The Windy City

So earlier in August I schlepped myself back to the good ol' Mid West. As I may have mentioned before, I remain smitten of this area of the country thanks to my Minnesota college days. It's a beautiful place and wether it be true or not, I find it relaxing after the frenetic Bay Area lifestyle (what really is that anyway? I kind of think of it as ALWAYS being on the way somewhere and trying awfully hard to look very casual meanwhile spending quite a bit of cash on that casual, earthy [northface jacket, $300 jeans, Toms shoes, iphone 4, Prius, etc.] look...not that I care or anything...I digress). Anyway, I was en route to a wedding in Milwaukee of a college friend and went early to spend time with my dear friend but never posted the photos. I do believe that I've already posted about this but I want to get up the pictures so that I don't forget that this ever happened, which is really why this blog exists, so that I can remember things that I've done, not that I forget easily or anything...I do believe that I've already posted about this but I want to get up the pictures so that I don't forget that this ever happened...

Anyway, Chicago pics here-you-go!

O'Hare airport...this one's for you Dad!

 

The Chicago Cultural Center...a super neat free museum that is so much more that the name implies. It's a BEAUTIFUL old building that houses several exhibits that change from time to time. People also take advantage of the fabulous architecture for their wedding venues. Me, I love the architecture mostly, though the exhibits were pretty cool. There was one on a MId Western architecture but for the life of me I CANNOT remember his name and I believe that his exhibit has moved on so the cultural center website offers no solace for me...help me out here! Anyway, the bean is also on the right. It was, as I mentioned several posts back, that it was beyond humid but sunny and very summery that day in the city. 

Some pretty pics of the cultural center. I had chosen the wrong sort of url/html/whatever-l from Photobucket because they weren't super clear, even though these were taken with a real-live camera and not just my phone, but now they're much better. There were very nice quotes about books up on the walls and beautiful mosaic work as well as the lovely rotunda.


Random Wrigley Field Shot!

More Cultural Center beauty...I am a sucker for buildings and history, all rolled into one! Actually, the Cultural Center has a really neat-o history. It was not the first city library but it was basically the first official library built to be not just a library but a...wait for it...cultural center! What I think is super cool, though I wonder how some more conservative citizens of the time felt, is that a 1% tax was levied upon the citizens of Chicago so that it could be said that the library was truly that of the city residents (check it out here). Groundbreaking was in 1892 and the building stands solidly still today. If you're ever in the city, go check it out and appreciate all that it has to offer.

¡El frijol!

This was Marshall Fields and now it's Macy's. I love-love-love old and classic department stores (Menkins, anyone) so I just HAD to take some pictures in Macy's, though I tried my hardest to look discreet (an oxymoron, no? "Look discreet"...). It just tickles me pink and makes my week when there's a food court and book store and toy store and clothing and everything else all in one place. One of my favorite memories growing up is when my memaw took me to London when I was ten. She and I are kindren spirits for many reasons, an appreciation of shopping being one of them and I swear that we visited the Liberty House store, Hammonds the six or seven storied toy store (which had quite a nice cafeteria!), Marks and Spencers and Harrods just about every day and made our rounds. Anyway, the favorite part is the pet store that was inside of Harrods and that you could walk out of that building with a brand new outfit, some books, a make-over, a dalmation puppy and lunch in your tummy.

The main rotunda area.

The book store.

 Book store.

The toy store.

My friend and her friend. He was nice enough to treat us to a boat ride down the river that night. The evening was sooooo warm and pleasant; being on the water and seeing the lights all around us was super awesome...thanks for the ride friend!






Maybe not our finest moment, but you can't say we weren't feeling the love!








Oh those silly girlz.

The Chicago part of my trip was a blast and it was sooo so so so good to see my friend. Stay tuned for Part-II of the midwest excursion as well as what else is going on in my life...