Friday, May 20, 2011

Chicago Trip: Sears Tower

The Sears Tower (now renamed the Willis Tower) is one of those icons that you've just got to see. It is the tallest building in the world. We decided this was one thing we wanted to see. But the funny thing is that we weren't sure which building it was. Sounds stupid, right? Well, we decided to catch the bus and also walk to it. We got dropped off close...apparently. But we still didn't know just which building it was!
You know that whole, Forest for the Trees, thing? Yeah. Too close to see which one was the tallest. And just to make it trickier, the thing that has helped it to remain the tallest are the tall antenna things on top of the building. Kinda cheating, don't ya think? Anyway- after asking for directions, we finally got to the building. And yes, it was tall. But we also weren't the only ones with the idea. Although it was the off-season, we still had an hour and a half wait just to get the tickets. We wound around and around, while reading interesting facts and playing with interactive computer trivia games too. Finally got to the elevators and it was a 60 second trip up 110 stories! The view from the top is truly stunning. But wanna hear something very strange? It didn't seem that high to me. There is a skydeck where you can stand on a clear glass floor and look straight down. No matter how much logic told me it was no big deal, I still found myself dipping my toe in the water to be sure it was safe. Obviously, I got over my hesitancy -- see photo.

Our time in Chicago winding down, it was time to get back to the hotel and read through the first few chapters of my book. My editor had contacted me to ask if I'd be interested in reading for the employees at Sourcebooks. I said, "Of course!" Yikes! ~Karen

2 comments:

Kristin said...

Hi, Karen!

Congratulations on the book deal! I will have to check it out when it comes out in November! Your photos from your recent trip to Chicago are great! It looks like you fit a lot of sights into your itinerary. am the social media coordinator at Midwest Living magazine and we're working with Enjoy Illinois on a Facebook contest called, "Magnificent Getaways Giveaway Contest," which invites people to share recent magnificent Illinois experiences for a chance to win one of three one-of-a-kind, once-in-a-lifetime experiences in Chicago and across Illinois. The Grand Prize alone includes dining (for four) on the Ledge at Skydeck Chicago, Terzo Piano and Lawry's Prime, plus a stay at the Trump Tower and more! If this is something you're interested in you can enter one of two ways: http://www.facebook.com/enjoyillinois or on the contest website, http://magnificentgiveaway.com. Please feel free to contact me with any questions at helen.mason@meredith.com.

Thanks!
Hayley Mason, Social Media Coordinator for Midwest Living magazine, Meredith Corporation

Karen Fisher-Alaniz said...

Thank you, Hayley. I'll keep the contest in mind.