf, sights of wild horses and dolphins, and gorgeous sunsets. Come back soon to see my next post and find out what very special family event we were celebrating!