Chicago is America's great architectural city — the birthplace of the skyscraper, strung along 26 miles of Lake Michigan shoreline with world-class museums, observation decks, and an outsized food and music culture. The most rewarding visits balance one day downtown (the Loop, the river, the lakefront museums) with a neighborhood day, and build around the architecture that makes the skyline one of the most recognizable on earth. Late spring through early fall is the strongest window; the