Day 2 – I got up early this morning and walked over to a nearby grocery store - where I found a styrofoam ice chest for 4.99. Needless to say, we called the hotel front desk and asked them to come pick up the $30-dollar-per-day fridge. My mother’s workshop started at 9:00 AM. I went with her to see what it was all about and take a few pictures.
Then I hopped on the train again and rode several stops away towards downtown to see what I could see - because the night before we had passed some really interesting-looking neighborhoods. Well it so happens I got off on the totally wrong stop – undergound, walked out of the station, took about 2 pictures and promptly walked back in and went back to the hotel – because I was meeting Adrianne and her husband Carmine for lunch.
I ducked into my mother's workshop to get an in-progress picture of her workshop.
Adrianne and Carmine picked me up at the hotel and took me to eat Chicago style deep dish pizza which was really delicious.
Then we parked at the train station and took the train downtown. Carmine graciously offered to take Adrianne's and my picture (as he did several more times during the day!) This was the first time Adrianne and I had seen each other in about 26 years! And as she said "but it felt like we picked up right where we left off. Really cool."
We walked all over the place, going to Millenium Park, the Chicago Art Institute
(where Adrianne's son Trey goes) and over to Buckingham Fountain. It was great having somebody to show me around – it just wouldn't have been nearly as much fun all by myself!
Most of the fountains were not yet in operation for the season - when this one is on the water spouts out of the mouth of continuously changing faces:
There were trees and tulips blooming everywhere! It was beautiful:
Blooming trees and sky scrapers - Millenium Park:
This interesting sculpture is officially named "Cloud Gate" but most people just call it The Bean:
Duck and Canadian Snow Geese in Lake Michigan:
I was lucky to be there during the Tulip Festival. Just one shot of many beautiful Tulips:
Here we are at Buckingham Fountain - which unfortunately was not on for the season yet :-(
Not sure why these trees are painted yellow and orange but they look cool:
Like I said before, the blooming trees were absolutely beautiful!
We spent a lot of time in this park:
I love the contrast of this old building with the sleek new skyscrapers behind:
This is the BP Bridge. It curves back and forth over the very busy Columbus Drive. Carmine said they could have just made a straight one - it would have been shorter and cheaper! Ha!
Here are Adrianne and Carmine again:
Adrianne's son Trey got out of school at 4:30 so we met him by the school and all rode back on the very crowded train together.
Here are Trey, Adrianne and Carmine:
I went back to see how my mother was doing and took a picture of her project in progress.
I still had time before dinner so I got back on the train to go to the area that I had tried to get to that morning – the stop is called Damen and the area is called Wicker Park/Bucktown. What a cool place that is! Old, beautiful houses. A great park with a section especially for dogs. Lots of restaurants. A really cool train stop.
These are the stairs out of the train station:
One of many beautiful buildings in the Wicker Park/Bucktown area at the Damen Train Stop:
Cool Old House:
Another Cool Old House:
Yet Another Cool Old House: (this one looks like it is empty and available!)
Still Another Cool Old House:
A shot of the business district:
Cool Building in the Business District:
This is the Damen Train Stop. I was absolutely awestruck with the view towards Downtown. I think I also happened to be there at the perfect time of day.
The tracks:
This building backs up on the train stop. I just love the architectural details:
Here I was trying to get a picture of the sunset while on the train. This is the best one I got:
Back at the hotel:
Afterwards, my mother and I ate a late dinner at the hotel restaurant and got ready for the next day.
No comments:
Post a Comment