Along with the same soft spot that I have for Chicago, I have an equally profound love for the city’s history. From city planning to legends of hauntings and favorite mob boss hang-outs, I can’t get enough quirky factoids about my hometown.
Consequently, my mom absolutely loves to buy walking tour Groupons – generally with the intention that I’m going to be the ones using them as both walking and organized touring don’t usually appeal to my dad or brother. So naturally since I was in town for a few days we decided to embark on an urban adventure and explore the twisting tunnels of the Chicago Pedway.
Under the direction of a fabulous guide from Chicago’s Finest River Walk Tours, we set out across the Loop to see what the elaborate tunnel system had to offer.
Though I’m not the largest fan of enclosed spaces or underground structures, I absolutely loved the random bits of trivia that we collected along the way. For instance, I now know that prior to the building of the Michigan Avenue bridge, the north part of the famous thoroughfare was named Pine Street because of the large number of pine trees in that part of the city.
While I don’t have many days left in Chicago, you can rest assured that there will be another walking tour waiting for me the next time I come home. Still to come: a chocolate tasting tour and a expedition to try some of the best cupcakes in Chicago.
