Lake Michigan in Chicago

A true inland sea, Lake Michigan is as large as the state of Virginia. From its shores, you can see beyond the horizon.

Four states border the lake from east to west: Michigan, Indiana, Illinois, and Wisconsin. More than 12 million people live along its shores, mostly in the megacities of Chicago (Illinois) and Milwaukee (Wisconsin), the two largest cities around the lake.

In the far north of the country, Lake Michigan is part of the network of five "Great Lakes" on the Canadian border. While its four neighbors are shared on both sides of the border, Lake Michigan is the only one that is entirely within U.S. territory. While not the largest of the five Great Lakes, it is the largest inland lake and the fifth largest lake in the world.

And it's true, it's big. 310 miles long, nearly 125 miles wide, and more than 1,600 miles of shoreline all around. And in the middle? A multitude of islands lost in the immensity of its deep blue.

The city of Chicago has 28 miles of shoreline. That alone is home to 33 beaches! Feet in the sand, water as far as the eye can see - there's definitely a seaside vibe here that you wouldn't expect to find in a city like Chicago.