Chicago

Well, now that I've been in New York for five days, I think it's about time I posted pictures from Chicago! These were taken during the last week of May, I hope you enjoy.....


I was fortunate enough to stay at a friend's place just 3 blocks from Wrigley Field. The Cubs played home games all week, so the neighborhood was abuzz with the hustle and bustle of baseball fans.

Chicago has fabulous museums... this one was the Field Museum of Natural History. They had a special pirate exhibit documenting the life of a the Whydah, a real pirate vessel that sailed during the 1700's. It was built as a slave ship but was captured by pirates and then used as their main rig.

The exhibit was created by national geographic, but they wouldn't allow any photographs... so I didn't take any. But it was a PIRATE exhibit, and somehow this one snuck in there??....
Another shot from the museum... with real T-rex bones!

Michigan Avenue

Chicago has an amazing system of parks accompanied by neat public art displays. My favorite was "The Bean"... this giant mirror-clad legume in Millennial Park.

That's me... I'm magic. (and using a flash)

More Bean effects...

I love it!

The El train rolling thru downtown

Later I went to the Museum of Science and Industry, which was probably too big to see in a week. I did visit an exhibit about green living/building. This house was built as a model of sustainability... notice the wind turbine in the yard.

Another exhibit documented the capture of a German U-boat by American forces during WWII. These were propaganda/recruiting posters of that era.

The entire U-boat is housed in a special basement exhibit. It's huge! And the only one ever captured (not sunk) by allied forces during the war.

Various knobs and controls inside the sub

I don't know what it does, but it looks pretty cool... and its all in German.

Downtown Chicago, looking over the Chicago river. The old Tribune building is just left of center in the photo.

I took a day trip to Joliet to meet long lost family

We visited a church in an outlying town that was started by an old family friend

...Even drove by the Joliet Prison. This is the same one from the beginning of the "Blues Brothers" when Jake gets out and is met by Elwood. The facility is no longer in use and likely will become a hotel/tourist attraction.

Back in Chicago, the Sears tower, tallest building in America

This is the top of the John Hancock building, reaching for moon....

The John Hancock building, from the ground
Another giant tower....

This was taken from the top of the John Hancock, looking south. Ninety-four stories up!! That's lake Michigan on the left.

So, umm, this is another pic of that same building, with a T-Rex tearing thru town. It was madness, I tell you, absolute madness. And entirely built of Legos.

Steel and glass, water and sky

I threw this one in because it reminded me of that chase scene at the end of Blues Brothers when Jake and Elwood are cruising at about 85 mph underneath the El tracks... after seeing it with my own eyes I can understand why that was the last time the city allowed such a stunt!

My last day was perfectly sunny so I rented a bike and cruised along the lake. Blue water!
This one was taken from the north side, looking south at the skyline

Almost looks tropical... but trust me, it was chilly! (I didn't go swimming)

One more shot, looking North

Buildings everywhere!