Aerial Cities

A day in the skies over the Windy City is filled with surprises. Just after dawn, the “Legends of the Lake” – twin sisters Jennie and Julia Papilli – follow a ritual they began in 1946, swimming two miles in chilly Lake Michigan. Chicago is a city of skyscrapers, and while some visitors test the heights in glass observation boxes jutting out from the Willis Tower, others head to the 94th floor of the John Hancock Center for a ride that tilts an entire window and floor out over the sidewalk 1,000 feet below. One rooftop serves as a training ground for Chicago’s firefighters, while another is an exercise yard for inmates. Connecting it all is the city’s rusty iron heart, its iconic “L” train.

From the bustling port that drives Florida’s economy and the neon-lit clubs of Miami Beach to the fascinating story of how Miami was founded, this episode reveals a city that’s about much more than sun and surf. From the air, viewers can trace the growth of Little Havana, built by Cuban exiles who still gather in Domino Park to meet old friends, and explore lesser-known corners of town like Liberty Square, which inspired the Academy Award-winning film “Moonlight.” Miami offers a rich mix of manmade and natural wonders, from the celebrity hideaways of Star Island to the pink flamingo haven of Hialeah Park, whose flamingo residents today are descendants of a single flock brought from Cuba in 1934.

Taking wing over the City of Angels reveals much more than the secrets of Hollywood’s famous back lots. Three days a week, stardom seekers line up early in a nondescript Burbank warehouse district – home to Central Casting, which helps aspiring actors land background roles. L.A. might be best known as a TV and film capital, but it’s also home to the birth of surfing and skateboarding, which started in a Santa Monica neighborhood known as Dogtown. By air, viewers also can discover the hiding-in-plain-sight history of the city’s first big industry: oil. One working oil derrick is tucked into Cardiff Tower, and another is covered under a colorful wooden structure right next door to Beverly Hills High School.