A public shout-out to the first reader to name the ferris wheel above. And no cheating. (Here’s a hint: Drew Barrymore filmed a key scene in “Never Been Kissed” there.)
Ding-ding! Chicago’s Navy Pier.
On a clear, summer day, there’s nothing more perfect than admiring the city’s skyline from the Ferris wheel car. To the west, the curvaceous, sleek Lake Point Tower, to the north, the John Hancock and that windy boulevard we Chicagoans heart: Lake Shore Drive. If you happen to be lucky enough to be staying in a Chicago vacation rental downtown, you may even spot it during your spin. (Another thing to do while buzzed at the Signature Lounge on the 96th floor of the Hancock. Go at night to eyeball the skyscrapers and city blocks that twinkle on the massive, maze-like horizon.)
Ferris wheels bring out the cheesy tourist in all of us, the feeling that you’re 10 again. They’re romantic, too. Just you, your sweetheart and the open air.
I’ll skip the blatant “top of the world” cliche, but you get my drift.
What other cities host these timeless, family-friendly beauties? Book a Santa Monica vacation home, Dallas vacation rental or Anaheim vacation home to find out.
