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Chicago's Sears Tower
The view from Chicago's Sears Tower Skydeck is as breathtaking as ever, but the "wow" factor has soared since the completion of a $4 million remodeling. Just getting to the observation deck on the 103rd floor is an uplifting experience. During the 60-second trip from the ground floor, 50-inch TV screens in the elevators showing stratospheric views of Earth make you feel like you're rocketing through the top of the building and into space.
From the Skydeck, the sweeping, 40-mile vista takes in parts of Illinois, Wisconsin, Michigan and Indiana. On the broad blue swatch of Lake Michigan far below, giant ore freighters look like bathtub toys.
Drag yourself away from the panorama long enough to look at the multimedia exhibits titled "The Sights and Soul of Chicago." Displays range from the story of Mrs. O'Leary's incendiary cow to a virtual tour of the maze of tunnels under downtown. "Knee-High Chicago" puts kids eye-to-eye with Windy City history, sports and more with displays at kid level all the way around the Skydeck, and cool cut-out windows that give little ones a better view.
