The Bean!

The Bean
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After waking up and bidding each other a Good Afternoon, we finally managed to leave home at 1430 in the hopes to see Millenium Park before sunset.

Millenium Park is a beautifully landscaped 24.5 acre park in downtown Chicago that combines art with architecture. One of the main features in the park is the A central piece in the park is Cloud Gate, a work affectionately known as "The Bean". It is this huge polished steel, bean-shaped structure. It's beauty is that in its reflection you can see the sky and the buildings of downtown Chicago.

Also in the park at this time of the year is an ice rink. The allure of ice skating outdoors was just too great for this Aussie to resist. As the sun set (yes, we actually saw the sun today, even if it was only for sun set) and the ice became uncomfortably chopped up, we made our way to the Water Tower Place. This is not to be confused with the Old (1869) Water Tower next door.

Water Tower Place is the slick shopping complex. It's worth going in just to see the place. A water feature escorts you up to the second floor and the lifts fly you up to the upper levels.

Our destination in this place was the food court. It has an interesting (more hygenic) payment system. As we entered we were handed a plastic magnetic card. Where ever we made a purchase of food, we'd hand over the card to be charged. Payment was made after eating, upon exit.