This is the second in a four-week series to help BlogHer '09 attendees explore Chicago. Please also visit Walking Tour One.

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!