With its architecture, diversity, history and legends, the city of Chicago is amazing. For some, it's the memory of the sulphurous Al Capone, prohibition mobster; for others, it's the incredible impressionist collection of the Art Institute or the sculpture of Calder. Architecture lovers will think of Mies Van der Rohe or Frank Lloyd Wright. Foodies will know that Chicago, once a slaughterhouse town, has become a gastronomic hub and that you can eat well here, whatever your budget. But when you come to Chicago, you'll find that imagination belies reality.
Chicago, a multiple destination
Chicago is also the Loop and its famous aerial subway system that rattles with every pass. Only by walking along its shores will you understand how important Lake Michigan is to Chicagoans. You won't be able to resist climbing to the top of the Hancock Tower to discover an extraordinary panorama. On long evenings, you'll take a musical journey through the roots of the blues. Away from the center, you'll discover the most authentic clubs, in a smoky atmosphere, a hoarse voice transporting you back fifty years. And the multitude of parks will make you forget you're in a city of nearly 3 million people.
But nothing is too far away in the Great Lakes. One morning, you can have breakfast on the shores of a small lake in Chicago's Lincoln Park, and in the afternoon, visit Milwaukee's ethnic neighborhoods or stroll along the shores of Madison's Lake Monona. Geographically, the region is very diverse, moving from north to south from the great plains to rolling hills to the great boreal forests. And, of course, the lakes offer a spectacle that changes with latitude, time of day and weather conditions.
The architectural capital of the world
Chicago is the architectural capital of the world, and has been since the Great Fire of 1871 devastated the city, after which it was rebuilt with new ideas and materials. Great architects such as Sullivan, Burnham, Frank Lloyd Wright and Mies van der Rohe have given Chicago its image and international prestige. In the Great Lakes region, other types of architecture have emerged, such as Alex Jordan's House on the Rock - a house on top of its cliff in Spring Green, Wisconsin - or Frank Lloyd Wright's organic lines, which have left their mark in the states of Wisconsin and Illinois. The superb achievements of architect Albert Kahn in Detroit, notably the Fisher Building, an Art Deco masterpiece, and the Packard Automotive Plant, the first automobile plant built in reinforced concrete in the United States, cannot be ignored.
A Cultural Destination
The history of the Great Lakes is intimately linked to the history of France. Although not well known, this period is nevertheless rich in events, from the discovery of the Great Lakes by the Jesuit Father Marquette to the fur trade by the coureurs des bois and the "Voyageurs" and the warlike alliances with the Amerindian populations.
The visit of the region is dotted with small museums, statues and historical monuments in memory of this epic on then unknown lands.
When the French had to give the territories to the English, then the English to the Americans, successive waves of immigration came to swell the numbers of the American population: Scandinavians, Irish, inhabitants of Eastern countries, then Chinese and Japanese landed by millions on the North American territory in search of a better world, fleeing oppression and harsh living conditions of their country of origin. Today, the history of this immigration is exhibited in local museums, such as the Swedish Museum in Andersonville, the Polish Museum of America, one of the great ethnic museums in the United States, or the National Museum of Mexican Arts dedicated to Mexican art, culture and history.
an authentic and friendly population
The people of the cities and countryside of the Great Lakes have kept the innovative and open spirit that dates back to the time when the region was the western frontier of the country. This pioneering spirit is best seen in the authenticity of its people and their hospitality, and is reinforced by the strong presence of descendants of Scandinavian immigrants who came to populate the plains of Minnesota and Wisconsin. The Scandinavian spirit, aware of environmental issues, versed in education, health services and social policies, is found in an American region that is ultimately quite similar to Scandinavia in its geographic and climatic location. An expression has even become famous in Minnesota, where it is called "Minnesota nice", characterizing the kind and friendly spirit of the state's inhabitants. Chicagoans have retained some of the qualities of their descendants: they are friendly, open and easy to talk to.
A 100% natural destination
Unlike other parts of the United States, the Great Lakes enjoy four distinct seasons. Winters, which can be harsh, give way to fairly mild springs, warm summers tempered by the lakeshore, and long autumns that stretch into early November. This is the period of Indian summer, when the northern forests blaze, with the leaves changing color daily to the brightest reds and oranges. The Great Lakes region is known for its scenic grandeur. In northern Wisconsin, deep forest landscapes stretch as far as the eye can see; on the northern shore of Lake Michigan, you can drive for hours along the lake on one of the most beautiful roads in the United States. On the Door County Peninsula; when you reach the northern tip, you are at the end of the world. In Minnesota, you can drive for hours along the western shore of Lake Superior, up Highway 61 from Duluth to the Canadian border. Further west, Voyageurs National Park, in the Boundary Waters protected area, captures us with its grandeur in summer and winter. In the Chicago area, the flatness of the open spaces is offset by the presence of some of the tallest buildings in the world. In Michigan, the vastness of the area is reflected in places like Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park, one of the last remaining wildernesses in the Midwest, or Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore, where huge dunes line the shores of Lake Michigan.
In the northern Great Lakes region, a wilderness of untamed beauty is open to anyone with a taste for adventure. The U.S.-Canada border area is particularly well suited for nature outings, whether on foot along trails that wander into the vastness or by kayak on hundreds of small lakes such as those that form the Boundary Waters in northern Minnesota. In northern Wisconsin and Michigan's Upper Peninsula, the forests are filled with campers, fishermen and hikers. On the Door County Peninsula or in southwestern Michigan (South Haven, Saugatuck), you can go scuba diving to explore the wrecks of ships that have run aground during the violent storms that regularly sweep the Great Lakes. Whatever your sport, you're sure to find it. Enjoy your trip!
Smart info
When to visit? From spring on, visiting the Great Lakes becomes very pleasant. After a snowy winter, the Chicago area wakes up in mid-March with a very mild spring, before gradually warming up through August.
Getting there. There are direct flights between Paris and Chicago every day. To discover the Great Lakes region, car rental is a must.
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