Scenes From Chicago

Chicago is one of my favorite cities. I loved living there* and I love to visit! The Second City by the lake** is always actually quite first rate: great people, great food, great art, great architecture, colorful, and great personality! What's not to love?

So to help you understand why Chicago is "my kind of town," I though I'd reminisce by sharing the pics from my last walk down Michigan Ave. this trip with you. (And yes, all this awesome is really on a walk-able length of just one street.)

So here's my walk downtown back to the hotel from over by Water Tower Place on Michigan Avenue, but the pics are in reverse.

 

The Elevated tracks' color coding system adds some spiffy to the stairway.

Streetlights aglow.

The home of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, who are superb! (Although I do miss the old conductor Daniel Barenboim.)

The awesome park next to the Art Institute.

One of my favorite city icons, one of the lions outside the Art Institute.

The pointy topped building in the top right of the photo is actually the very architectually appointed Chicago Athletic Club. Pretty posh, no?

The ever fabulous Art Institute of Chicago. Go! It's pretty incredible!

The Husband looking fierce with one of the lions.

Another great wing of the Art Institue with another great sculpture garden to match.

More awesomeness.

This is a fantastic interactive sculpture set consisting of cascading towers of water, light up and video glass block, and the faces of Chicagoans. If you're ever in Millenium Park be sure to check it out, it's super fun!

The Cultural Center used to be the city's main public library (Don't worry there's a massive and beautiful one to replace it.) so it has wonderful literary quotes tucked away amongst all it's fab architecture. It also has a stunning and quite large Tiffany glass dome inside. It's a quick, easy, and so worth it Chicago must see!

The Cloud Gate sculpture tucked away up in the middle of this photo is in Millenium Park and more commonly known as "the Bean" among locals and tourists alike. It's a gorgeous bean shaped metal sculpture polished to a high mirror shine that reflects its surroundings. I'm rather found of it. :)

The Frank Gehry band shell in Mikkenium Park is the place to be in the warmer months. The city puts on tons of free shows and concerts featuring all the fab performing arts that the city fosters.

Trump tower and the Wrigley Building.

A lovely Milton quote on the Tribune Tower where a lot of city's broadcasting used to be done.

 

The Tribune Tower entrance.

Busy city streets.

 

The Hancock Tower.

 

I love shopping downtown, including at Water Tower Place.

 

The Husband and the Water Tower.

 

The iconic Water Tower that survived the great fire of Chicago.

Hope you enjoyed our quick jaunt through the city together! Keep in mind that all these photos were taken while walking and talking and never stopping. (Except at crosswalks when we truly had to stop of course. Jay walkers annonymous here I come.)

All in all it took us about 15 to 20 minutes to walk the 1 to 2 miles between Water Tower Place and the Palmer House Hilton, our hotel. When in the city... speed walk like you still live there!

Kisses,

K

 

(Photos by Krista Carson.)

*except for the c c cold freezing winters... Brrr...

** Weird weather in Chi-town? That's easy, it's just lake effect ;)

 

 

 

 

Posted with love, please credit when re-posting.

Feels Like Home To Me

I'm always on the hunt for cool, quirky, and fun furniture and accessories to get for our (currently nonexistent*) house.

Plus I always lurve anything science-y. Rocks, barometers, Da Vinci thermometers... They just look awesome and are functionally cool to boot. J'adore!

So when I came across this radiometer on the Canoe website (a cool store in Portland, OR) I knew it was one for my dream home archives. Yes, please!

" The radiometer is an instructive object which demonstrates the scientific theory of converting natural light into energy. Powered only by light itself, it will spin slowly in low light conditions, furiously in direct sunlight or well-lit rooms up to 2,000 revolutions per minute. It remains unresponsive to fluorescent light. Science lesson aside, this blown glass radiometer functions as an engaging and sculptural object in its own right. Made in Germany."

Just think of the fun we could have watching it spin and spin while maniacally laughing about the wealth of natural sunlight in the state of Florida after living with a dearth of it in Seattle for so long!

Aaaah, good times people, good times...

Crazy aside though, it's just a super cool objet d'art that I'd really enjoy having around. Do you like incorporating a little science into your home?

Kisses,

K

*The Husband and I are still on the hunt for a house to rent near his new job in the tiny Florida town we'll be calling home for a while. Nothing right or with the right timing has materialized yet... don't ask... sigh...

(Photo and radiometer via Canoe.)

 

Posted with love, please credit when re-posting.