Views From Above on a Trip to Chicago

Arrived in Chicago in mid-May, flying in over the city. You could see the skyline through the haze from the plane window, a dense cluster of buildings that hinted at the scale of the place.

Once on the ground, the goal was to get a better view. From an observation deck high above the streets, the city unfolded. Downtown's architecture was packed tight, stretching all the way to the edge of Lake Michigan. The sky was overcast, which lent a flat, even light to the scene during the day.

I stayed to watch the transition to evening. As dusk fell, the city began to glow, streetlights tracing the famous grid pattern out toward the horizon. The view changed completely as thousands of lights flickered on below.

The most surreal part was stepping out onto a glass ledge extending from the side of the building. Looking straight down past my own feet to the streets and cars so far below was a dizzying experience. It was just me, a thick pane of glass, and the city grid a thousand feet down.