The Navy Pier, another must-see for sentimental reasons didn’t disappoint. Presently it has shops, restaurants, a food court, IMAX Theater and a few rides like the carousel and Ferris Wheel. The latter is impressive at 148 feet, but the original was 250 feet high with a capacity for 2160 people. George Washington Gale Ferris built it in 1893.

What fascinated me were the displays of vehicles pulled from surrounding waters and the plaques describing the eerie findings. For example, an old car with flat tires and cut brake lines was recovered near the pier. Apparently a couple was heading to catch the ferry after attending a wedding reception.

A boat suffered an explosion in the engine room blowing a hold in the side and subsequently sinking. Only the captain was found on board with no identification. An ambulance was brought out the lake with the drive still alive, but unable to be saved. Both his remains and the vehicle were returned to the Asylum and Treatment Center from where they had come.

"X" marked the spot. Witnesses claim a nanny was being hit on the head and should by a child when suddenly a small bridge over a pond collapsed. The child took on a "demon-like" expression. The recovered body of the child had eyes from their sockets. An old carriage-style Hearst along with a black wooden casket was found in a water filled sinkhole. Considering it was October and the pier seemed to be gearing up for Halloween, I originally thought this was a prop.

With all the decorating and shows pertaining to Halloween in the beginning days of October, I sense the pier is the place to go for all holidays.

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.

The Navy Pier in Chicago offers a variety of entertainment choices in an amusement-like park setting for families, couples, and shakespeare-lovers. The great thing is that outdoor and indoor activities offer choices independent of prevailing weather conditions.

With over 50 acres along the lakefront, attractions include the IMAX Theater; the Chicago Children's Museum; the Chicago Shakespeare Theater; carousel and ferris-wheel rides, ice-skating, harbor boat rides, and bike rentals. And of course there is walking, talking, eating, and shopping as favorite past-times under the sun or stars.

Pier hours are Monday - Thursday, 10am-8pm; Friday and Saturday from 10am-10pm; and Sundays from 10am-7pm. Call 312-595-PIER for information on hours and cruise ships. And of course, you will see young men and women in U.S. Navy uniforms strolling the pier that bears the name of their service.

Navy Pier sits on the Lake Michigan on the east edge of Chicago. The best way to describe it is something similar to Coney Island or the Atlantic City Boardwalk. It's a collection of restaurants, shops, and boat tours.

Navy Pier is very easy to find, as it sits at the dead end of Grand Avenue. There are plenty of signs pointing towards it. There is also a seasonal bus line that runs from the CTA stations directly to Navy Pier.

Navy Pier is host to good restaurants such as the Billy Goat Tavern, Haagen Daas, Charlie's Ale, Dock Street Cafe, and a food court with McDonald's, Starbucks, and more. There are also kiosks along the edge of the pier with funnel cakes, popcorn, and other yummy festival foods.

The attractions at Navy Pier include a Ferris Wheel modeled after the world's first Ferris Wheel at the Chicago's 1893 World Colombian Exposition. There is also an IMAX Theatre, children's museum, miniature golf, a fun house maze, and other carnival rides. And of course, there are all sorts of local musicians playing various types of music along the water's edge.
There are also shops with various tourist items and curios.

Being a Pier, there are cruises based out of Navy Pier. There's the Seadog power boat cruises of Lake Michigan, sighseeing river cruises and dinner cruises. I took the Shoreline architectural cruise of the Chicago River. (that's in another review!)

The Navy Pier is also a great place to view the Chicago skyline. I'd definitely recommend going to visit the Navy Pier when in Chicago. The Navy Pier is a fun, safe, and entertaining way to spend a few hours.

Crowded with people, this place is the boardwalk of the Midwest. With a gigantic Ferris wheel, cotton candy, and kitschy souvenir shops, it's a tourist and local favorite.

We enjoyed the Ferris wheel. With its slow-paced rotation, we had plenty of photos ops of the Chicago skyline, and it was quite relaxing just to sit for a while after all the walking we did.

Then we took a high-speed boat ride on Lake Michigan. We went south to the observatory and north to North Beach in only 30 minutes. The sun had just set before the boat ride, so we got to see the city all lit up. We then enjoyed hamburgers and beer from the beer garden while listening to a ‘70s cover band.

As we walked back from the pier's edge, we searched for the five penny machines that were hidden among the souvenir shops. We successfully found all five; however, I was unable to get the last three pennies because I ran out of change again. Begging the store vendors for pennies and quarters didn't get me anything either. They thought I was crazy. Packed with people and lots of things to do, Navy Pier is a must for summer fun in Chicago.