Chicago is known for its chilly winds and deep dish pizza but no one quite prepared me for the astonishing architecture of the city. Chicago is a photographers delight with its rivers, tall buildings and the wide expanse that is Lake Michigan.

We visited Chicago during autumn when the leaves were golden and the air had a fine nip in it. The city was a hive of activity and adventure. The restaurants, theaters, cruises and parks formed only the tip of the entertainment and activities the city had to offer. One of our most memorable tour in Chicago was the architecture boat cruise. We had our doubts before embarking on the tour as the name sounded pretty dry and we wanted more encouragement for looking at buildings in the cold winter air.

The architecture tour was a pleasant surprise as it dwelled on the past, the making and the present of the city of Chicago. They even provided great tid bits of knowledge on the Great fire of Chicago and origins of the name Chicago. The word Chicago has its origins in Native American languages and means either an onion or garlic (I have found sources saying either or) but for a city that is named after a smelly root Chicago was an amazing city to travel and explore.

Here are the sights and sounds of Chicago through our lens.

Pictures credited to Razor Rasu and are a property of Traveling Noodles