Chicago - Willis Tower

The next day we made a visit to the Willis Tower (formerly the Sears Tower), which has dominated the Chicago skyline since 1974. There is an observation deck on the 103rd floor, and to reach it you have to actually take the escalator down to the lower level of the lobby. There you go past by the ticket booths and security, and then go past a series of exhibits on the history of Chicago and the history of the building. There are also chances to stop and get your picture with some of Chicago's most famous citizens - Barack and Michelle Obama, Michael Jordan and Oprah.

And then you make it to the elevator that quickly sends you up to the top. From there you have a wide view of downtown Chicago and beyond.



The Sears Tower was the tallest building in the world when it was built. It held onto that title until 1998, until the Petronas Towers in Malaysia took the claim. Now it's ranked as the 23rd tallest building in the world.



It still ranks as the tallest building in Chicago, and the third tallest building in the US.







The Observation Deck on the 103rd floor is the tallest observation deck in North America. It is taller than the deck at One World Trade Center in New York, which sits at the lowly level of the 102nd floor.



And one last shot, before we headed back to the elevator and descended back to ground level: