Navy Pier is one of the most popular tourist destinations in all of the midwest because it’s what people from small towns think cities should be: a mall with rides and chain eateries with large portions.
Navy Pier gaslights you. It insists you’re having fun, that there’s something for everyone—and you’re an everyone, right? It traps you in its labyrinth of light, sound, and smells that are either food or people. You’re already here. It insists you stay.
The most fun I’ve ever had at Navy Pier was at the Art Expo when I was in high school. One of my classmates saw Oprah and said, “That was Oprah!” I looked up and didn’t see Oprah, but my friend had seen her and that was cool to me. Then an adult male artist tried to get us to come back to his hotel so he could show us more of his work and also have sex with us.
