Chicago!

Millenium Park from above

Chicago-now this city has it all. The people here are friendly, the food amazing, the efficient public transportation, the art and architecture will knock your socks off. On our first day, we got a late start, being pretty road weary. From our Andersonville neighborhood, we took the 147 along the Lake (which looks like the ocean) into the city. We took the Riverboat Architectural Tour, which is a must. Really enhanced by our just listening to The Devil in the White City, earlier in the trip. So we had a feel for the Burnham and Root, Sullivan, Olmstead folks around the 1890’s here, and what was going on around the Chicago World’s Fair, etc. Then we literally cooled our feet in Millenium Park. You can sit on a “boardwalk” and soak your tired tootsies in the water there. Ah, so refreshing! We walked though the part. Happy smiles and grins. There is nothing like great architecture and art to warm the cockles of your heart, and put a shit eating grin on my face. For starters, there is the Frank Gehry Pritzker Pavilion with its arches that span a lovely green field. A sense of safety, openness and containment all at the same time. Then “the bean,” a sculpture by Anish Kapoor, titled Cloud Gate. Then there are these 2 ginormous glass brick tower fountains with imagery of hyper sized faces of the same gender smiling and looking serious at each other, then they each pucker up, and …You’ll just have to see it for yourself. On our second day, we went to the Art Institute. We were instructed to spend at least 2 days there. It is the most amazing museum ever. We started in the miniatures section, per Lois’ advice. Stunning. Then on to Contemporary Art. I made an interesting observation about some of the Blue Four, especially several Klees which were collected by fiber artist Claire Zeisler. Who knew? We’ll go back another day. After several hours, we just couldn’t take it in anymore. Out into the city again, to see if we could get some traditional deep dish Chicago Pizza. Too long a wait, at Pizzeria Uno and Due, so we opted for a healthy lunch at Whole (Foods) Paycheck. Then per Joanne, the galleries of the River North area. We went to the three that she suggested that show Encaustic. We also visited Marx-Saunders to see our friend Ke Ke Cribbs’ work. This is an amazing gallery, only showing glass, and the crème de la crème. I fell in love with the work of Christina Bothwell at the Habitat Gallery. She reminded me of the work of Cathy Rose of New Orleans, whom we shall see in KC . On our way home, we ate a neighborhood hole in the wall, Taste of Lebanon, a very inexpensive, terrific place for falafel, salad, and lentil soup. I love these kinds of places-few choices, very fresh, very inexpensive. Yeah! Not inexpensive, but fabulous, we LOVED Volare! Thanks to Jean and Diane on Whidbey for this mahvelous recommendation.
Tomorrow, we’ll see Women Made Gallery and another swipe at the Art Institute.

record store sign in Andersonville

Monday we’ll hit the road again, and head down to St. Louis, St. Charles. We will rent bikes and ride the Katy trail if all goes well on Tuesday! We should hit KC on Wednesday, in time for a day of rest, and the Kemper and Nelson-Atkins Museums, and barbee.. Then Yellowstone, Basin and home to pick up our pooch, down to Santa Cruz for Open Studios. Oy, I need a vacation!