We took this tour along with Grand Chicago City Tour (North & South Side). Along with these tours, you get another perspective of Chicago. And taken all together it was a good attraction But Chicago is no San Francisco in terms of scenery, hills, and mountains.

Chose to visit the John Hancock Observatory rather than the Sears Tower after guidebook and local recommendations. We visited after 6pm and there was no line anywhere. We had a chance to watch the sunset from the Observatory, view three different states as well as Lake Michigan and the entire Chicago city.

We've been to Chicago many times and enjoy all the city has to offer. And, we've been to the Hancock Observatory before and enjoyed the views from 1000 feet above Chicago. However, if you're short on free time or have another engagement to follow your ride to the top, you'd better plan your trip carefully to prevent frustration and heartburn.

The trip to the top at about 8 p.m. came with the normal wait time of about 10 minutes. No problem there, as one expects such an attraction to come with a wait.

The views were splendid, as the night was clear. However, after about 20 minutes of soaking in the sights, it was time to head back down.

Unfortunately, the system to transport guests down doesn't work as smoothly as the one that brings them up, causing an unnecessary wait of over 40 minutes. As can be seen in the pictures, the line of folks waiting to catch the down elevator was over 100 people long. The really frustrating thing is the staff did nothing to correct the problem despite numerous pleas from irritated tourists to get another elevator running to speed the process. We were told by the staff at the downstairs ticket sales counter that the other 2 elevators everyone was asking about serve floors near the observatory, but aren't used unless there is an emergency.

If you have lots of spare time and don't mind waiting in line for no real reason, you'll have no problem at the observatory. But, if you're planning on a concert or show, make sure to budget your time in the Hancock observatory carefully to allow for more time than you might expect for the round trip. Forewarned is forearmed.

I have been to Chicago many time and have done the traditional Sears Tower visit whenever I go with a new friend. It got kinda old. I read on etriptips.com that there was a good alternative. Go to the Hancock Tower and go to the Sky Room. Great advice. I loved it! You get to sit with a martini and enjoy the beautiful view of the lake.

Try that next time. You won't regret it.