Seven Wonders of the World

This is an amazing book that I picked up a couple months ago. It features a bunch of places that, obviously and redundantly, people should go to see before they die. All of these places featured are wonders of the world, figuratively speaking, because they show off the culture and the flair of the location in question. Not only that, but there are some great examples of architectural wonders and gravity-defying structures in this book. I've gone through the book and checked the places I've been too and dream about visiting more. Irony of the day: I've been to more places in the Czech Republic than in Germany in this book!! Go figure.

For history buffs' sakes, the seven ancient wonders of the world were:

• 1) The pyramids of Egypt - Three of them at Giza and the only one of the ancient wonders left.
• 2) The hanging gardens of Babylon - Built by Nebuchadnezzar around 600 B.C.
• 3) The statue of Zeus at Olympia - Made of gold and ivory.
• 4) The Temple of Artemis at Ephesus - Destroyed by Goths in A.D. 262
• 5) The Mausoleum at Halicarnassus - Erected by Queen Artemisia in Asia Minor
• 6) The Colossus at Rhodes - A bronze status of Apollo destroyed during an earthquake in 224 B.C.
• 7) The Pharos (Lighthouse) of Alexandria - Also destroyed by an earthquake

Historians then made up another list of the seven wonders of the ancient world to include cultures outside of the Mediterranean. This list includes Stonehenge in England and the Taj Mahal in India.

Then there are also Seven Wonders of the Modern World. These are generally agreed to be the Channel Tunnel between England and France, the CN Tower in Toronto, the Empire State Building in New York, the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco, the Itaipu Dam between Brazil and Paraguay, the Netherlands North Sea Protection Works, and the Panama Canal.

Now comes the quest for the Seven Wonders of Chicago brought to you by the Chicago Tribune and WGN. Over a span of several months, they will be gathering a list from readers' suggestions. Go on and submit yours. I think the idea is mind-boggling...it is incredible to pick 7. These were mine:

• 1) The Chicago River and its locks that reverse its flow.
• 2) Lower Wacker Drive - It is an entire different culture below the city.
• 3) Millennium Park - And its ability to draw together a city through art and culture.
• 4) LaSalle Bank's Mural Wall over the Kennedy Expressway - And its ability to showcase the zeitgeist of the city at that particular moment.
• 5) 333 Wacker Drive - Designed by the architects Kohn Pedersen Fox, it follows the bend of the river and reflects the sun in the afternoon into this fiery display on the green glass.
• 6) Bahai Temple - Situated off Sheridan Road in Wilmette, it is glitteringly white and gorgeous, day and night.
• 7) Lake Point Tower - The only residential tower east of Lake Shore Drive today. The three prong based architecture also inspired Harbor Point and 5415 North Sheridan.

Of course I also thought of Wrigley Field and the Cubs, NU rocks, Sears Tower, the old Water Tower, Museum Campus, neighborhood enclaves (Devon, Argyle, Cermak, Lincoln Square), the Wrigley Building, the wedding tower (33 S. Wacker) because they all say Chicago, but I think these seven won out. What do you think? I'd like to hear your opinions too!