This year will be the last year that the Miss International pageants will be held in Chicago, Illinois. Next year, the pageants will move to the beautiful city of Jacksonville, Florida. Before the pageant relocates, I encourage you and your family to make the most of this wonderful opportunity and enjoy some of the wonderful experiences Chicago has to offer! I have attended the pageant for the past three years. During this time, my family, friends, and I have found some of Chicago’s most exciting attractions. Here are my top five favorite places to visit and things to do in Chicago:
Navy Pier- Navy Pier one of my favorite places to go because of the beautiful scenery. Navy Pier overlooks the water and offers an exciting, family-friendly atmosphere. My absolute favorite attraction at Navy Pier is the HUGE Ferris wheel. We take a family photo in front of it every year. It is fun to see how much we have changed!
John Hancock Observatory- Last year was my first experience at the observatory, but it is one I definitely will not forget. From the top floor, you can see all of the beauty Chicago has to offer! The elevators are extremely fast! We may have had a little too much fun riding up and down just to see how long it took to reach the top.
Chicago Cubs game- I come from a family of huge Cubs fans! There is nothing more exciting than cheering on our favorite team as we stuff our faces with world-famous Chicago pizza.
The Magnificent Mile on Michigan Avenue- If you love to shop, the Magnificent Mile is the place for you! With stores ranging from H&M to Louis Vuitton, you are sure to find exactly what you are looking for…and more!
MISS TEEN INTERNATIONAL PAGEANT- This may be a little cheesy, but the Miss Teen International pageant has become a family tradition for my mom and I. Since I was 13, we have made a yearly trip to Chicago to watch the beautiful and empowering women compete for the crown. It has always been a dream of mine to wear the Miss Teen International crown. This experience has been one I will remember forever. I am so excited that all of you will get to share this experience with me this coming July!
I hope to see you all in the beautiful city of Chicago for the 2013 Miss and Miss Teen International Pageants!
Showing posts with label Chicago. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Chicago. Show all posts
Tuesday, 14 May 2013
Tuesday, 11 December 2012
Thanksgiving in Chicago
As some of you may know, I have a very small family. During the holidays, and especially this year, we don’t have the traditional huge family gathering with enormous amounts of food. For Thanksgiving this year, my mom, my dad, and I decided to do something new and adventurous. Because I was ill during the International Pageant when we toured the city of Chicago, my mom thought it would be a good idea to check out some of the sites I missed out on. We hopped in the car equipped with holiday tunes and a cooler full of treats and hit the road for Chicago!
I was so excited to return to the state where I received the incredible blessing of being the 2012 Miss International and walk around downtown to show off my sparkly hat ;)
My first “go-to” destination was the well-known Millennium Bean! This beautiful peace of artwork has always been a piece that draws my curiosity and attention. Affectionately nicknamed “the bean”, Cloud Gate was created by Anish Kapoor in 2004 and has been a hot spot for tourists and beloved landmark for natives.
I had a blast taking pictures at the bean with tourists and visiting Millennium park dwellers. The next place I just had to visit was The Art Institute of Chicago. Every year they hold an event called “Wreathing the Lions.” Although I was not present for the ceremony, I did get a chance to see these massive but beautiful lions draped in holiday shrubbery.
My mom, dad and I strolled down the streets of Chicago enjoying the historic architecture and busy hustle and bustle. We certainly looked like tourists with our necks stretched back looking up at the tall elegant buildings. We shopped through WaterTower Place, stopping in The American Girl store (my childhood favorite) and the Lego store (still my dad’s favorite…) stopping to talk with tons of little girls and boys along the way.
We enjoyed a lovely dinner in a beautiful restaurant overlooking the city, gave thanks for how blessed we are, and reminisced about love ones lost. I am so fortunate to have such loving supporting parents. They have given me so much stable ground to stand on now, as I continue growing in to an adult woman. I love you mom and dad. I am so happy we could spend a beautiful Thanksgiving in Chicago; it is one I will never forget!
“The love of family and the admiration of friends is much more important than wealth and privilege.” –Charles Kuralt
XoXo,
Krista Wanous
Miss International 2012
I was so excited to return to the state where I received the incredible blessing of being the 2012 Miss International and walk around downtown to show off my sparkly hat ;)
My first “go-to” destination was the well-known Millennium Bean! This beautiful peace of artwork has always been a piece that draws my curiosity and attention. Affectionately nicknamed “the bean”, Cloud Gate was created by Anish Kapoor in 2004 and has been a hot spot for tourists and beloved landmark for natives.
I had a blast taking pictures at the bean with tourists and visiting Millennium park dwellers. The next place I just had to visit was The Art Institute of Chicago. Every year they hold an event called “Wreathing the Lions.” Although I was not present for the ceremony, I did get a chance to see these massive but beautiful lions draped in holiday shrubbery.
My mom, dad and I strolled down the streets of Chicago enjoying the historic architecture and busy hustle and bustle. We certainly looked like tourists with our necks stretched back looking up at the tall elegant buildings. We shopped through WaterTower Place, stopping in The American Girl store (my childhood favorite) and the Lego store (still my dad’s favorite…) stopping to talk with tons of little girls and boys along the way.
We enjoyed a lovely dinner in a beautiful restaurant overlooking the city, gave thanks for how blessed we are, and reminisced about love ones lost. I am so fortunate to have such loving supporting parents. They have given me so much stable ground to stand on now, as I continue growing in to an adult woman. I love you mom and dad. I am so happy we could spend a beautiful Thanksgiving in Chicago; it is one I will never forget!
“The love of family and the admiration of friends is much more important than wealth and privilege.” –Charles Kuralt
XoXo,
Krista Wanous
Miss International 2012
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