It’s always a bummer when friends move away, but it sure does help ease the pain when their new home is somewhere great to visit.

This is the case with my friend and Sandy Lake native Kristen Chisholm, who moved to Chicago a few years ago.

Kristen’s friends and family, including parents Duck and Patti Chisholm of Liberty Township and sister Sayra Bovard of Wolf Creek Township (my college roommate), were sad she’d be so far away, but we certainly enjoy going to see her and the Second City.

My boyfriend Jeremy Saylor and I recently spent a few days in Chicago with Kristen, who is a concierge at the posh Park Hyatt hotel.

The hotel, located along the famous Magnificent Mile which Oprah Winfrey often mentions at the end of her show, is gorgeous and by far the nicest one I’ve ever been in. We took a tour of it and were blown away by the view of the Water Tower buildings and sailboats on Lake Michigan.

The Water Tower buildings are the oldest in the city and survived the great fire because they were made of stone, according to a tour guide on the double-decker bus we took on a sunny, breezy Saturday.

The buses are a great way to see the city and get your bearings. They’re especially nice because you can hop on and off at 13 stops throughout downtown.

We started the tour at the John Hancock Center, which was nearest Kristen’s apartment. The bus took us through downtown into the Loop, along Grant Park and south to Soldier Field, where it really does look as if aliens landed after renovations.

I can’t really say I’ve ever been as awed by architecture as I was in Chicago. It really is amazing how beautiful and different the buildings there are. From the classical look of the Wrigley Building, which is probably my favorite, to the shining glass of more modern and inconspicuous skyscrapers throughout the town, it was all poor Jeremy could do to snap pictures fast enough as I said, “Ooh, look at that!”

We got off the bus at Millenium Park, the northern section of Grant Park full of sculptures. The city reportedly has more public art than any other, and the one that seems to have the most drawing power – and rightfully so, because it’s awesome – is what folks call “the bean.”

Though it’s been there only a few years, Anish Kapoor’s “Cloud Gate” is so popular because it truly is magical. It’s hard to describe, but the giant, mirrored “bean” captures the reflection of buildings and people in a way that kind of takes your breath away. And when you step inside the concave sculpture, things just get trippier, as reflection upon reflection makes kaleidoscopic patterns but you can still see yourself.

Another favorite piece of mine was “Agora,” at the southern end of Grant Park. Created by Polish artist Magdalena Abakanowicz, it features 106 9-foot tall headless humanoid statues, each of which is unique. Apparently the statues created a lot of controversy, but it really grabbed me.

Off the tour, we also visited another Chicago icon, Wrigley Field. We trekked there a few hours after the beloved Cubs had lost a game, but folks were still out at patio taverns in full force, laughing and drinking. One cool thing Kristen pointed out to us is that many of the buildings that surround the baseball stadium have bleachers on the roofs.

In addition to great art and architecture, Chicago is also known for great food and we ate our share of it.

Our friends and family have pointed out that Jeremy and I have kind of a sushi addiction and wherever we go, we seek it out. We’ve had great sushi in Seattle, Cleveland and Alexandria, Va., but what we ate at Ai Japanese Restaurant and Lounge was beyond delicious.

Ai, which is the Japanese word for “love,” according to the restaurant’s Web site, has a cozy yet cool atmosphere. And while it looks so very hip, the folks who work there made us feel right at home.

Our terribly charming waiter, whose name I can’t remember, made great recommendations and helped us figure out how to eat things like the Midori Sushi appetizer, which looks like a giant slice of a maki roll decorated with edible gold.

The manager helped us choose wine and sake and one of the owners stopped by our table to see how everything was. It was amazing, that’s how it was.

The big dining outing we’d planned for months was a trip to Avec. Jeremy and I learned about the restaurant when its owner was a judge on “Top Chef” this past season. The show was shot in Chicago, and we kept a list of places it mentioned and Avec’s moderate prices, mellow vibe and yummy menu pushed it to the top.

We went early on a Sunday afternoon, as they don’t take reservations, and got right in. We started our meal with a wine and cheese course that was so good I would easily agree to eat nothing but la tur and quince paste forever.

My love of cheese is possibly the only thing stronger than my love of sushi and we had six cheeses from Italy, France and Spain.

After that, we split two large and two small plates, each one as good as the last. We ate focaccia with taleggio cheese, truffle oil and fresh herbs and wood-fired pizza with gogonzola, smoked grapes, tarragon, pistachios and a sweet and kind of spicy saba dressing. We also had dishes with homemade paprika chicken sausage and a very refreshing English pea crostini with lemon, radish and watercress.

We didn’t have much time for shopping, but we did spend a morning walking the Magnificent Mile, the stretch of stores along North Michigan Avenue. The same route that took our bus more than half an hour to drive on Saturday took us only an hour to walk. And that included stopping in several stores. The only thing I regret is that we didn’t make it to a Garrett’s Popcorn shop. It’s so good. Google it.

If you’re looking to eat, shop, see a show or some beautiful art or architecture, Chicago is only an hour flight away and well worth it.