Lake Shore Drive

For 15.8 miles one can drive along the west coast of Lake Michigan and not only appreciate the beauty of the lake itself, but also take in Chicago's skyline and many of the city's parks and landmarks: Buckingham Fountain, Grant Park, Millenium Park, Lincoln Park, Oak Street Beach, the Field Museum, Adler Planetarium and the Museum of Science and Industry. Known as Lake Shore Drive, this thoroughfare owes its existence to the foresight of Daniel Burnham and Edward H. Bennett whose 1909 "Plan of Chicago" states, "Imagine this supremely beautiful parkway, with its frequent stretches of fields, playgrounds, avenues, and groves, extending along the shore in closest touch with the life of the city throughout the whole water front." Eventually built in 1937 and called Leif Erickson Drive, this blessing of a boulevard would change its name to Lake Shore Drive in 1946. City dwellers, commuters, travellers and tourists who take "the Drive" are treated to magnificent views often enhanced by the moods of Chicago's ever-changing weather.