Lake Michigan is very vibrant, especially around the summertime. The Navy Pier is an extension of this, and I actually went there Labor Day weekend in 2003 for the first time.

There is fun for the whole family. First of all, the pier overlooks the lake, and it is nice to walk and enjoy the music, food, and other activities there.

My wife and I took a Ferris wheel ride there, and we admired the Chicago skyline and the evening lights from high above. They also have a mall at the end of the strip with vendors, ice cream, and other shops.

It is lots of fun, and often in the summer you are treated to a firework show. You have to love fireworks over the water - always nice! Make a point to go here, as it is easy to get there and everyone knows where it is.

It is a mall with perks. It has boat excursions, a ferris wheel, great selection of shops and restaurants, great views, kid activity area, art displays, street performers, and is easily accessible by public transportation, either walking or car. It is a fun place designed to instill the "Spirit of Chicago" in all who partake.

The Navy Pier, at one time, was not this exciting. It changed the face of downtown Chicago for the better. It’s quite a complex, in every sense of the word, and just as much as it can be a great family outing locale, it’s also a very romantic spot to watch the sunset over the lake and Riva’s Café offers a great view and fantastic food. As I have been there more than once, I am going to try to draw a composite of my experiences for you.

Chicagoans are blessed with a magnificent waterfront which happens to be Lake Michigan; alongside of that strip of blue are many things, including the Navy Pier, luxury waterfront properties, Chicago also shows off some of its magnificent architecture if you happen to be on Lake Michigan, cruising. You can say that this city was built from the ground up, as it was victim to the Great Fire of 1871; giving birth to the nation’s first skyscrapers. Grant Park also lies on Lake Michigan and boasts a wonderful fountain.

If you can think of this place as indoors versus outdoors, then we can count the ways you can have fun even if the wind is blowing you away. Outdoors is Gateway Park where a fountain greets you and actually encourages you to play in the water! There is also the musical carousel, the giant ferris wheel, the Skyline Stage which was added in 1993, and believe it or not, when it’s cool outside, a heating system provides warmth to the floors in the seating areas of this entertainment center.

. Inside, things have changed and have been added gradually including an 18-hole miniature gold course! No kidding. There are museums, ballrooms, exhibition halls which can accommodate large conventions, If you like stained glass, the Smith Museum of Stained Glass will blow your mind. The Pier is also host later this year to the world’s largest outdoor sculpture exhibit, Navy Pier Walk 2003. If you want to read up on this, or are planning a trip to the windy city in October, go to this website for more info.

There is an outstanding map of Navy Pier right here . Print it out, and go! Aside from the restaurants indoors/outdoors, there is great shopping to be done in here and you have a choice of stores or vendor carts. If you need a greater dose than the Fourth of July fireworks, you can see them twice weekly at the Pier from May to August. Not only does Navy Pier attract top entertainment names like Norman Brown and Aimee Mann, but it also serves as the venue for several important business fairs including " Women in Business" and the "Chicago Toy Show".

Chicago’s Navy Pier has become part of this city’s signature, much in the way of the Sears Tower and Frank Lloyd Wright.

Our first day in Chicago was definitely full of activity. We had stopped and walked around Chinatown on our way to Comiskey Park and an afternoon White Sox game. Following the game, we jumped back onto the "L" and headed for Navy Pier.

It was a beautiful summer evening and walking the one and half-mile pier was very enjoyable. Opening in 1916, Municipal Pier was originally designed for commercial shipping and recreation. There were restaurants and a theater, side-by-side with freight operations. In 1927, in honor of America’s WWI Navy veterans, it was officially renamed Navy Pier. Today, in addition to several lake-view restaurants, the pier has a Ferris Wheel, Carousel, and an IMAX Theater. From the pier, you can take several types of cruises on Lake Michigan. You can sail on a 148-foot, four-masted schooner; or take a thrilling ride on one of the four Seadogs. We chose the Seadog. If you make the same choice, hold on to your hats! The 70-foot Seadog is one of the fasted speedboats in America. We were surprised by the price. We had thought that it would be too expensive, but when we found out that it was only $15 we climbed aboard. The ride was so cool. TheSeadog throws about a 15 foot spray as you cruise the Lake Michigan shoreline.

After 30 minutes of wind and spray on our faces, we were ready for a cold brew and a bite to eat. We had noticed Charlie’s Ale House when we first arrived at Navy Pier. Charlie’s is not a micro-brewery, but the had a pretty good selection of ice cold beers to choose from. For dinner, I tried one their well-seasoned strip steaks. The steak was cook perfectly to my taste and the accompanying roasted red potatoes were excellent. We sat at one of the outdoor tables and had a spectacular view of the Chicago skyline and the activity on Lake Michigan. From the comments from my friends, I think everyone enjoyed themselves.

The late afternoon had turned to evening. As the sun set on Lake Michigan, Navy Pier offered the perfect place to walk off the over-stuffed feeling that I had after dinner. We did a little shopping and I took a few pictures before we put an end to my first, fun-filled day in Chicago.

Chicago's Navy Pier is a cluster of smaller attractions. Featuring an ice skating rink in winter, indoor mini-golf, an IMAX, and several amuseument park rides, along with a good shopping arena and food court, Navy Pier can keep everyone happy for a few hours.

Even though Navy Pier is located in the heart of downtown, prices are reasonable. The ferris wheel costs only $4 for adults. Ice skating is free all winter! (rental costs extra).

In the summer, several boat tours use Navy Pier as a departure point. Don't miss Navy Pier on your next visit to Chicago!

Here's their website.