Kinda Gross: One of America’s Most Famous Places is this Illinois Attraction

Has your sense of smell ever been able to tell you it was going to rain?

Take that and times it by a million when living in Chicago.

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That's the first thing I could think of when reading the list of Attractions of America's Top 25 Most Famous Places in the USA.

I was fully expecting to see the former Sears Tower, now named Willis Tower, on the list.

While I was surprised to see the building not listed in the top 25, I was shocked to see another Chicago "attraction" included.

Born and raised in Chicago, I picked up a few things:

• If you can smell the Chicago River, it's going to rain.
• Don't swim in the Chicago River.

That might be why I was so taken aback by Attractions of America calling the Chicago River one of America's top attractions.

Attractions of America:

Winding and running through the heart of the city, the Chicago River comes with an accompanying Riverwalk, perfect for a good stroll. It is also ideal to stop and take a few pictures, both of the city and the river itself.

You can also have some fun on the actual water (when it isn’t frozen over), such as water taxis or kayaks.

Truth is, the city of Chicago has taken steps over the years to beautify the river but I can't help it, I'll never set foot in that water.

Janet Panic says:

...despite reversing the Chicago River, the city’s combined sewage and stormwater system is still inundated during large storm events and can overflow into the rivers, canals, and Lake Michigan. According to The Chicago Tribune, 18.2 billion gallons of pollution entered the river last year.

Yup, still kinda gross. I'll take a trip to the Sears Willis Tower any day of the week.