In Al Capone's backyard

I hopped on a plane (what else is new?) and found myself landing at O'Hare. Which means I'm spending the week in Chicago. Didn't come here looking for autumn foliage, as the season is pretty much over and old man winter is looking to settle in. I've had a few beautiful days, for which I was thankful. As a result of cooperative weather, I was able to get a few shots in from the John Hancock Observatory. This building sits at the the northern end of Michigan Ave., this street otherwise known as the 'Magnificent Mile'. You can shop 'til you drop on this stretch of asphalt. In my case, my bank account would pop before I dropped. Places like Neiman Marcus, Saks Fifth Avenue, and Cartier aren't for the faint-of-pocketbook...LOL

Here's the northern part of Chicago, following Shoreline Drive along the lake shores. Oprah Winfrey's residence is somewhere in there.

Looking towards the southern part of Chicago. In the back part of the picture is Indiana. On a clear day, you can see Michigan, Wisconsin, Indiana, and Illinois.

Buildings containing condos/apartments/expensive units of lodging often have swimming pools on the rooftops like this one.

Feeling dizzy yet? The Observatory in on the 94th floor. The elevator to get you up there travels at 20 mph.

Looking south from atop the John Hancock into the heart of downtown Chicago. The Sears Tower is the tall building on the right.

Skyscrapers casting their shadows upon Lake Michigan.

To pay for my exorbitant parking garage fees, I looked around for some quick money. So I thought I'd try my hand at window washing. As you can see, they didn't keep me around for very long.