芝加哥：风城欢迎你！

    芝加哥城位于密歇根湖的西南海岸，因其美丽的建筑、文化、现代生活和丰富的历史而闻名。由芝加哥大火造成的毁坏掀起了在民族历史上最大的建筑热潮。芝加哥拥有世界上最高、最密集的天际线建筑之一。虽然我不是在芝加哥长大的，我曾住在该城的中心，并花了大量的时间，这足以让我领略到芝加哥城精彩美妙的地方。尽管该城具有极其寒冷的冬季和炎热潮湿的夏季，它仍为每个季节提供其独特的活动。

    下面是我最喜欢在芝加哥做的一些事情：

1. 在冬天，沿着密歇根湖 （Lake Michigan）附近，漫步在白雪皑皑的小路上，在那里你可以看到湖水已被完全冻结。在春天，你可以看到这片广袤的冬季仙境慢慢地融化。
2.  参观芝加哥艺术学院（Art Institute of Chicago），在其固定收藏品中领略印象派和后印象派的艺术魅力。
3. 坐在芝加哥剧院（Chicago Theatre）里，这座被称为“世界奇妙剧场”的美国第一个真正的豪华电影院。今天，在这里上演各类娱乐节目，包括舞台表演、音乐会、舞蹈、喜剧和特别活动。
4. 漫步在宽大人声鼎沸的壮丽大道（Magnificent Mile）上；这里大牌云集，是购物者的天堂。
5. 想感受艺术的气息？可在位于芝加哥剧院前方的金塞斯克 （Gene Siskel） 电影中心观看先锋电影。
6. 在冬天，去千禧公园  (Millennium Park) 中心滑冰，还有普利兹克馆 (Pritzker Pavilion)，超现代的户外音乐会场地的中心，这里展示了公共艺术及装置，如皇冠喷泉和云门。
7. 每当你现金不足，但仍想做些有趣的事的时候，可以去参观林肯公园动物园 (Lincoln Park Zoo)。公园是免费的，你会看到很多种令人难以置信的动物。这里还挨着植物园！
8. 穿过校园博物馆 (Museum Campus) 就可以看到自然历史博物馆、谢德水族馆和壮观的阿德勒天文馆。你可以花几个小时从一个博物馆参观到下一个博物馆。
9. 去我最喜爱的吃早午餐的地方，名叫安赛勒 (Ann Sathers) 的餐厅！这是一个可爱的瑞典小餐厅，在这里有最美味的肉桂面包。
10. 体验白金汉喷泉 (Buckingham Fountain)，这是世界上最大的喷泉之一， 在晚8点开始喷放。喷泉被精美的灯光所照亮，与音乐和电脑编排的色彩交织在一起。

Chicago: The windy city welcomes you!

The city of Chicago, located on the southwestern shores of Lake Michigan, is known for its architectural beauty, culture and contemporary life, and rich history. The destruction caused by the Great Chicago Fire led to the largest architectural boom in the history of the nation. Chicago’s skyline is one of the world’s tallest and most dense. Although I did not grow up in Chicago, I’ve lived in the center of the city and have spent a great amount of time discovering these wonderful areas. Despite the city having extremely cold winters and hot and humid summers, it offers unique activities for every season.

Here’s a list of some of my favorite things to do in Chicago:

1. In the winter, saunter along snowy paths near Lake Michigan where you can sometimes see the lake completely frozen over. In the spring you can watch this vast winter wonderland slowly melt into itself.   
2. Visit the Art Institute of Chicago and see Impressionist and Post-Impressionist art in its permanent collection.
3. Take a seat in the Chicago Theatre, dubbed “The Wonder Theatre of the World” the first truly lavish movie theater in America. Today it hosts entertainment including stage events, concerts, dance, comedy and special events.
4. Walk on the wide and crowded streets of the Magnificent Mile; a shopper’s paradise where all the big names in shopping are present here.
5. Feeling artsy? See avant-garde films at the Gene Siskel movie theater, right in front of the Chicago Theater.
6.  In the winter, go ice skating in the center of Millennium Park, also home to the Pritzker Pavilion, an ultra-contemporary outdoor concert venue, and where public art and installations are present such as Crown Fountain and the Cloud Gate.
7. Whenever you’re low on cash and still want to do something fun, go visit the Lincoln Park Zoo. It’s free and you’ll see an incredible array of animals. It’s also right next to a botanical garden!
8. Walk through Museum Campus and see the Field Museum of Natural History, Shedd Aquarium and Max Adler Planetarium.  You can spend hours hopping from one museum to the next.
9. Visit my favorite brunch place called Ann Sathers! It’s a cute little Swedish diner where they make the most delicious cinnamon buns.
10. Experience the Buckingham Fountain, one of the largest in the world, come to life at 8pm. The fountain is beautifully illuminated and animated with music and computerized choreography of color.