20250901_093518Views from 360 Chicago (September 2025)

I only had half a day left in Chicago following my second night, but I still managed to squeeze in a considerable amount of activities before I had to leave for the airport. Although it was Labor Day, the city was absolutely-packed with visitors, more than usual, so it made navigating town a bit of a challenge. All the same, I did my best, and I’m happy to get the last of Chi-Town on my short weekend stay.

Having learned my lesson on the first day, I woke up a bit later and headed to Starbucks Reserve Roastery just a block away from my hotel. Although the Reserve opens at 6h30, only the first floor is opened, and the remaining four floors open at 8h00. Therefore, I queued up at 7h45 with already a good handful of visitors and soon enough, we were let in to take the escalators up.

I headed straight for the third floor, which had the “Experiential Coffee Bar” with unique drinks that you otherwise can’t get at a regular Starbucks. However, I ended up getting a PSL (pumpkin spice latte), as it was September and about time for PSL season to begin. I also ordered sweet and savory items, including a blueberry doughnut and prosciutto-Parmesan sandwich. They were all tasty, if a tad too sweet and salty. In any case, I had my fill of the Starbucks Reserve, and soon headed out to begin my half day in town.

20250901_081036Pumpkin spice latte, prosciutto-Parmesan sandwich, and blueberry doughnut

Just before heading to my next destination, I returned to my hotel to pack up and check out. From there, I walked a couple of blocks up Magnificent Mile to 360 Chicago, a 94th-floor observatory located inside John Hancock Building. I’d purchased my ticket beforehand, a steep $30 USD, but honestly, it was worth it. The views were gorgeous and not only did I get clear views of Chi-Town’s skyline, but also views of Lake Michigan (utterly massive, almost like an ocean!).

20250901_092938Entering the experience…


20250901_093920Views of Lake Michigan


20250901_101434Views of Navy Pier

360 Chicago also included TILT, a glass and steel platform that literally tilts over the ledge, offering the thrill of “dropping” from the building. It’s not for the faint of heart, or those afraid of heights. I’m okay with heights, but I didn’t want to pay an extra $15 USD, so I watched a few people take the challenge instead.

20250901_095030360 Chicago TILT

In fact, there was one middle-aged woman who did it with her husband and daughter, and she has terrified; she was hyperventilating and screaming as the platform slowly tilted over the edge. At first, I found it funny, but then I kind of felt sorry for her, as it didn’t look like she was enjoying herself– her husband and daughter were laughing, too, which was a bit mean. Any case, the ride lasted only a couple of minutes, and the woman was fine in the end.

I spent almost an hour at 360 Chicago, and then I left to head over to Navy Pier by the shores of Lake Michigan. It’s a touristy destination with shops, restaurants, and few amusement park rides, but I was there to check out skyline views of Chicago from the water at eye-level view. It was a sunny and warm day at a balmy 27Ā°C (80Ā°F), but I did see a few leaves already changing in the nearby park, meaning that the fall season was just around the corner.

20250901_105957On Navy Pier


20250901_110214

Skyline of Chicago from Navy Pier


20250901_112551Leaves are changing. Autumn soon?

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It was just around lunchtime, and I wanted to grab some food before I had to leave for the airport. I knew that I couldn’t leave Chicago without having its iconic deep-dish pizza, so I headed to a well-known pizzeria for that. Unfortunately, the place was ridiculously-packed, and it would’ve been a 75-minute wait for a table– I ended up finding another pizzeria nearby with a 20-minute wait, and I ordered an individual-size deep dish, which was cheesy, crusty, and oh-so-delicious.

20250901_125147Individual-size deep dish pizza

By the time I finished lunch, it was about time to leave Chicago. I caught the Metra to O’Hare International Airport, where my flight left at 16h00. It was an easy ride back, and soon enough, I landed in LAX around 18h30 local time. I made it home by 20h00, tired, but super happy to be back. Overall, it was a short and whirlwind time in Chicago, and honestly, I don’t know if I ever recovered from my overnight flight over, haha. All the same, I’m happy I got to get a glimpse of the Midwest, and I’d like to return and see more of that part of the US some day.

Thanks for reading, and more adventures are coming soon! šŸ™‚

— Rebecca

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Published by Rebecca

Blogger, world traveler, poet, foodie, part-time penguin. Welcome!

46 thoughts on “Destination: Chicago, Illinois (Getting Views from 360 Chicago, Strolling Navy Pier, and Eating Chicago Deep-Dish Pizza– PART 3)”

  1. The city views from the 94th-floor observatory are truly stunning. I love visiting observation decks whenever I travel and usually visit, time permitting, of course, just before sunset, staying through dusk and watching the city come alive at night. Chicago’s deep-dish pizza looks lovely, but I had no idea that it resembles a savoury pie or casserole more than traditional fast-food pizza. Thanks for sharing, and have a good day šŸ™‚ Aiva xx

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    1. Indeed! I love getting panoramic views of a city from above, even with the steep admission fees! Deep-dish pizza is iconic to Chi-Town and absolutely delicious. Thanks for coming along on my Chicago/Midwest journey, and I promise you more adventures elsewhere are coming soon! šŸ˜Š

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  2. A whirlwind Chicago finale with spectacular skyline and lake views, Navy Pier. Even with Labor Day crowds, you packed plenty into half a day. The contrast between the 360 Chicago panorama and waterfront perspective sounds especially rewarding. Iā€™d happily return to explore more of Chicago someday.

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  3. Chicago looks really lovely on such a beautiful sunny day. And you’re right, Lake Michigan looks like a vast ocean! I don’t think I would do TILT though. I think I would be more than happy to enjoy the views of the city just from the normal observation deck. That deep dish pizza looks huge! I guess it’s better to have it when you’re really hungry after walking around to explore the city.

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    1. …and that deep dish pizza was a “personal” size! Still fairly big, but I was hungry and managed to eat most of it; it’s more rich than anything! Chicago is a beautiful city, especially in the summer months and definitely worth a trip out. Thanks for reading, Bama, and more of my adventures elsewhere are coming soon!

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  4. Your food from the Starbucks Reserve Roastery looks beautiful. I went to the one in Seattle and enjoyed it, but sadly I heard they closed last year. I like your view of Lake Michigan from the observatory. Although Iā€™m afraid of heights, I think Iā€™d try TILT – itā€™s unique! Thanks for sharing, Rebecca!

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    1. Yes, I heard that Seattle’s closed recently; it seems to be the case with hundreds of regular Starbucks stores closing all over the nation, too. TILT looks like a cool experience, and I hope you get to try it when you head to Chicago, Darlene!

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  6. Chicago is a great city! It is about 5 hours from where I lived in Michigan so I went quite a bit growing up. My sister lives there now, I should probably go visit her. She spends a lot of time at Lake Michigan, it’s so pretty.

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    1. Nice! Many of the major Midwest cities seem to be within a few hour’s drive from each other, and I can see one visiting them easily. Lake Michigan is huge, and in a way mimics an ocean, perfect for relaxing by the shore in warmer months.

      PS I’ve yet to visit Michigan, and I hope to head over there sometime, perhaps to visit Detroit (with its Motown history). Any other places I should check out while in the state?

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  8. Great ending to your trip! I similarly paid to go up the Willis Tower when I was there and found the views to be very worth it. Looks like your experience was similar! I didnā€™t make it to Navy Pier though, so perhaps Iā€™ll have to check that out on a return trip. Glad you enjoyed Chicago!

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    1. I was deciding between the Willis Tower and 360 Chicago, but opted for the latter as it was closer to me. I’m sure the Willis Tower offers similar lovely views, though! Navy Pier was pleasant, ideal for enjoying on a sunny, warm day like it was when I went. Hope you can return to Chicago to check it out!

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  10. It’s great that you managed to fit these iconic Chicago experiences into your trip! I enjoyed 360 Chicago when I visited with my friends, and we did do the TILT experience. It was worth doing, though I expected to tilt further and be more thrilled šŸ˜€ It certainly didn’t seem scary to me!

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  12. That deep dish pizza looks wonderful, I’ll definitely check it out if I’m ever in Chicago one day, even if I’m usually a thin crust fan. As for the TILT, that lady is super brave to have mustered up the courage for it. I doubt I could, glad she turned out OK in the end. Thanks for sharing Rebecca, sounds like you had a wonderful trip. šŸ™‚

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    1. Thanks, Elle! I love a thick crust, so deep dish pizzas are one of my favorites! TILT isn’t for the faint of heart, that’s for sure. Hope you can head to Chi-Town one day to see it for yourself!

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  16. I agree that Lake Michigan almost looks like an ocean. Lake Superior is like that, too. Whenever I’m up on the shores of Superior, it feels like I’m in a lobsterless Maine. They look quite similar.
    I’m glad you got some Chicago-style pizza. It’s worth it every time, though I must say I’ve never seen an individual size like that. A regular-sized pizza can take a long time to bake, too, so it’s a good thing you didn’t wait at the first restaurant.

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    1. I’ve yet to visit the other lakes, but I can imagine that Lake Superior is, well, superior! šŸ˜† Although it makes sense to me now, deep-dish pizza takes a long time to bake, and I guess many establishments cook-to-order. Overall, it took about 45 minutes to get my individual pizza (20 minutes to wait for a table, and I ordered as soon as I sat down).

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  17. I loved the views from the John Hancock Building. Completely agree that Lake Michigan could pass for an ocean – it is so, so big compared to any lakes we have here in the UK! I have to confess I wasn’t sold on deep-dish pizza… I prefer a Neapolitan fluffy crust šŸ™‚

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  18. As I’ve said previously we visited Chicago back in 2023 when we then drove from there to LA on Route 66. I really liked Chicago. We did the 360 at night which was a great opportunity to see the city skyline and Navy Pier all lit up. You could pay me Ā£1m and I wouldn’t do that Tilt thing!
    We also felt we had to give the deep pan pizza a go and visited a restaurant recommended by our very young concierge. I’m not a pizza fan in normal life but my husband was pleased he tried it.

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    1. Chicago is a fun city to check out, even more so on an epic trip along Route 66! Deep-dish pizza is iconic, and while I personally love it, I know it’s not for everyone!

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  19. Oh wow Lak Michigan really looks huge, you can’t really tell that it is a lake and not the sea! The tilted platform ride sounds both fun and terrifying ahah, I don’t think I would have tried it! And that deep dish pizza looks amazing!! I’ve never had it and actually wasn’t sure I would like it, but honestly it looks fantastic!

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    1. Personally, I love pizza with a TON of crust, hence why I’m partial to Chicago deep-dish. Lake Michigan is huge and absolutely stunning on a sunny day, especially looking out from 360 Chicago. Thanks for reading, Juliette!

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  20. The view from John Hancock tower never gets old. Lake Michigan is indeed massive. Just reading about the TILT makes my knees wobble. Iā€™m scared of heights, Iā€™m amazed how brave people trying it out are.

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    1. Indeed! Lake Michigan is so big, it’s almost like an ocean! I’d be interested in trying TILT, but only if it was included in the admission fee…looks scary, but fun!

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