If you haven't checked out the Chicago Walking Tours yet, and are looking forward to getting to know Chicago a bit, we suggest you look into them now. They're chock-full of history, architectural facts, hidden Chicago gems and some of the greatest shopping in the city. BlogHer community member Cynthia Clampitt created three tours, plus put together these tips and fun facts, and we couldn’t wait to share them with you. Read on for a great city guide about the city’s architectural history, expansive public parks, tips for keeping your bearings, and what to do near the Sheraton Chicago Hotel and Towers.

Introduction

While New York is considered a great world city, Chicago is often said to be the great American city. It is where the high-rise was born and American architecture got its start (try to think of any famous American architect who isn’t associated with Chicago—we’ve had Louis Sullivan, Frank Lloyd Wright, Mies van der Rohe, and Helmut Jahn, to name a few).

Chicago owes its remarkable architectural history to the Great Chicago Fire, which destroyed a huge swathe of the city, including all of downtown, in 1871. In the late 1800s, a booming city that needed an entire new downtown seemed like the best place to start experimenting with new ideas in architecture. Armed with affordable steel, Elisha Graves Otis’s new elevators, big dreams, and ambition, architects came from all over the world, ready to rebuild Chicago. And thus was born, not only American architecture, but also the “skyscraper,” as the tall buildings would be called.

The first skyscraper, the Home Insurance Building, was built in Chicago in 1885. At ten stories tall, it was the tallest building in the country. With the success of this building, skyscrapers began to appear all over Chicago, and soon in other cities, getting taller and taller as people became more confident.

Chicago has a lot more to offer than tall buildings, however. The city’s motto is Urbs in Horto—City in a Garden—and this is not wishful thinking; the city has more than 7,300 acres of parkland, 552 parks, 33 beaches, 16 historic lagoons, and 10 bird and wildlife gardens. Among the best known of Chicago’s parks is Grant Park, which parallels South Michigan Avenue for most of its length.

Partly because of this great architectural history, but also because of the fabulous stores, monumental artwork, and gorgeous lakefront, Chicago is a wonderful place for a walking tour. Taking a bus or taxi is always an option, but there are a lot of things worth looking at up close.

Chicago offers a tremendous array of sights and activities—one could spend weeks trying to see and do everything—but a lot of the city’s history and beauty can be taken in within a relatively short distance of the Sheraton Chicago Hotel and Towers, where BlogHer ’09 is taking place. The walking tours below can be broken up or combined, depending on your timeframe, interests, and stamina. The two Michigan Avenue tours are about a mile each. The Loop is a little less than one half mile square, though you may cover more ground than that, depending on which bits you choose to see.

Tips to help you keep your bearings

• The lake is east. If you can see the lake, or have a sense of where the lake is, you can always figure out the direction you’re going.
• The baseline for north/south numbering is Madison Street and for east/west numbering is State Street.
• Each full block is assigned a series of 100 numbers. For example, the Hilton Chicago is at 720 S. Michigan Avenue, which means it’s in the 700 block, or the seventh block south of Madison Street. The Sheraton Chicago Hotel & Towers is at 301 East North Water Street, so it is in the third block east of State Street.
• Address numbers are even on the north and west sides of the streets. (If you like mnemonics, just remember “new”: north-even-west.) Addresses are odd on the south and east sides. Therefore, you can tell just by looking at the Hilton Chicago’s address that it is on the west side of Michigan Ave.

Near the Sheraton Chicago Hotel and Towers

• While the walking tours below will offer a feast of architecture, history, and shopping opportunities, you don’t have to go too far from the hotel to have a good time. One block north, at 401 E. Illinois St., you can visit Fox & Obel, Chicago’s answer to New York’s Dean & Deluca. You can shop for ultra-goodies, or just stop in the café for some of the great truffle fries or perhaps a decadent dessert.
• Just a few blocks east of Fox & Obel, and you’ve reached Navy Pier. This Chicago landmark, which extends more than half a mile into the waters of Lake Michigan, offers the glitter and glamour of a really wonderful fairground. The huge Ferris wheel, impressive in daytime but magic at night, when it’s outlined with hundreds of lights, will be one of the first things to catch your eye, but that’s just the beginning of delights. Inside, there are gardens, shopping arcades, and fun rides. Shops and carts offer Indian jewelry, Russian dolls, cinnamon almonds, cooking gear, books, clothes, and Chicago memorabilia. Chicago Shakespeare Theater, one of the world’s great Shakespeare companies, has its impressive theater here. There is a food court and numerous restaurants, including Riva, which offers some of the city’s best seafood.
• One of the pier’s real surprises is the Smith Museum of Stained Glass Windows—the only museum of its kind in the United States. A gorgeous stroll among vivid colors takes you through the history of stained glass. (Chicago has long been the world’s center of stained glass window manufacturing, and this is where Tiffany had his workshops.) If you make it out to the end of the pier, take a peak at the old Grand Ballroom, which hints at the pier’s long history. The pier also offers a great view of the city, so take your camera.

We hope that you take advantage of being in this great city, whether through walking tours, taking part in the photo promenade through Chicago, or just shopping along the Magnificent Mile. 

* * *

Cynthia Clampitt is a freelance writer who specializes in food, history, and travel, and is the author of Waltzing Australia. She has lived near Chicago for most of her life, and no matter where she wanders in the world, she is always glad that this remarkable place is home.

Last year, we offered a recycling room, launched a full-scale online conference guide, and our tote bags were made from organic cotton. We increased the number of recycling receptacles and encouraged attendees to bring reusable utensils, to power down completely when electronics weren’t in use, and to forego daily-refreshed linens and towels. Sponsors provided hybrid vehicles for carpooling and handed out reusable water bottles. One sponsor even handled off-setting the carbon footprint for the entire conference!

This year, we’re excited to announce that our past efforts are being recycled again this year – and that we’re pushing the envelope even further! Read on for a complete list of Green Initiatives at BlogHer ’09:

• Green Team – We created a Green Team to help advise BlogHer and our sponsors about new steps, big and small, that BlogHer can take to become more green. We shared their ideas with our sponsors, many of which were eager to understand what is important to the BlogHer community. Pepsi invited the BlogHer ’09 Green Team into a private conversation to discuss environmental concerns, and altered their sponsor giveaways based on that discussion. Other sponsors also took the Green Team’s suggestions to heart, and you’ll see that reflected through the various swag and giveaways at the conference.
• Online Conference Guide – It would take a lot of paper to print our full BlogHer ‘09 conference guide for 1400 attendees, so this year (like last year!), we’re making it available online only. There will be a map and abbreviated agenda onsite for attendees.
• Recycling Suite – BlogHer will ensure that all unused/unwanted swag will be recycled properly, or donated to organizations that can use the products. The Recycling Suite will remain open throughout the conference, making it a convenient stopping point once you determine what all will fit in your suitcase.
• Carbon Offsetting – Michelin, for the second year in a row, is offsetting more than 200 tons of CO2, which is enough to offset travel, accommodations and three days of venue operations for more than 1400 attendees. WOW!
• Water – For the first time, BlogHer is providing water throughout the entire conference from refillable cisterns, and the Gilbert Guide has provided reusable, BPA-free water bottles in every swag bag. This will help cut down on disposable water bottles waste.
• Meals – The city of Chicago does not allow leftover food to be donated to shelters, etc.; however, all untouched food will be donated to all levels of Sheraton staff to enjoy and bring home to their families. BlogHer will be offering buffets, silverware and cloth napkins at meals, to help reduce waste. Additionally, Pepsi has arranged for a charitable organization to pick up all of their leftover (sealed) food samples.
• Tote bags and Lanyards – Conference tote bags (provided by Blue Avocado) and lanyards at BlogHer ’09 are made from reusable, recycled material!
• Recycling receptacles – The Sheraton Chicago has a recycling program in place, which BlogHer is delighted to conform to. Additionally, Pepsi is providing even more recycling receptacles for our use. Before you throw something away, please consider whether it is something that can be recycled.
• Hotel Reader Boards – Outside each meeting room at the Sheraton Chicago are electronic reader boards, which will list each session taking place in its respective meeting room. Using these reader boards has helped BlogHer significantly cut down on waste created by printed signage.
• Hotel Towels and Bed Linens – The Sheraton Chicago has a linen reuse program. Follow instructions on the signage in your room to let the cleaning staff know that you don’t need your linens or towels laundered and replaced every day of your stay.
• Hotel Bath Products – USED: If you use the amenities provided by the hotel, any unused portions will be donated by the Sheraton to local shelters. UNUSED: If you choose not to use the amenities provided by the hotel, bring the unopened bottles and soaps to the registration desk, where Veronica and Kim will gather them to donate to Deborah’s Place, a women’s shelter in Chicago.
• Electronics – Instead of just setting your electronics to “standby” or turning them off, take the extra step to unplug them when they’re finished charging. This will help prevent energy waste at the conference.
• BYO Reusables – Just like last year, BlogHer is encouraging attendees to bring their own reusable ____. Bring your own refillable water bottle, your own utensils, your own travel mug for coffee and tea -- you fill in the blank!
• GM Rideshare – Once again, BlogHer and GM have partnered to offer carpooling to attendees driving to the conference. This is a great way to make new friends, travel in an environmentally friendly way, and help reduce energy use and emissions.

We’d love your help making our fifth annual conference as green as possible, so please consider all the ways you can help us reduce, reuse and recycle!

My favorite way to explore a city is on foot. I think it has something to do with the experience of using all five of my senses in a way that driving (or boat-riding) tours just can’t match. (Not to mention that walking is good for Earth, good for you and good for your wallet. Well, potentially good for you and your wallet. I suppose that depends on your discipline when in such close proximity to Garrett Popcorn Shops. Plus, this tour takes you right down the Magnificent Mile - home to hundreds of shops and boutiques.) So if you’ve planned a little extra time before or after BlogHer ’09, and were hoping to see a little bit of the city (believe me: there’s plenty to see), then I’ve got a juicy tidbit for you: Chicago walking tours.

BlogHer community member Cynthia Clampitt created three tours, and we couldn’t wait to share them with you. Each week leading up to the conference (July 2, 9, 16 and 22) we’ll publish them in this space for you. So whether you’re looking to get to know the Windy City better or just want to exercise (with a view), you can find it here.

Walking Tour Two: Michigan Avenue North of the Chicago River

(approximately one mile)

This tour picks up from the Michigan Avenue Bridge and Wacker Drive. Walking Tour One leads directly into this tour. If you're starting fresh from Sheraton Chicago Hotel and Towers, cross the Columbus Drive bridge south to Wacker Drive, then head west to Michigan Avenue.

On the north side of the Chicago River, two of the city’s most glorious buildings are before you: the Tribune Tower (1922–25) and the Wrigley Building (1920). The gleaming white Wrigley Building, headquarters of the famous chewing gum manufacturer, was patterned after Seville Cathedral’s Giralda Tower in Spain. However, the white terra cotta façade is graced with French Renaissance decorations. It is one of the most famous office buildings in America. At night, spotlights illuminate the façade, brightening this entire stretch of Michigan Avenue.

Directly across the street is the splendid Tribune Tower, the result of an international competition to design “the most beautiful office building in the world.” A magnificently gothic confection, the building is topped by a tower with flying buttresses derived from the design of the French cathedral of Rouen. But don’t admire this tower from afar, because the base of the building deserves your attention. It is studded with more than 120 stones from famous places and structures in all 50 states and dozens of foreign countries, including pieces of the Parthenon, Taj Mahal, Great Wall of China, the Berlin Wall, Ellsinore Castle (Hamlet’s home), Bunker Hill, the Alamo, and even a moon rock. Then wander inside, to read the worthwhile inscriptions, see the relief map of North America made of shredded dollar bills, and enjoy other details of this gorgeous building.

(If you have time, and the weather is fine, you can head down the steps beside the Wrigley building and catch a Wendella Boat Tour—up the river, then out through the lock onto the lake, accompanied by an interesting narrative of Chicago’s history.)

From the Tribune Tower, continue north on the east side of the street. You are walking up what is called “The Magnificent Mile,” a stretch of Michigan Avenue that offers one of the most dazzling concentrations of retail opportunities in the world, from Burberry to Nike, Tiffany to Sony, Ralph Lauren to Elizabeth Arden, Neiman Marcus to Banana Republic, Crate & Barrel to Hammacher Schlemmer, and hundreds more. Nike Town is a remarkable place, with high tech gadgets, fish tanks behind the shoes, indoor basketball court (for trying out your shoes), vacuum tubes delivering merchandise. It’s hard to imagine that one product line could sustain an entire store, but it does. The store holds lots of interesting displays of specially designed Nikes, from those made for Michael Jordon, to those created for Batman, to pairs created for performing elephants and a goose with an amputated foot. It’s silly, but it’s entertaining.

At 701 N. Michigan Avenue, you’ll come to the historic Allerton Hotel (1922–24). This Italian Renaissance-style hotel, with its famous Tip Top Tap, was created to cater to young professionals and contributed to the conversion of Michigan Avenue into a chic work and play area.

As you continue north, you will notice ahead of you a tall, tan, stone “needle.” This is the famous Chicago Water Tower. Built in 1869, the Water Tower and its adjacent pumping station were the only buildings in the downtown area to survive the voracious Great Chicago Fire. Built of large limestone blocks in a style adopted from 13th century castles, it looks something like a gothic rocket. Oscar Wilde thought it a monstrosity, but it has become a cherished landmark for Chicagoans. The Water Tower is now an art gallery. The pumping station holds a Tourist Welcome Center, but also still fulfills its original purpose. Take a look through the pumping station windows; it is amusing to see the contrast between the vintage architecture and the modern, high-tech water pumping equipment now in use.

In the next block is Water Tower Place, considered the most beautiful shopping “mall” in the U.S. Take the escalator up to the “core” of the building, where gleaming, chrome and glass elevators zip up and down amid the plants and light of the interior. If you’re hungry, FoodLife is an interesting and innovative dining experience where you’re handed a “credit card” when you’re seated, and you use it to obtain food at an array of booths with intriguing goodies—health food, international exotica, or pizza—then turn in the card at the end of your meal and pay for the total.

One more block north, between Chestnut and Delaware, you come to the Hancock Building. Look up. This is the third tallest building in the city, standing 1,127 feet tall, and is the tallest residential building in the world. The 100-story Hancock Building is known worldwide for its distinctive X-frame architecture. It’s not as tall as the Sears Tower, but if you want to do “view,” this is the one to visit. Whereas the Sears Tower looks down on a lot of other buildings, the Hancock building gives you views of the lake, shoreline, beautiful Lincoln Park, and Michigan Avenue. There are photos by the windows that identify all the buildings and locations you can see from the top. The observation deck is on the 94th floor, so brace yourself for an ear-popping ride. But it is an amazing view. (Remember: if it’s windy, the building is built to sway—it keeps the building from “breaking,” but it can be a little disconcerting if you get up there and feel like the ground is moving.)

A bit farther north, at 919 N. Michigan Ave., is the Palmolive Building (1927-29), considered one of the premier Art Deco skyscrapers in the United States. Finally, you reach the Drake Hotel. The venerable Drake has attracted celebrities and heads-of-state since it opened in 1920. In the beautiful Palm Court, they serve afternoon tea (a formal affair with finger sandwiches and scones), should you need a break. A piano or harp will be playing in the background. The Drake is reminiscent of a time now past, with uniformed doorman, red-carpeted stairs, and a palatial reception area where an antique table holds a fortune in fresh flowers. So even if you’re not interested in a cup of tea, it’s fun to walk through.

Cross Michigan Avenue to the other (west) side and start heading south again—or shop till you drop in the several high-end, high-rise “vertical malls” at this end of the street.

Opposite the Hancock Building is the handsome Fourth Presbyterian Church, a splendidly Gothic edifice with a serene courtyard that can be a nice place to rest for a minute or two, before continuing your walk. Also, on Fridays at noon, there are free concerts.

At 626 N. Michigan Avenue, you’ll see the classical French-style Women’s Athletic Club (1928), which was the country’s first athletic club for women.

At Ontario, look to your right and notice the sign for Lawry’s Restaurant. The magnificent building now occupied by this restaurant used to be the home of the famous Köngsholm Puppet Opera, and before that, it was the “townhouse” of General Robert McCormick, who founded the Chicago Tribune. This elegant 1890s mansion, a Chicago landmark, retains much of its former glory, with sweeping stairways, high ceilings, and a 100-year-old crystal chandelier in what is now the lounge.

Still heading south on Michigan Avenue, at 520 N. Michigan, you’ll pass the McGraw-Hill Building (1928-29), another splendid example of Art Deco design.

At this point, you’re almost back to the river. If you’ve expended all your energy seeing the sights and shopping, it’s a good place to get a cab.

Next week's tour includes The Loop, so bookmark this page and lace up your walking shoes!

Paula Gregorowicz
Paula runs a life and business coaching company, empowering women who want to propel ahead in their personal lives and careers, as well as those who are interested in starting a business, which is one reason BlogHer is thrilled she’s joining our “Bloggers are Pioneers in a Post-“Employee” World” panel. Paula was recently interviewed by about her role as a life and business coach, giving great tips for entrepreneurs. She is also a regular speaker in the Philadelphia metro area about becoming comfortable in your own skin, and taking charge of your career and relationships.

Liz Gumbinner
With experience on both sides of the fence, Liz Gumbinner joins our Brands and Bloggers panel. Liz was recently listed among Nielsen’s Power Mom 50 and was named by Forbes.com as one of ten “Mommy ‘Hood Gurus.” Her work on CoolMomPicks.com has been featured in magazines such as Time, Real Simple and Parents. Additionally, Liz was recently interviewed by NH public radio about blog regulations – all of which ties in to her expertise about brands and bloggers.

Paula and Liz will be speaking on Friday, July 24th in back-to-back sessions in BlogHer’s Business of You track. For the latest on transitioning your blog from hobby to business, come learn from the all-star women on these panels!

My favorite way to explore a city is on foot. I think it has something to do with the experience of using all five of my senses in a way that driving (or boat-riding) tours just can’t match. (Not to mention that walking is good for Earth, good for you and good for your wallet. Well, potentially good for you and your wallet. I suppose that depends on your discipline when in such close proximity to Garrett Popcorn Shops.) So if you’ve planned a little extra time before or after BlogHer ’09, and were hoping to see a little bit of the city (believe me: there’s plenty to see), then I’ve got a juicy tidbit for you: Chicago walking tours.

BlogHer community member Cynthia Clampitt created three tours, and we couldn’t wait to share them with you. Each week leading up to the conference (July 2, 9, 16 and 22) we’ll publish them in this space for you, with a Tips and Fun Facts wrap-up. So whether you’re looking to get to know the Windy City better or just want to exercise (with a view), you can find it here.

Walking Tour One: Michigan Avenue South of the Chicago River and Grant Park

From the Sheraton Chicago Hotel and Towers, cross the Columbus Drive bridge south to Wacker Drive. Head west to Michigan Avenue.

At Michigan and Wacker, start on the west side of the street and head south. The high-rise on the corner, at 333 N. Michigan Ave., is one of the city’s several Art Deco landmarks. Next, you will pass Illinois Center, a cluster of tall, dark, glass buildings, once considered “The Future of Urban Planning.” Underground passages lined with shops make it possible to move among the buildings without ever going outdoors.

In another couple of blocks, you will reach the Prudential Building at Randolph Street. This was the first skyscraper built in Chicago after World War II. Behind it is the Aon Center, originally built as the Standard Oil Building. It is one of Chicago’s three giants, currently holding the number two position at 1,136 feet tall.

Turn left and head up Randolph Street, then cross to the entrance of Millennium Park, a corner of Grant Park that offers gardens, monumental sculpture, a concert venue, terraces, outdoor art galleries, and numerous other opportunities for enjoying oneself. One of the first things you’re likely to notice is the very sculptural Jay Pritzker Pavilion, a remarkable “explosion” of brushed steel with a state-of-the-art sound system that is suspended from an overhead trellis, so no one’s view of the stage is obstructed. It is considered the most sophisticated outdoor concert venue of its kind in the United States.

East of the pavilion is the massive, shiny, silver, bean-shaped sculpture known as Cloud Gate. Cloud Gate is British artist Anish Kapoor’s first public outdoor work installed in the United States. This highly reflective piece of art offers a great photo opportunity, with reflections of the city’s skyline and the lake against a backdrop of the real thing.

The Lurie Gardens offer 2.5 acres of flowers, shrubs, trees, and grasses native to Illinois, and the Chase Promenade is an inviting three-block-long walkway lined by nearly 200 trees.

At the south end of the park is the Crown Fountain, which was designed by Spanish artist Jaume Plensa. The fountain consists of two 50-foot glass block towers flanking a shallow reflecting pool. The towers project video images designed to show the diversity of Chicago’s citizenry. Water flows through an outlet in the screen, giving the illusion of water spouting from the mouths of the individuals pictured. In the summer, the fountain is a favorite spot for children, who can run through the cascading water.

The south side of Millennium Park is bounded by Monroe Street. Crossing the street, you come to the Art Institute, one of the country’s top art museums. Walk around the building, both to see the classic old part and more modern addition and to get to the back of the building. Behind the building, depending on the state of construction at the time of your visit (they’re adding a new wing), you may be able to see the ornate main arch from the old Chicago Stock Exchange preserved and ensconced in a tiny park. But even if this small park is blocked off, continue past the Art Institute and across the street behind it (Columbus Drive). You will find yourself amid more of the many gardens of Grant Park. Amble through the gardens toward Buckingham Fountain. This spectacular Chicago landmark is one of the largest fountains in the world. It was donated to the city by Chicagoan Kate Buckingham, who built it in honor of her late brother, Clarence. Completed in 1927, the three-tiered fountain was inspired by the Latona Basin at Versailles. The great, bronze seahorses that adorn the fountain were sculpted by French artist Marcel Loyau. The fountain operates mid-April to mid-October. Light and water shows are given each evening, and the central spout regularly shoots up to 150 feet in the air.

From this vantage point, if you look to the south and east, across the grassy playing fields you can see, in the not-so-far distance, the Field Museum of Natural History, the Shedd Aquarium, and the Adler Planetarium, which is on a point of land that extends out into the lake.

From the fountain, walking back toward Michigan Avenue along Congress brings you to the grand entrance designed to lead you from the city into Grant Park and toward Buckingham Fountain. This entrance is flanked by two wonderful 1928 sculptures by Yugoslav artist Ivan Mestrovic of Native Americans of Illinois. The statues are named The Spearman and The Bowman.

From here, you have a great view of a stretch of Michigan Avenue that is, in fact, one of the world’s most-recognized one-sided streets, along with New York City’s Fifth Avenue and Edinburgh’s Princes Street. Sometimes called the Michigan Boulevard District, with buildings dating to the late 1800s and early 1900s, this handsome stretch of road offers examples of the work of many of Chicago’s most important architects, including Daniel Burnham, Dankmar Adler, Louis Sullivan, Holabird & Roche, Marshall & Fox, Henry Ives Cobb, S. S. Beman, and Graham, Anderson, Probst & White.

Look to your left (south), and you’ll see the Hilton Chicago. Designed by Holabird & Roche, the hotel was originally called the Stevens Hotel. It was built in 1927 and was, when it opened, the largest hotel in the world.

Cross Michigan Avenue, and, at the corner of Michigan and Congress, you’ll be outside the Auditorium Theater in Roosevelt University. President Grover Cleveland laid the cornerstone for the Auditorium Building in October 1888, and President Benjamin Harrison dedicated the completed building in December 1889. It was immediately acclaimed as one of the most beautiful and functional theatres in the world, remarkable for its perfect acoustics and for innovative design. The spectacular arched ceiling meant no internal pillars were needed, so every seat had an unobstructed view of the stage. The Chicago Symphony Orchestra resided at the theater until Orchestra Hall was completed in 1904. Roosevelt University moved into the building in 1946. In 1976, the building was designated a National Historic Landmark. Today, the theater is home to the famed Joffrey Ballet. If you think the pillars in front of the building, on the Congress side, look like they have been cut off, you’re right. The street used to be narrower and lower, and great stone stairs were removed when the street was widened in 1952.

Now, head north (back toward Wacker Drive).

Orchestra Hall (also called Symphony Hall) is another couple of blocks up, at 220 South Michigan Avenue. The home of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra for more than a hundred years, the building is an interpretation of Georgian style. As you walk by, look for the names of Bach, Mozart, Beethoven, Schubert, and Wagner above the arched windows of the second-floor ballroom.

As you continue north, you might also keep an eye out for the Fine Arts Building, the Chicago Athletic Association, the University Club, the Old Republic Building, the London Guarantee and Accident Building, and other wonderful, elegant, old buildings. One newer building worth noting is the Smurfit-Stone Building, a sleekly modern edifice that contrasts sharply with the antiques around it. Its sharply angled, diamond-shaped roof is lighted at night, with the colors changing with the seasons or for special events.

Between Washington and Randolph stands the imposing Chicago Cultural Center, a Classic-Revival building constructed in1897 as the city’s first library. Enter the doors on the south side of the building and walk up the stairs to the large room on the third floor. All around you, the stairways, walls, and ceilings are covered with millions of piece of glass, gold, and abalone shell. This is the largest mosaic in the world, and it is crowned by an impressive Tiffany glass dome. On the far side of the dazzling third-floor main room there is an entrance to a long hall that leads to the north side of the building. Look for the handsome GAR Hall, where another, even larger Tiffany stained glass dome can be viewed, and tall windows offer splendid views of Michigan Avenue and Millennium Park across the street. Self-guided tours of the building and its exhibits and galleries are available, and a docent-led tour is offered every day at 1:15 p.m. Also in the Chicago Cultural Center, on the north side of the building, is the Chicago Visitor’s Center—a most useful destination, with a nice café, a room full of maps and brochures, and Chicago greeters to assist you.

Continuing north, you come to the Carbide and Carbon Building at 230 N. Michigan Ave., with its stunning dark green to black exterior trimmed in gold and bronze. The gold decorations at the top of the building are actually 24-karat gold. This handsome skyscraper has recently been renovated and is now Chicago’s Hard Rock Hotel.

You are now nearly back to Wacker Drive and the Michigan Avenue Bridge, from which you started the tour.

Is your appetite whet for more of Chicago? This tour leads into Walking Tour Two, so stay tuned!

Jaden Hair, food writer and author of SteamyKitchen.com, was quoted in a specialty food article in The Washington Post. The newspaper published both an original photo and recipe of Jaden’s for Chinese Hot and Sour Soup. Jaden is also regularly featured on CBS10 and ABC7, two news stations in Florida. What’s more, Jaden has a cookbook coming out in October 2009: “The Steamy Kitchen Cookbook: 101 Asian Recipes Simple Enough for Tonight's Dinner” (Tuttle Publishing).

Michelle Lentz, also known as Wine Girl, is well versed in social media and instructional design, and has been competing for a dream job with Murphy-Goode Winery. The contest awards a six-month, $60,000 contract to live on-site in the Sonoma Valley and spearhead social media for the company, something Michelle is uniquely skilled to do. (Sidenote: voting ends Friday, June 19th – so if you’d like to help a BlogHer ’09 speaker, you can do it here!)

We’re excited for both women, and are proud to feature each of them as BlogHer ’09 speakers!