1. The Sears Tower

(233 South Wacker Drive, Chicago)

Still the tallest building in the United States, the Sears Tower built in 1973 is a skyscraper that stands 1,451 feet high (442 meters - 108 stories). It was the tallest building in the world for almost two decades until 1998 when the Petronas Twin Towers in Malaysia overtook that record.

One of Chicago's top and most famous tourist attractions, the Sears Tower sky deck is located on the 103rd floor. On clear days visitors on the sky deck observation deck can see far over the plains of Illinois and even across Lake Michigan to neighboring states like Wisconsin, Indiana, and Michigan. On Windy days, visitors can feel the sway of the Sears Tower as they stand up on the sky deck.

A great destination to see the beauty of the city of Chicago from high above it. Definitely not for anyone who is scared of heights.

2. Museum Of Science And Industry

(5700 South Lake Shore Drive, Chicago)

Located in Jackson Park, in the Hyde Park neighborhood. The Museum of Science and Industry is the fourth largest cultural attraction here in Chicago. It houses many wonderful exhibits that are fun and very educational. The Museum is known for its unique and quirky exhibits and it also has many interactive exhibits as well. These interactive exhibits allow visitors to get a hands on experience.

Since 1954, the Museum has had the U-505 Submarine, one of just two German submarines captured during World War 2 and the only one currently on display in the United States. The museum also has two World War 2 warplanes donated by the British government. A Super marine Spitfire plane and a Stuka divebomber (one of only two Stukas left in the world).

The museum also has a life-size mockup of a space shuttle and the real Apollo 8 capsule which was on the first lunar orbital mission. One of my favorite exhibits is the yesterday's main street exhibit. It features a life-sized mock-up of a common street from the early 1900's complete with a cobblestone road, old-fashioned light fixtures, old-fashioned fire hydrants, and several old-fashioned shops. Two of the shops, Finnigan's Ice Cream Parlor and The Nickelodeon Cinema can be entered and are functional businesses. Walking through this exhibit can make you feel like your back in time.

In addition to its three floors of standing exhibits, the Museum of Science & Industry also hosts temporary and traveling exhibitions as well. It would take too long to list all of the current exhibits because there is so many of them. To check out most of the museum, a person would need a few hours at least. The Museum of Science & Industry can be fun for people of all ages but a few of the exhibits might not be suitable for younger children.

3. Navy Pier

(600 E. Grand Avenue, Chicago)

Located off the shore of Lake Michigan, Navy Pier has been a Chicago landmark since it first opened in 1916. Originally designed as both a shipping yard and a recreational facility, the Pier has also served as a military training site during world war 1 and world war 2. It has even been a place for concerts and other events throughout the years. Every year over 8 million people visit the Pier. Today, Navy Pier showcases a number of restaurants and shops. From McDonalds, to a hot dog stand, to fancier restaurants, Navy Pier caters to a variety of taste and styles. In addition to unequaled recreational areas the Pier also has a awesome amount of entertainment exhibit facilities as well.

The Family Pavilion is anchored by the 50,000-square-foot Chicago Childrens Museum and Navy Piers 440-seat IMAX Theater. It is also home to 40,000 square feet of exciting restaurants and retail shops. Just beyond, visitors discover the Crystal Gardens, a 32,000-square-foot indoor botanical park, which provides a year-round center for family activity and special receptions. The South Arcade is home to numerous shops, restaurants, and attractions, including Time Escape, Amazing Chicago, and Chicago Shakespeare Theater.

Navy Pier Park is an outdoor landscaped area which features attractions such as a permanent 150-foot-high Ferris wheel, a musical carousel, an old-fashioned swing ride and an 18-hole miniature golf course. Navy Pier Park also includes the 1,500-seat Skyline Stage, which features musical performances ranging from classical to pop, blues and jazz to alternative, rock and reggae, as well as dance, theater, comedy and film. Dock Street runs the length of the Piers South Dock and is reserved for pedestrians, bicyclists and joggers. In season, four performance areas feature entertainment ranging from jugglers, mimes, stilt walkers, comedians, singers, and other musicians too. Dinner cruise ships continue to operate from Dock Street, and on some summer evenings, fireworks entertain the Piers evening visitors.

Festival Hall serves exposition and special event needs, with more than 170,000 square feet of exhibit space, and also houses the Smith Museum of Stained Glass Windows, which is a permanent display of 150 stained glass windows housed in an 800-ft.-long series of galleries along the lower level terraces of Festival Hall. The East End of Navy Pier offers the citys best view of the spectacular skyline and lakefront, and it is the perfect place for lunch or a sunset stroll.

Navy Pier is a beautiful, awesome, and fun place to go to. I have been there many times and I definitely plan on going back many times more. The best time to go check out Navy Pier is the summer time.

4. The Magnificent Mile

(On Michigan Avenue from the Chicago River to Oak Street)

The Magnificent Mile is one of the city's most prestigious residential and commercial areas. It includes fine restaurants, hotels, stores, and several of the tallest buildings in the world. A number of prestigious buildings are located along the Magnificent Mile, such as the Wrigley Building, the John Hancock Center, Water Tower Place, the Tribune Tower, and the Allerton Hotel.

The Magnificent Mile contains a mixture of upscale department stores, restaurants, luxury retailers, residential and commercial buildings, financial services companies, and hotels, and it caters primarily to tourists and the affluent. Many of the world's leading retail stores are found here on the mile including Bloomingdale's, Saks Fifth Avenue, Neiman Marcus, Nordstrom, Macys, Lord & Taylor, and others as well. The Magnificent Mile includes 3.1 million sq. ft. (288,000 sq. miles) of retail space, 460 stores, 275 restaurants, 51 hotels, and a host of sightseeing and entertainment attractions. More than 22 million visitors come to the Magnificent Mile every year.

Each season the ambiance of the Magnificent Mile changes. During the Christmas season, the city decorates the Magnificent Mile with millions of dollars worth of lights and Christmas decorations. The tradition of lighting the trees of the Magnificent Mile to start the holiday season extends for over forty years. During the event Mickey Mouse walks the Magnificent mile from Wacker Drive to Oak Street, stopping at each block to light the trees. This event is considered the first annual Holiday event of the year in the nation. Winter also brings the Light Nights on The Magnificent Mile featuring weekly fireworks over the Chicago River.

In the spring, Tulip Days occurs here from mid April until the end of May. Hundreds of thousand of tulips bloom on The Magnificent Mile. Typically, they bloom between April 16th and May 7th.

During the summer the "Gardens of the Magnificent Mile" festival event occurs. It is a self-guided landscape display walking tour. The flora from around the world put up on display and are identified with horticultural sign age in each of the gardens and planters. With so many different kinds of flowers it is definitely a beautiful sight to see.

With so much to see and do here, its no wonder that this area is called the Magnificent Mile. A great place to go with friends, family, and even allow. As long as you got the money, the options are endless here.

5. Shedd Aquarium

(Lake Shore Drive and E. Roosevelt Road, Chicago)

Chicagos Shedd Aquarium is located at the Grant Park Museum Complex. It is an indoor aquarium that is one of the largest in the world. It is the second most popular cultural attraction in the city of Chicago, and over 2 million people visit it annually. The Shedd contains over 2100 species including fish, sharks, whales, marine mammals, birds, snakes, amphibians, reptiles, and even insects. The Shedd has over 25,000 living fish in it and all of them are on display for the public to view.

The Aquarium contains several exhibits, the most notable are the Caribbean Reef and the Oceanarium exhibits. The Caribbean reef contains about 70 species of animals, including fish, sharks, and stingrays. Visitors get a up close look at the animals from the Caribbean through thick glass windows. The Caribbean reef exhibit aquarium is filled with over 90,000 gallons of salt-water and it is definitely a very nice site.

The huge 3 million gallon oceanarium, gives an overview of the sea life at the pacific northwest coast. The oceanarium contains Beluga whales, sea otters, and seals, but the stars here are the Pacific white-sided dolphins. Shows are scheduled during the day. Thanks to the massiveness of the aquarium, the dolphins have alot of room to show off their speed to the spectators. You can watch them from the windows at the lower levels or during the shows from the ‘amphitheater’.

The Shedd Aquarium is a great place for people of all ages. It engages and inspires the young, and it entertains and educates the rest of us.

State bird

California's state bird is the California Valley Quail. The California Valley Quail was picked because of its large numbers in May-August flocks and flocks of geese would go over Death Valley and hunters would wait in the valley to take out flocks and flocks over quail going through. Hunter usually flocked from 50 to 200. As hunting season came and went the numbers of the quail went down. Soon, only 1500 were left in the state soon as government officials found out they put them on the endangered list because of this. As this happened the number rose again and they were put off of the endangered list this is why the state decided to make it there state animal because of its determined comeback from extinction.

State Flower

The state flower is the Golden Poppy. IT was picked because of its bright golden color. People who saw it called it cups of gold of how bright it is. Most people said that it was like “Fields of Cups of Gold”. This made the government of California to make this the state flower.

Disney land

Disney Land is California's most popular attraction. Having so many guests hotels surround the area. Disney land has 8 kingdoms. There is the magical kingdom space kingdom animal kingdom and the adventure kingdom. California makes a lot of money off of this and is California's main attraction,

Monterey bay aquariam

Monterey bay aquariam is one of the largest aquariams in the United States ranking 2nd. Having its own supply of water coming in from the ocean. Monterey bay aquariam has the largest number of sea creatures in America and still rising.

Monterey bay aquariam is California's 2nd most inportant attraction, keeping tourists in California.

Agriculture

Some of California' most important crops is wheat and barley. Most fields are located in central Valley. Most crops are watered by the winter rains, in Minnesota we get snow but in California, all they get is rain. Oranges that are found in California are hand picked and shipped to stores around the U.S, but most aren't. Some other crops or agriculture is tomatoes, onion, pinapple, olives, apples, pears, walnuts, nuts, corn grapes, raspberries, berries, watermelon, squash. Some of California's livestock is cows, chickens, sheep, and pigs. All of these things play a different

Part in California's beauty and is helping California prosper into the number 1 state.

History

Some of California's most impressive history dated back about 15,000 years ago, during the ladst ice age. Most of the untied states and north America was covered with ice. A land bridge connect with Asia and North America. Hutners from asia crossed the landbridge or followed by it in boats as the Asian's found out that north America was a great hunting place they settled in California. Soon California had different mixed racies from natives to Asains. By1500 hundreds

California had over 100,000 Native American's. There lives began chagine when Eurpeans came. As more and more uropeans came so did missionaries trying to teach the native's cristianity., but they were not successful. Natives still preformed traditional seromony's at the missions in notrth California. So the missionaries gave up. Soon mexican's arrived in California looking for independence from mexico but were unsuccessful soon there was a governer in the state making California apart of mexico, but this didn't last for long. In 1821 mexico won its endependence from spain and California was now a truly apart of mexico.

In 1826, and American named Jedediah Smith reached California, he was a fur trapper from New York looking for new routes to set his fur traps. Smith was the first American to set foot in Californa. Over time more and more American's arrived im California to live. People learned that this land was excellent and they also learned it had a lot of gold. John Sutter owned land near sacremento. A carpenter building a mill for Sutter found gold on the land and soon everyone was rushing form all over north America. The gold rush changed California forever.

The united states had just won the war with mexico that statrted just 2 years before this event making California america's land.On Febuary 2, 1848 claiforinia became apart of the untied states. This gold rush attracted over 90,000 people and these newcomers were called forty-niners. Most pople thought you could be rich by mining this gold, a few people did make a fortune but most didn't, but still stayed in California. In 1850 california became a state in the U.S.

Soon most of the forty-niners agve up hope and needed food clothing and places to sleep so people who gave up on mingin worked in factories supplinying new miners tools for there beginning. The gold rush did not go on forever but California kept growing. In 1869, a transcontinental linked California with the eastern U.S. The railrad made it easier for people to reach California .people who helped bring abot the buiding of the rail lines became millionaires.

California's farmland also held jobs for a lot of people but not all of the state got enough rain to grow crops, so the state started irrigating land.In 1887 the first major irrigation system started bringing water to dry farmland, The projects helped California's population grow. By the end of the 1900's land was cheap.

In the early tentieth century, east coast movie makers realized that southern California was a better place to make movies. Soon Hollywood was created.

The Desert Tortuise

The desert tortuise lives in the sierra nevada's. eating and drinking the juices of the cactus and the catus meat inside.

The desert turtiose burrows deep under the sand is moist and cool. The desert tortuise has a thick shell that can Weigh over 700 pounds.

The Kit Fox

The kit fox lives in the desert looking for flowers to eat. The kit fox is the sammllest member of the dog family found in north America. The kit fox can weight at only 6 ounces, but when older can weigh as much as 12 pounds. The kit fox is a fery clever animal only coming out at night so it doesn't have to bear the heat.

The California condor

The California condor has a wingspan of 9 feet or more. This is one of the very known California bird on the endanged species list. The California condors usually live among the red wood tress but sometime stray out into the desert.

The condor has a picky menu but will eat inything if hungry enough. The California condor is so special it is being breeded at the zoo in California.

Thankyou for reading my report on California and I hoped you liked it.

Once you have your parking spot, you will proceed into the aquarium. You will then have to pay a final fee to get inside the aquarium itself.

The aquarium itself is a bit cramped, especially when it's crowded. People will be rushing about, snapping pictures, and just generally getting in the way. So you may want to try going during the week to escape some of the crowds. But it's a popular place, so you may face crowds no matter when you visit.

The Dallas World Aquarium also has three restaurants inside in case you become hungry after all of that walking. The three restaurants are called Cafe Maya Restaurant, Eighteen-O-One Restaurant, and the Jungle Cafe. You may also want to visit the gift shop after you're done touring the aquarium.

Types of Animal Life

There is quite a variety of animal life to be seen at the Dallas World Aquarium. And don't be fooled by the name. There is more to the Dallas World Aquarium then just fish. For starters there is a large amount of birds to be seen.

Tropical birds and even some white geese will be one of the first things that you see when you enter this aquarium. There is even this strange blue bird that resembles a turkey, but it's not a turkey. It's also fairly shy, so it may be difficult to snap a picture of it. And don't forget to take a few pictures of the pink flamingos.

You will also observe monkeys. It may be difficult for you to obtain a picture of the monkeys because they are also quite shy. In addition to the monkeys, there are various types of snakes such as the deadly rattlesnake. But don't worry, the rattlesnakes and all of the other snakes are behind glass. You're perfectly safe.

You will also find scorpions, lizards and even a small area that holds bats. The bats are fairly difficult to see because they're mostly in the shadows of the ceiling asleep. You'll even see some rabbits and frogs inside the aquarium.

Now for the marine life. You knew this was coming. First of all there are plenty of fish for you to see such as catfish and others. They have huge aquariums that hold these fish together, and some of these fish are a few feet long. And they're also quite wide. Thus, the reason for the huge aquariums.

Turtles and stingrays also inhabit a small section of the aquarium. However, they're not kept behind huge panes of glass. The turtles and stingrays are out in the open, but don't touch them. Obviously, the turtles are unlikely to harm you, but the stingrays might. Watch your kids carefully here.

As for the more aggressive forms of wildlife in the marine area of the aquarium, there is the alligator and the great white sharks. These are obviously more difficult to get close to. Not that you would want to go anywhere near these creatures. If an alligator or a great white shark manage to grab your arm, you can probably kiss it goodbye.

As you can see, the Dallas World Aquarium is full of all sorts of interesting creatures. Some of these creatures are dangerous, and some of them are not. Nevertheless, it's quite an experience for anyone who goes.