Heathrow is taking the art of the private lounge to a new level with an upgraded terminal where VIPs can peruse pieces from the likes of David Hockney, Tracey Emin, and Francis Bacon.
30.01.2025 - 17:17 / lonelyplanet.com
Jan 30, 2025 • 8 min read
High-flying architecture is everywhere in Chicago, the birthplace of the skyscraper, but the city’s prairie roots shine through, too, in Frank Lloyd Wright’s love of horizontal lines as long as the Midwestern horizon. The 1871 Great Chicago Fire left a blank slate and sparked an architectural revolution, and the city has been a hotbed for innovative architecture ever since.
Taking an architecture-themed river cruise is one of the most popular things to do in Chicago, and for good reason. No matter what tops your must-see list on a trip to the Windy City, you can experience the beauty of Chicago’s architecture and gain a deeper understanding of its history.
From beaux-arts to art deco, this guide explores Chicago’s best architecture and its rich history, including must-visit Chicago landmarks and the tours that will take you there.
Chicago’s landmark architecture can be divided into several distinctive architectural movements that are easy to discover on a trip to the city.
Frank Lloyd Wright, a protégé of "father of skyscrapers" Louis Sullivan, endowed Chicago with its most distinctive style – the Prairie School, considered the first uniquely American form of architecture. The movement's buildings sought to mirror their place in the plains, emphasizing the horizontal over the vertical with long, low roof lines and rows of windows that seamlessly connect indoor spaces with the outdoors.
To blend in with the landscape visually, natural materials such as brick, limestone and stucco were often used. Wright called this “organic architecture,” inspired by and aiming to exist harmoniously with nature.
Of all the Prairie-style houses designed by Wright, Robie House on South Woodlawn Ave in Chicago’s South Side is the most dramatic and successful, with a 20ft cantilevered roof and 175 art glass windows embellished with a geometric wheat stalk design. Driving is the easiest way to reach the house, as public transport can only drop you a few blocks away.
Key architects: Frank Lloyd Wright (1867–1959) is one of the USA’s most notable architects; he catapulted the Prairie style to global renown and coined the term “organic architecture.” Marion Mahony Griffin (1871–1961) was the first woman licensed to practice architecture in Illinois and a founding member of the Prairie School – she was an early hire at Frank Lloyd Wright's practice.
Despite so much forward-looking and America-focused architecture, the buildings constructed for the 1893 World’s Exposition, the first Chicago World’s Fair, were a salute to a European past. The beaux-arts movement, named for the École des Beaux-Arts in Paris, took after a French fad that stressed influences from antiquity. The style mixes classical Roman and
Heathrow is taking the art of the private lounge to a new level with an upgraded terminal where VIPs can peruse pieces from the likes of David Hockney, Tracey Emin, and Francis Bacon.
Aviation may be one of the safest forms of transportation, but unexpected turbulence can be an uncomfortable or even dangerous experience for airline passengers. While most routes will experience some form of turbulence, a new report reveals that some routes may be more prone to it than others. Within the United States, flights from Albuquerque, NM to Denver, CO reported the highest average turbulence rate. For international flights, travelers from Mendoza, Argentina to Santiago, Chile experienced it the worst. These results and more were part of a study from turbulence tracking company Turbli, which publishes maps and historical data on airline turbulence. The rest of the top ten of their «Most Turbulent Flight Routes» in the U.S. includes:
If Miami and Palm Beach had a love child, it would be Fort Lauderdale. Quickly shedding its image as just a spring break destination, the city is redefining itself as a place that lacks the formality of its neighbor to the north (Palm Beach), but has all the trappings of the vibrant metropolis to the south (Miami). And while Fort Lauderdale is quickly catching up on the five-star luxury-resort front, the real-estate (and therefore hotel) prices have not yet approached the levels of Palm Beach's on Worth Avenue. Fort Lauderdale lacks pomp and doesn’t take itself too seriously: It’s a place that still feels accessible thanks to an abundance of public beaches, a lack of gated communities, and a culinary scene that won’t break the bank.
In 2024, approximately 1 billion passengers departed from U.S. airports. Nearly a quarter of those travelers, about 236 million, experienced a flight delay or cancellation, according to a recent report from AirHelp, an air passenger rights company.
Feb 5, 2025 • 10 min read
There's a common misconception that you need to book a flight to experience honeymoon-worthy romance. Often, when couples envision a dreamy getaway (think: overwater bungalows, waterfront dinners and unforgettable views), they assume such wow factors can only be found overseas.
We've officially entered February, which means romance is in the air. But if you haven't planned the perfect Valentine's Day adventure for you and your sweetheart, Vio, the travel deals website, has a few ideas. In January, the website revealed its list of the most romantic getaway destinations for couples. It came to its conclusion after surveying 1,007 Americans who identified as «in a relationship» about their past and future couple trips, along with their «disagreements, their budgets, destinations, and golden rules for traveling together.» After examining all the data, it named Yosemite the spot that helps couples «feel the most romantically connected.»
United Airlines seems like it's serious about rebuilding domestic connectivity from key hubs.
Touchdown! The Kansas City Chiefs and Philadelphia Eagles will face off in the Super Bowl on Feb. 9, a bonanza for special flights to New Orleans.
For a window into the soul of a city, take a stroll along the waterfront: Think of the Seine walkways in Paris, the Copacabana promenade in Rio or the Charles River Esplanade in Boston. Or the nearly 14-mile palm-fringed ribbon called La Rambla, in Montevideo, the capital of Uruguay.
A worker at Chicago O’Hare International Airport was critically injured on Saturday after a vehicle that tows aircraft and a plane collided, causing the vehicle to flip over, officials said.
A European getaway just got cheaper.PLAY Airlines, a discount carrier based in Iceland, recently announced a 25 percent discount on flights from the United States to Europe, including Amsterdam, Berlin, Copenhagen, London, and Paris. Best of all, the tickets can be purchased now for travel throughout the spring, fall, and winter travel seasons. The discounted fares are available in PLAY Basic, and the discount only applies to airfare, and not taxes or fees.