94 floors? Which Way to the Elevator?

My first day in Chicago! Since I wanted to go to the Hancock Building at night, my first stop was Chinatown. I have this goal that every really big city that I travel to, if they have a Chinatown, I buy a rat trinket and an entree from a Chinese restaurant where I can't read the menu.

In Los Angeles, I apparently ordered some kind of beef, chicken and little shrimp lo mein combination dish. Super tasty! In Chicago, I randomly ordered what turned out to be Moo goo gai pan. It turned out delicious. Crossed the street and shopped around for trinkets and gifts to bring home.

Came across the Nine Dragon Wall which had 9 different colored large dragons on it. There was smaller dragons littered throughout the wall. 9 is a lucky number.  Also, it is similar to the wall they have in the Forbidden City in China.

The next destination I wanted to visit after Chinatown was Cloud Gate, or otherwise known as the Bean. It is located in Millennium Park.  As its nickname suggests, it's a huge metallic bean shaped sculpture. You can take a picture of it and see the convexed reflection of the Chicago cityscape.

The last location to visit for the 1st day was the Hancock Observatory.

 Found the entrance, paid the entrance fee and approached THE elevator. Now, I'm not especially fond of elevators but I still ride them because of their usefulness.  I read that this elevator was the fastest in the Western Hemisphere. It goes approx 20.5 mph. I thought I would be frightened but, because of the speed and smooth ride, it was a pleasant experience.

On the 94th floor, this building boasts a 360 degree view of Chicago and the surrounding area. I wanted to see all the lights so I chose to go at night. It was beyond beautiful. Now I get awfully frightened because of heights but I like nice views. Go figure, huh. I'm all right with looking out but looking straight down, that was a different story.  Determined to see it and checking my pride in over there by the elevator, I chose a window with no one beside it. I sat down on the floor about 3 feet away and scooted to the full floor to ceiling window. I was still overwhelmed and scared but the view of looking at the life below was amazing.

Walked all around the building slowly, taking in the views as if enjoying a limited edition truffle. Took a few pictures.