Last Day in Chicago

 
By Chuck

Today was our last day in Chicago. We decided to play it light and easy--one real destination and then home again. At the last minute this morning, Claire decided we could try the hotel restaurant: This saved us time and money--we could eat before we caught the Double Decker bus to the Field Museum of Natural History, rather than try Wildberry Pancakes and Café in the middle of our route. Turns out that trying to keep fruit and yogurt fresh by means of the hotel ice machine and an ice bucket just doesn't work out too well.

Aaron, our Chicago guide, providing us with a free harmonica blues concert. We found out a good Blues joint is only 2 blocks away from our Best Western Hotel; but, by evening we are generally more than ready to call it quits.

 Another beautiful Chicago building.

The Flamingo by Alexander Calder

The only scene from the movie musical, Chicago, that was filmed here.

Finally, the actual Marshal Field building, known for the clocks on its corners.

We hated to admit it, but we liked the Trump Tower.

This is the Jeweler's Building. It had elevators that would allow the armored cars carrying their diamonds to deliver them to their floor, a security precaution. Hah! Apparently, no one told them that Al Capone controlled the fancy speakeasy at the top during the Prohibition years.

By this time, we had developed very sore necks over the past several days from all the craning to see the tops of skyscrapers. Thank goodness, we are done for a while.

Soldiers Field has had two lives. Once it was a Classical stadium with Roman columns and housed 100,000 fans; it was thought to be too large for the Chicago Bears and was redesigned and modernized and now holds about 65,000.

This is the outside of the Field Museum. It is about a city block in size and houses wonderful collections on almost everything.  We got the comprehensive ticket for Seniors that allowed us to see the general collection, a movie and two special exhibitions.

The first exhibit we saw was Sue, the largest and most complete Tyrannasaurus Rex ever found. She is 40.5' long, has a skeletal weight of 3,922 pounds and is quite impressive. Her head is so heavy that they have to use a lighter substitute in the display, to support the weight.  We opted to see the 3D movie about her and thought it was very well done, combining CGI and documentary styles.

The special exhibit, Extreme Mammals, was quite interesting.  It showed a variety of animals, living and extinct that were unusual: the biggest, smallest, and most amazing mammals of all time.  We were able to inspect oversized claws, massive fangs, extraordinary snouts, amazing horns, and other traits that make these mammals truly remarkable.

This was an interesting graphic display comparing the size of Africa to that of several major countries.  So, it is larger than the U.S., India, Argentina, Europe and China combined!

3D Movie fan preparing for battle

The Field Museum from the Upper Floor, looking back toward our entrance.  We were quite pleased with the openness of the entire museum. It was also, happily, lacking in crowds--In fact, when we arrived at 10:30am, we thought we had come on a day when it was closed! Fortunately, we were mistaken.

Aerial View of the Principality of Monaco from the series Lilypad, A Floating Ecopolis for Climate Refugees. This floating amphibian city, half aquatic and half terrestrial, is a solution for refugees displaced by the rising waters created by climate change.

We loved our day here and spent 5 hours!  What a treat to live in this city and have constant access to the Art Institute and the Field Museum.
 
Observations and Recollections

The name "Chicago" is derived from a French rendering of the Native American word shikaakwa, translated as "wild onion" or "wild garlic"; in other words, it was a smelly swamp where people hunted, but no one wanted to live.  Everything west of Michigan Street is on land fill made possible by the horrific Chicago Fire of 1871;  Chicago Tribune reporter Michael Ahern published the story that the fire started when a cow kicked over a lantern while a woman was milking it. Though the woman was not named in the original report, Mrs. O'Leary was soon identified, since her barn had been the source. Various illustrations and caricatures soon circulated, depicting Mrs. O'Leary with the cow. The story took the population's imagination and is still widely circulated.  Ahern admitted in 1893 that he had made the story up because he thought it would make colorful copy.  Anti-Irish attitudes at the time encouraged stories scapegoating the O'Leary family. It was claimed that the supposed accident happened because she was drunk, or that she hid the evidence to avoid being blamed. Neighbours later claimed to have seen shards from the broken lamp, but none of these stories could be verified.  She was ostrasized, her life ruined, and it is said she died of a broken heart.

As Chicago grew, in the 1800's, it became necessary to plan for sewage disposal. After the first attempt, raising much of central Chicago to a new grade, the untreated sewage and industrial waste now flowed into the Chicago River, then into Lake Michigan, polluting the primary source of fresh water for the city. The city then responded by tunneling two miles (3 km) out into Lake Michigan to newly built water cribs. Finally, in 1900, the problem of sewage contamination was largely resolved when the city reversed the flow of the Chicago River so that it flowed away from Lake Michigan, rather than into it. This project began with the construction and improvement of the Illinois and Michigan Canal, and was completed with the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal that connects to the Illinois River, which flows into the Mississippi River. So, the Chicago sewage problem has apparently been shipped down the river to another community.

Although weather is severe here, the appellation, "Windy City" is apparently not from the weather. Rather, New Yorkers applied it to the words of politicians and other worthies who extolled the virtues of Chicago while competing for the right to host the World's Columbian Exposition of 1893-4.  Speaking of weather, we have been delighted by our good fortune in having marvelous weather our entire stay.

Millennium Park was privately financed and expected to cost $150 million in 2000. It was finally finished in 2004 at a cost of $450 million. But, it is a great park.
The famous "Corn Cob" buildings (aka Marina City) were the site of a scene in Steve McQueen's movie, The Hunter, where during a car chase in the garage of the building, his character pushes a bad guy's car over the railing and into the Chicago River. There have been reports that people once had a Frisbee tossing competition between the two buildings.

The historical Route 66 began at the Chicago Art Institute. Virtually all railroads once ran through Chicago. According to our guide, "You have a better chance of getting away with murder in Chicago than with being governor and not being convicted of corruption.  "Six Illinois governors have been charged with crimes during or after their governorships; four were convicted."

The Marx brothers grew up on the South Side of Chicago and lived there until they moved out onto a farm to avoid the draft in World War I.

We have been repeatedly impressed by the friendliness of people in Chicago: People would stop and ask if we needed directions, if we stared at our map too long. Cars--other than taxi cabs--rarely honked. Hotel personnel would smile and ask, sincerely, if they could help. Our hotel was $167 a night, including the only free downtown hotel parking in Chicago--we felt smug when our guide mentioned a "bargain" hotel for $250 a night with tiny rooms and horrible beds.  Our room is quite large, and we love the location--we can walk (and walk) to any central location.

Total tab for five days and nights in Chicago: $1324. This is just under $266 per day. I shudder to think what it must run folks who travel less austerely than we do.

We are torn between nostalgia for the familiar and an urge for the foreign and strange. As often as not, we are homesick most for the places we have never known.  ~ Carson McCullers

Art Walk in Chicago

By Claire

We're tired.  We've been going strong since Sunday and we'd love to slow down; but there is so much to see!  Our day began with a search for a UPS store.  My wonderful walking shoes had started squeaking so I did an online chat with Zappos, my favorite shoe store, and they emailed me a free shipping label and sent another pair to our hotel here in Chicago, all at no cost to me.  I received the new shoes, but needed to return the flawed pair.  With all our technology--iPhones, iPad and laptop, it's pretty easy to find things using the GPS maps.  I located a UPS store near Millennium Park, our first stop of the day.  However, nothing is ever really that simple, is it?  We walked several blocks, following the little blue bubble on the iPhone--which showed our location on the e-map.  We couldn't find any sign of a UPS store.  We finally walked into a CVS Pharmacy and they pointed across the street--not the street that is listed, but the cross street.  Turns out UPS was located inside a hotel and used its address; but the access was on a different street.  We were glad to get that chore taken care of. 

We walked over to the park to see the fountains.  I just marvel at all the wonderful things to see in this great city.  This is one of the Crown Fountains, where children can splash in the shallow water between giant faces projected on video screens. Her face moved, she smiled and then spit out water.

 

We've been planning a visit to the Art Institute of Chicago and wanted to get there early--to avoid crowds.  As it turns out, there just aren't any crowds this time of year.  We had American Gothic to ourselves.  I never knew that the man and woman posing for the artist, Grant Wood, were a dentist and the artist's sister.  It was an immediate sensation and has been parodied hundreds of times.

The Modern Wing was fantastic.  The light and air was really wonderful. The museum is a huge place; so even though we tried to have a plan, we kept retracing our steps.  I think we asked for help at least 6 times.  It's not an easy place to navigate.  I thoroughly enjoyed the Jeanne Gang architectural exhibit. She's the woman who designed the Aqua Building with the wave design and used a GPS to determine the proper alignment of the waves.  This is a close up of a section of the building.

In front of Marc Chagall's America Windows

 

Another view of the amazing Frank Gehry-designed Pritzker Music Pavillion.

 

We also wanted to see Chicago neighborhoods, so we dragged ourselves onto the hop-on, hop-off trolly for a thrill ride through the west side (not!).  For part of the trip we were the only ones on board.  One time the driver/guide didn't seem to notice that the light had turned green--he simply sat there, stupefied and silent.  He finally took off as the light turned yellow.  I can't imagine a more trying job.  It's not like he gets a lot of feedback, or response from his audience, and he has to do it over and over again all day--day after day. 

This is another design by the German architect, Bertrand Goldberg, who did the corn cobb buildings.  I find it interesting but I don't like it.  The windows are too small and there are no balconies.  There are no square angles in nature so he didn't believe buildings should have them either.

 

We drove through the south side to get to China Town, Greek Town and Little Italy, all apparently on the west side. I'm glad we saw the area and glad we weren't walking; but there was nothing of interest that warranted getting out and then having to wait for the next bus to arrive.  

Once we were back at our starting point, Millennium Park, we decided to grab some lunch.  We wanted to try another chain we've seen around here, The Corner Bakery.  They were very much like Panera Bread, with the usual soup, salad and/or sandwich combo.  I ordered a really fantastic spinach salad--with strawberries, cranberries, grapes, oranges and goat cheese--and a cup of vegetarian three lentil soup.  Chuck had a bowl of chili--no picture necessary.

 

Next up, The rookery and the library.  Along the way we came to the colorful corner. All four corners were painted by art students, each in a different color.

 

 

This is the Rookery.  Designed by Daniel Burnham and John Root in 1888, this was one of Chicago's (and the World's) first commercial skyscrapers. In 1905, Frank Lloyd Wright was commissioned to renovate the interior of this building.  It was more about trend than any real need to upgrade the building or its amenities.  He removed much of the iron and terra cotta detailing on the central staircase, balconies, and walls, and replaced it with strong geometric patterns.  He encased the iron columns in white marble that were gilded with the Arabic motif found at the entrance.  He added bronze chandeliers with prismatic glass.

 

Another architect,  William Drummond, brought in an Art Deco aesthetic in 1931 and divided the two-story entrance lobby into separate floors.  Following Wright's example, he covered any exposed surface with marble, gilded and incised with stylistic bird motifs.  He added a staircase that started at the second floor and protruded into the central light court.  It's quite spectacular and well worth seeing.  

This shows how the iron columns were encased in marble.

 

 

Did I mention we were tired?  Somehow, because everything we wanted to see was only a few blocks apart, we were determined to get to each one.  The library was a nice surprise.  We made our way up to the 9th floor where the skylight lit up the area.

 

 This is the 9th floor where a few people were at tables working.

 

The Chicago library has a book project similar to Davis and many other cities.  This is a good one--we loved this book.

Now at Grant Park, which runs into Millennium Park we found Spear Man, one of two sculptures.  He does not actually hold a spear; this is an anti-war statement.

 

Lake Michigan, next to Grant Park. They have beautiful sandy beaches around the lake.

 

This is Buckingham Fountain, built in 1927. It is one of the largest fountains in the world, was inspired by the Latona Fountain at Versailles, and is meant to allegorically represent Lake Michigan.

 

Frank Gehry designed the BP Bridge, which resembles a serpent winding its way around and across the park--another amazing piece of art and sculpture that has a purpose.  Many of the features in Millennium Park have corporate names because the entire park was privately financed.

 

We were lucky to be able to listen to a music rehearsal for a performance later tonight.  The sound was great.  This is a free performance by Celtic Connections presents TransAtlantic Sessions; but, we were too tired to even consider staying on for several hours til the start of the concert.

 

Our final stop of the day, before we dropped to our knees and begged for mercy, was the Chicago Cultural Center.  This is the largest Tiffany Dome in the world.

 

This chandelier is also by Tiffany.

We made the wise decision to walk back to our hotel rather than endure the lame jokes and endless ride back to our stop.  Have I mentioned that I think it was a BAD idea to go with this bus thing?  We're back at our hotel now, resting up for our last day, tomorrow, when we will catch the bus one last time to our final destination.  I'm not sure how many miles we walked today; but it felt like at least 10.  Luckily, my new shoes were up to the task.  I have to admit, walking is my favorite way to see the world and the best way to really immerse yourself in a city.

Now shall I walk or shall I ride?
'Ride,' Pleasure said;
'Walk,' Joy replied.
~ W. H. Davies (author of Autobiography of a Supertramp and the poem, Leisure)

Hyde Park

By Chuck

Today was warmer than yesterday, at 77°; but, it was less sunny and windy. It was a gorgeous day for touring. The Second City has the highest gas prices in the U.S., according to our tour bus guide; fortunately, we filled up before driving here; and we don't drive again until we leave on Friday.

Yesterday, we considered whether to purchase a 3 day touring pass from Double Decker and Trolley Tours or a 3 day Chicago Transit Authority Visitor Pass. We decided on the former, since we not only get around, but benefit from a lecture while we patronize the hop on-hop off opportunities. And, we get a free T-shirt and can take 5 distinct tours.

This went very well, except for: missing the first bus this morning because it stopped across the street from where the kiosk was located; having to wait 45 minutes on both ends of the trip to Hyde Park, since we barely missed the connection each time; and having to endure non-stop jokes on the final leg of the return trip home, which took over one and one-half hours, when we were thinking less than 30 minutes. Nevertheless, I am still glad we chose this option; Claire thinks it was a mistake. This is our impatient natures surfacing once again.

Pablo Picasso sculpture in downtown Chicago. Windy City has more outdoor sculpture than any other U.S. city.

 

President Obama's 6,100 sq. ft. house in Kenwood, a Chicago suburb right on the line with Hyde Park.

 

The Secret Service is on duty 24/7 outside of Obama's house. There are barricades along the street, preventing drive by viewing from the front of the house. We rode by his barber's shop in the bus, but were unable to stop. Both Kenwood and Hyde Park are absolutely gorgeous with one stunning home after another.  We were surprised by the very high hedges and closely planted trees surrounding Obama's house.  I wonder, has it always been like that?  It's almost a fortress.

This is Muhammed Ali's place in the Chicago suburb of Hyde Park.

 

 Louis Farrakhan, the leader of the Black Muslims, also has a house in Hyde Park.

 

The Museum of Science and Industry. The only building left over from the 1893 Columbian Exposition, which celebrated the 400th anniversary of Columbus' "discovery" of America.  I am currently reading The Devil in the White City, an excellent story about the Exposition.  We walked along the Midway Plaisance on our way to this museum.  It really helped us visualize the enormous scope of the project. 

 

Robie House, Frank Lloyd Wright's last Prairie Style home, completed in 1910. This is located in Hyde Park, more or less surrounded by the University of Chicago.  When asked about the low ceiling height of his Prairie homes, FLW, at 5'8" commented that anyone over 6 feet tall was just wasted space.

 

 Entering the campus of the University of Chicago.

 

Although there is no unifying architectural theme here, the campus is quite lovely with an appealing mix of old and new buildings.

 

 The top of this structure caught our collective eye.

 

 Just another ivy-covered hall on campus.

 

 Claire, resting on a bridge over a lovely pond.

 

This is the new addition to the library, extending underground. We tried to enter the library, but were unwilling to wait in line for the required day pass to be issued.

After roaming the campus, we were famished. We made our way back to an attractive deli we had noted on the way in.

 I had a Roast Beef on Rye--delicious.

 

 Claire had the Veggie Wrap. She was delighted with her healthy choice.

 

 The Prudential Building in downtown Chicago. Obama election headquarters is on the 35th floor.

 

This is the Aqua Building by Jeanne Gang; it is the tallest building in the world designed by a female architect, and one of the loveliest in Chicago, regardless of gender. The variations in outside surface represent the waves of Lake Michigan. In order to get the offsets of the waves right, they had to use a GPS.

 

Our bus guide had to periodically duck when passing under overpasses, the El, and numerous tree branches. Despite riding backwards, he seemed to always know when to kneel or sit to avoid bodily injury.

 

Claire realized today that the picture of the former Marshall Fields warehouse, featured in yesterday's blog, was not the store where she futilely purchased a pair of pants that were never delivered to her at the tender age of 16. She recognized the clock on the corner, the store, and her error, as we rode through the city, today.

 

Ornamental column on one of the many bridges crossing the Chicago River with 150' fountain spray from the Buckingham Memorial Fountain in the background. 

 

Another lovely Chicago scene as we are finishing up the bus tour.

One of the things that continues to impress us about Chicago is the sense of openness we experience almost everywhere. We are told that Chicago has more park space than any city in the U.S. Not only is the downtown area blessed with numerous open areas, but each residential district has its own park.

Space is the breath of art. ~ Frank Lloyd Wright