Higher Than A Grain Elevator

We were 1,030 feet in the air and 94 floors up. Thankfully, we didn't have to walk the 1,632 steps to this bird's-eye view but rode the elevator instead. The elevator was no slouch: It traveled two floors per second, just about 20 miles per hour. Yes, my ears popped.

You realize you're a farmer when you start wondering how the height of the John Hancock Building in downtown Chicago compares to the Zenith branch of the Kanza Co-op.  (I Googled it without much luck. But my farm fact expert thinks the elevators around here are approximately 150 feet tall.)

One of our tourist stops during our Chicago weekend August 11-13 was Chicago 360 in the John Hancock Building. On the day we arrived in Chicago, we'd gone to the Willis Tower (formerly the Sears Tower) to view the city from its Skydeck. However, with a 2-hour wait predicted and limited time, we opted for a bus ride instead and had planned to return early the next morning.

However, we decided to try Chicago 360, since it was an easy walk from our hotel. We arrived when it first opened, and we didn't have to wait long for our 40-second ride to the top. The views were spectacular from every direction ...

North

East (Southeast)

South

South

West

We could have paid a little extra for a ride called "Tilt," which inclines riders over the city. Even though I'm not afraid of heights, I decided I liked the more sedate view from the windows, thank you very much.

I had purchased Chicago Explorer passes before we left home, and this was included among the attractions.

We also used our pass for the Architectural Boat Tour. 

My parents also went along for the ride on their 64th wedding anniversary - yes, 64!

Not everyone thinks these buildings look like corn cobs, but we farming folk aren't the only ones who see the resemblance, according to our tour guide.

Can you tell that the tour guide said "This will be one of the best views on the tour."? Just like lemmings, we all had our cameras up and clicking!

I moved and got this one without all the other paparazzi!

After our boat tour, Randy and I went to Millennium Park.

After we took our photo with "The Bean" (along with hundreds of our closest friends), Randy crossed another item off his bucket list by buying a hotdog from a food truck. (Sad, but true! Can you tell we watch Food Truck Wars on the Food Network?)

We then rode the Big Bus Chicago Hop-On, Hop Off bus. It included history and commentary, plus it offered an easy way to see some of the major sites. We had hoped to go to the Field Aquarium, but when we arrived, there was a long line. So we settled for a walk along Lake Michigan instead.

I guess we'll have plenty of places to explore the next time.

Our reason for the Chicago trip was to be part of Darci and Andrew's wedding reception. (For some reason, they didn't invite us to Greece in May - ha!)

We were glad we were there to celebrate!

 Darci and Andrew honored our parents on their 64th wedding anniversary by sharing photos and a chocolate cake. It was a special night - celebrating new and "seasoned" love.

And an interesting sidenote: The flower girl for my parents' wedding was also at the wedding reception. She is a first cousin to my dad. How many people get to have their flower girl help celebrate their 64th wedding anniversary?