Chicago

Flight #3 to Long Beach, CA
3 hours down to southern California, lots of awesome geology to see, including volcanos. And Crater Lake!

Flight #4 to Chicago
I started with breakfast in Portland, Oregon, had lunch in Long Beach, California, and ended the day with deep dish pizza for dinner in Chicago. Lots of flying today, but that's the deal with flying the All You Can Jet, going through hubs in New York JFK or Long Beach.
I love Long Beach airport because it's still small, and you board planes out on the tarmac.

My trip to Chicago was just going to be a quick trip, and I booked a hostel right near University of Illinois-Chicago (UIC). UIC is not high on my list either, and I've landed enough times at O'Hare airport but never had the chance to go see the city. First thing I do in a new place is try to go the highest point, and this is Chicago, so that's Willis Tower Skydeck, or as it used to be known, Sears Tower.

And the skydeck has 4 all-glass portals that overhang out from the building, from 1350 feet up! It was awesome!

I took the water taxis around the Chicago River to take in all the amazing skyscrapers,

and then from the Navy Pier over to the museums.

3 musuems in a row, all free thanks to my ID badge! And seriously, the Field Museum may be the best museum I've ever been too. All the exhibits are so well done, and they have Sue!

Another t-rex! This was Sue, the first complete fossil discovered of a t-rex. Samson at the OMSI was discovered later and kept private for many years. I love that all these museums are all right next to each other right on the Lake Michigan waterfront. The Shedd Aquarium and Adler Plantetarium.

I was feeling pretty jet-lagged and tired from walking so much in the past week, so the best part of seeing Chicago was hanig out by the Crown Water fountain, the 'bean' and the Millenium Park. Here's some night and day shots:

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So, Chicago is a concrete jungle for sure, but if I went to UIC I wouldn't mind living there.
Up next, Denver!