Chicago summer trip

I visited Chicago during Independence Day weekend. It was my first time in Chicago, and I enjoyed seeing the major sites in Chicago, as well as the Taste of Chicago. Four things are associated with Chicago: revolving doors, fireworks, pizza, and skyscrapers.


I stayed in the Hyatt Regency in downtown Chicago, and had a room with a nice view of the Chicago River.

Pictures for each place I visited:
Sears Tower, currently the tallest building in the United States. It had been the world's tallest building until the openings of the Taipei 101 and a tower in Dubai.

Museum of Science and Industry, including a Green House tour which is a house designed to be environmentally friendly.

John Hancock Center, the third tallest building in Chicago and close to Lake Michigan.

Fireworks at Navy Pier, which I saw from the John Hancock Center observatory.

United Center

Boat tour around Lake Michigan with views of the Chicago skyline.

Grant and Millenium Parks

Boat tour along the Chicago River

Other Chicago sites

Philadelphia Trip

Over Memorial Day weekend, I took a trip to Philadelphia to visit Independence Hall historic national park, the origin of our country's freedom as it is today.


I stayed at the Sheraton Society Hill hotel, located a few blocks from the Independence Hall park. This hotel mimics the colonial theme of the historic district.

I visited most of the major sites in the historic district and learned about how each related to American history. My favorite sites were:


Liberty Bell center


Independence Hall


Congress Hall


City Tavern - a restaurant where members of Congress usually ate. I had crab cakes made with crabs from the Chesapeake Bay, and chocolate mouse cake (its recipe was written by Martha Washington)


Declaration House - where Thomas Jefferson lived and wrote the Declaration of Independence


Carpenter's Hall - hosted the First Continental Congress in 1774, which was set up as a result of Britian passing unpopular taxes (Stamp Act, Sugar Act, Townshend Acts) and the Boston Massacre


Betsy Ross House - where Betsy Ross lived and worked. It is now a museum.


The National Constitution Center - a museum dedicated to the construction of the US Constitution, and also includes key moments of US history and information on the Constitution Amendments.

The sites have been modernized for visitors and preserved in their original condition; and the roads are cobble-stoned just like in the 1700's. The historic district is a great way to learn about American history in a different perspective than reading a textbook.

More pictures

Hartford Trip

I traveled to Hartford, CT to visit my friend Dan. Hartford is a small city consisting of mostly insurance companies.




Activities:
* Dinner at a fancy sushi restaurant
* Playing pool at Dan's apartment (which by the way is set up like a hotel, and also provides valet parking)
* Watching Iron Man with Dan's friends
* Taking a day trip to New York City where we had an adventure trying to find Chinatown
* Attending Dan's church, which has a small congregation (around 30 people). In fact, the pastor would take prayer requests from the congregation and then pray for them before starting the sermon.
* Meeting some of Dan's friends

More pictures