<div>When Chicago Magazine—the city’s premier journalistic voice for residents and visitors alike—asked its online readers to describe Chicago in a single word or phrase, here’s what they had to say: Vibrant...illuminating...charismatic...culturally diverse...historically rich...architecturally bold...modern and classic...gritty,livable, honest, and real...foodie heaven...hilariously funny and delightfully entertaining.To experience what readers are talking about and come up with a few descriptive phrases of your own, take a look at some of the city’s most memorable hotspots and highlights. With so many amazing things to do and places to see, Chicago is sure to be your kind of town.</div><h2>Millennium Park –"Urbs in Horto," or City in a Garden</h2><div>Millennium Park is no ordinary town square. Rather, it encompasses 25-acres of awe-inspiring landscape, lush greenspace, a legendary collection of public art, and brilliant architecture right in the heart of Chicago’s central business district (a.k.a the Loop Community) near the Lake Michigan shoreline. The Park serves as a backdrop for hundreds of free cultural programs including exhibitions, tours, festivals and world-class musical concerts including the Grant Park Symphony Orchestra and main-stream rock performances.</div><div></div><div><strong>JayPritzker Pavilion</strong>,<strong> </strong>the centerpiece of the Park,is the most sophisticated outdoor concert venue of its kind in the United States. The amphitheater features architectural and artistic elements unlike any in the world, such as a strikingly beautiful, enormous and whimsical, stainless steel trellis buttressing the Pavilion’s state-of-the-art acoustics system which faithfully projects perfect sound throughout the entire venue. The trellis also unifies the pavilion’s 4,000 fixed seats and the Great Lawn, which can accommodate acrowd of 7,000 stretching more than a city block long.</div><div></div><div><strong>The Lurie Garden</strong>—a 5-acre plant paradise, dramatically lit for nighttime enjoyment, and surrounded on two sides by a 15-foot-high shoulder hedge—offers free gardening workshops, yoga classes, and fitness seminars.</div><div></div><div><strong>The BP Pedestrian Bridge and Nichols Bridgeway</strong>, two remarkable examples of functional sculpture, provide access from the park to Lake Michigan, Grant Park, and The Art Institute of Chicago (where you can spend an entire day and cover only a fraction of the museum’s collection).</div><div></div><div>Promenades throughout the park lead to other attractions such as the Wrigley Square and Millennium Park Monument, The McCormick Tribune Ice Rink, The Park Grill (a 300-seat restaurant opened year-round), The Crown Fountain, The Running Table, a 100-feet long picnic table with benches fashioned from recycled plastic, and the Cloud Gate, the official name for the massive, bean-shaped stainless steel structure that’s become Chicago’s signature landmark.</div><h2>Navy Pier—100 Years of History</h2><div>The 3,330 feet-long pier on the Chicago shoreline of Lake Michigan encompasses more than 50 acres of parks, gardens, shops, restaurants, family attractions and exhibition facilities. It is one of the most visited attractions in the entire Midwestern United States and is Chicago's number one tourist spot attracting more than nine million visitors annually.Ride the 15-story-high Ferris wheel and marvel at the thrilling view.Engage in hands-on activities at the Chicago Children's Museum, take in a movie at the IMAX Theatre, pump up your adrenaline with a speedboat ride, enjoy a relaxing dinner cruise, orrefresh and refuel at the Landshark Beer Garden, one of Chicago’s most beautiful outdoor venues to enjoy live music, great food and drinks, meet people and view spectacular fireworks.</div><div></div><div>Beyond the sites of the Chicago Loop you can take your pick of 77 neighborhoods brimming with great food, cultural sights, unique shopping, eye-catching art, wine bars and breweries, nightclubs, and world-famous comedy spots, such as Second City where SNL’s John Belushi, Chris Farley, Tina Fey, and Amy Poehler got their start.</div><h2>Looking for a travel nurse opportunity in Chicago, IL or another premier destination?</h2><div>Cross Country Nurses can take you there. As a leader in healthcare recruitment, Cross Country Nurses is one of the most trusted staffing companies in the industry. For over 30 years, we’ve been placing experienced nurses at more than 2,500 prestigious healthcare facilities across the U.S. and the Caribbean. Call our talent acquisition specialists at 800-530-6125 or view our available job opportunities in Chicago!</div>

Don’t Miss out on These Activities When Traveling to Chicago, IL