Architecture, deep-dish pizza and a lakeside skyline
Chicago is where the skyscraper came of age, and the best way to see it is from a river architecture cruise that glides between landmark towers. Millennium Park has the mirrored Cloud Gate sculpture, the Art Institute holds a superb collection of Impressionist and American art, and the lakefront trail runs for miles past sandy beaches. Neighbourhoods like Wicker Park and Pilsen reward wandering, and the food goes well beyond deep-dish pizza and Chicago-style hot dogs. Summers are glorious and full of festivals; winters are famously cold.