This is our first full day in Chicago. The day starts with breakfast at a restaurant on State Street just across the river from our hotel. It's a beautiful day, going to be hot. It's Sunday so the city is quiet around the business sector but as it is the Labour day weekend it's busy with families and visitors. The hop on hop off bus is our mode of transport for today. This will give us the best look around the city. Chicago is beautiful. Lots of parks and gardens and of course being on Lake Michigan it also has a coastal feel. This tour is a 2 hour loop and we stay put for the full round. We have a detour around some streets because they are filming Transformers 4. We see some of the vehicles associated with the movie and some of the action. Chicago has been the location for a number of movies. The Fugitive, The Dark Night, Transformers, the Untouchables and of course the Blues Brothers. etc. After the tour it's lunch time of course and we are all a little parched. During the summer there is a restaurant on the beach called Oak street Cafe . It's right on the sand a casual diner selling burgers and salads and beer , just what we were looking for. After eating , Liz & I paddle our feet in the water just so we can say we have been in Lake Michigan, the water is cool and refreshing not quite the 20 degrees they say that it is I wouldn't think . Our next stop is the John Hancock observatory. The building has a viewing area 1000ft up where we get spectacular views of Chicago and across 4 states. The most popular place for viewing is the Sears/Willis Tower but I think the view would be comparable. On our walk back along the Magnificent Mile we get our communications worked out getting US SIM cards so we are now all good to go. Dinner tonight is at the restaurant in the Chicago Tribune building Howells and Hoods. Followed by a city night tour on which we are entertained by a spectacular Mother Nature Light show. The lightening was so frequent but no thunder........ But then rain!!!!! Thankfully we were at the end of our open top bus tour so we high tailed it back to the hotel for a Baileys, beer and Ouzo before bed, great first day in Chicago.