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April 24-27 Chicago, IL Part II

At its best, travel should challenge our preconceptions and most cherished views, cause us to rethink our assumptions, shake us a bit, make us broader minded and more understanding. –Arthur Frommer
We did a lot of walking while we were in Chicago…over 15 miles in three days. We wandered the beautiful streets taking in the sights and doing a little shopping. We also walked along the riverwalk and the lake. Here’s a little of the history we learned.

CONTINUE READING HERE…»

April 24-27 Chicago, IL Part II

At its best, travel should challenge our preconceptions and most cherished views, cause us to rethink our assumptions, shake us a bit, make us broader minded and more understanding. –Arthur Frommer
We did a lot of walking while we were in Chicago…over 15 miles in three days. We wandered the beautiful streets taking in the sights and doing a little shopping. We also walked along the riverwalk and the lake. Here’s a little of the history we learned.

Navy Pier is a 3,300-foot-long pier on the shoreline of Lake Michigan. It was opened to the public in 1916, originally known as Municipal Pier. The purpose of the pier was to be a shipping and recreation facility. It was renamed Navy Pier in 1927 as a tribute to the Navy personnel who were housed there during World War I. I don’t remember hearing anything about it when we visited family in Chicago as a kid. I’m not sure if anything was there, but in 1995 the pier reopened to the public offering all kinds of experiences. The pier celebrated its 100th anniversary in 2016 with new attractions like the Centennial Wheel and a new welcome center. We walked over to the pier, but it seems mostly to cater to young families. I’m sure it’s a busy place in the summer, but there wasn’t much going on the morning we were there, but it gave us great views of the city and the lake. 

The water in Lake Michigan is an unbelievable color. As beautiful as any water we’ve seen, even in the Bahamas. Here are pictures of the Centennial Wheel, the Captain at the Helm and the Crack the Whip statues. All are at the Navy Pier.
The Navy Pier Auditorium…as seen from our tour boat.
Ohio Street Beach with views of the Hancock building.
We chose the Wendella Tour Company to get a better look at the Chicago River and the Chicago Harbor. They’ve been doing architecture tours since 1935. We had a wonderful trip, the sky and water were beautiful…although it was very cold. The Chicago River is a system of rivers and canals that runs through the city of Chicago. Although the river isn’t long it’s one of the reasons for Chicago’s geographic importance: the related Chicago Portage is a link between the Great Lakes and the Mississippi River Basin, and ultimately the Gulf of Mexico.

The Chicago River was another place that people didn’t visit in the 70’s & 80’s. All it was at that time was an artery for industrial shipping, a handy place to dump sewage, and an ever-present barrier to transportation and development, but heavy industry has given way to a glistening new downtown. Efforts to clean the river began more than a century ago with the reversal of flow away from the lake, but when the construction of the Riverwalk started in 2001 it has become one of the most beautiful and unique features of the city.

Waiting for the tour to start.

Our tour began at the base of the Wrigley Building at Michigan Ave.

The Chicago Harbor Lock was built in the mid 1930’s. It was built primarily as a means of limiting diversion of water from Lake Michigan, but also as a component of the project to reverse the flow of the Chicago River to improve the water quality of the lake.
Views of the city from the harbor. Looking south of the Navy Pier towards the Sears Tower, now known as the Willis Tower.
Looking towards the Navy Pier with the Hancock Building in the background.

The Chicago skyline north of the Navy Pier.

The Chicago Harbor Lighthouse

Looking west from the harbor at the Franklin Delano Roosevelt Bridge.

The Trump Tower to the right and the bridges on Wabash and State Street in the middle.

Looking west at the La Salle Street Bridge.
Looking back at the La Salle Street bridge with our hotel (The Pendry) in the middle of the picture.

Looking towards Lake Street with a L crossing the river.

Along the river between Dearborn Street and the lake is the Chicago Riverwalk. It’s a public path that offers a variety of dining, entertainment and recreation options. It’s a hub for summertime entertainment in the Loop, and is divided into six distinctive “rooms”. Each room has a different design and purpose, accommodating diverse activities, from dining and performances to kayaking and fishing. 
Art on the Mart is the largest permanent digital art projection in the world, projecting contemporary artwork across the 2.5 acre river-façade of the Mart.

View of the Art at the Mart and the river.

April 24-27 Chicago, IL Part I

“If your absence doesn’t affect them, your presence never mattered.” – Suyog Potdar 
My parents both grew up in the suburbs of Chicago and I spent a lot of time here as a child. My grandma would take us down to the Loop…making sure we got to ride on a bus, a train and the L (elevated train). We visited all the museums and the large department stores. It was a true experience for a young child from the country and I have wonderful memories of the time I’ve spent there. But it’s been over forty years since I’ve visited the area and things have changed a lot. 

CONTINUE READING HERE…»

April 24-27 Chicago, IL Part I

“If your absence doesn’t affect them, your presence never mattered.” – Suyog Potdar 
My parents both grew up in the suburbs of Chicago and I spent a lot of time here as a child. My grandma would take us down to the Loop…making sure we got to ride on a bus, a train and the L (elevated train). We visited all the museums and the large department stores. It was a true experience for a young child from the country and I have wonderful memories of the time I’ve spent there. But it’s been over forty years since I’ve visited the area and things have changed a lot. 

We’re staying at the Pendry Hotel on Michigan Avenue. It’s in The Carbide & Carbon Building that was built in 1929 as the regional office of Union Carbide and Carbon Co. The Art Deco building was designated a Chicago Landmark in 1996 and converted into a hotel in 2004. Stan worked for Union Carbide for over 30 years, so it’s kind of neat staying in this beautiful building. It’s located within the Loop in the heart of the city. This area comprises some of Chicago’s most iconic attractions, including historic architecture, river cruises, Millennium Park and the Chicago Riverwalk, which includes incredible dining and shopping.  
Walking the streets in Chicago is like walking through a museum…the buildings are beautiful and the architecture is internationally renowned. We truly enjoyed taking in the sights.

Looking north on Michigan Ave. The Wrigley Building on the left and the Tribune building on the right.
Looking south on Michigan Ave. 

View from Lower Wacker Dr.

Plaza outside the Wrigley Building looking south to the London House Building on the corner of Lower Wacker Dr. and Michigan Ave.

Views from the London House rooftop bar. Looking north at the Wrigley and Tribune Buildings.

Looking west up the Chicago River.

Looking east on the Chicago River toward Lake Michigan.

The Chicago Water Tower was built in 1869 and is one of the only buildings to survive the Great Chicago Fire of 1871. The castle-like building houses a gallery that showcases the work of local artists and photographers.

We had some rain and a lot of cold weather while we were in Chicago, but we also had a lot of clear blue skies that let us explore and take beautiful pictures of the area. One morning we enjoyed walking through Millennium Park. Cloud Gate affectionately known as The Bean is an elliptical sculpture forged of highly polished stainless steel plates that reflect Chicago’s skyline. A 12-foot-high arch provides a “gate” to the concave chamber beneath the sculpture, inviting visitors to touch its mirror-like surface and see their image reflected back from a variety of perspectives. Inspired by liquid mercury, the sculpture is among the largest of its kind in the world. It has become one of Chicago’s most iconic sights since opening in 2004. 
Millennium Park

The Bean looking south.

The Bean looking east.

Reflections on the Bean.

The Bean looking west.

Along with beautiful architecture Chicago has wonderful places to eat and you can find any type of cuisine you’re looking for. Making a choice of where to eat was difficult. Here are some of the places we enjoyed.
Our first night we had a very favorable meal at Fisk & Co. Stan had the Roasted Faroe Island salmon with crispy potato gnocchi, oyster mushrooms, cherry tomatoes, asparagus, smoked tomato broth and arugula pesto. I had the Brick Amish chicken with roasted herb potatoes, grilled corn relish, feta cheese and a chicken reduction. 

Lunch one day we decided we better have a Chicago deep dish pizza, so we went to Giordano’s. We each had a Caesar salad and a personal sized pizza. Both were delicious, but even their thin pizza was a little thick for us.

The second night we chose The Purple Pig and we were not disappointed. Each of our meals were the best of the trip. Stan again with the salmon served with potato gnocchi, green vegetables and pesto. Sounds a lot like what he had the first night, but the flavors were completely different and he enjoyed it. I had the Agnolotti with a mushroom ragu, black truffles and fried goat cheese. I have to say it was the best pasta dish I’ve ever had.

On our last night we decided to visit a place that was a little different. We went to an Indian Gastropub called Bar Goa. We enjoyed a couple of Gimlets and shared some small plates. We ordered the Avocado Pakoda (chickpea batter, smashed avocado chutney), Samosa Bomb (activated charcoal pastry, sweet corn, cheddar cheese) and the mushroom fried rice made with portobello and shiitake mushrooms, fried egg and madras curry aioli. All the dishes were very good.

Spring Migration 2023

“Wherever the journey takes you, as long as the earth is round, may your path lead home one day.” –The Downstairs Girl
It’s that time of year again. It’s beginning to warm up in South Texas, spring is over and summer is quickly arriving. The last few years we’ve been taking our time getting back to New York. It’s fun seeing new places and catching up with old friends. This year our first stop will be in Lockhart to visit Stan’s sister and family. From there we’ll drive straight north, first to see a friend in Iowa and then to Chicago to spend a few days exploring a place I used to visit as a child. From Chicago we’ll head east to our son’s home in Pennsylvania. We’re not in a hurry to get back to The Pearl since our marina doesn’t open till May 1 and spring is only beginning in upstate New York. Our migration lets us enjoy two springs. This blog is about our first two stops.

CONTINUE READING HERE…»

Spring Migration 2023

“Wherever the journey takes you, as long as the earth is round, may your path lead home one day.” –The Downstairs Girl
It’s that time of year again. It’s beginning to warm up in South Texas, spring is over and summer is quickly arriving. The last few years we’ve been taking our time getting back to New York. It’s fun seeing new places and catching up with old friends. This year our first stop will be in Lockhart to visit Stan’s sister and family. From there we’ll drive straight north, first to see a friend in Iowa and then to Chicago to spend a few days exploring a place I used to visit as a child. From Chicago we’ll head east to our son’s home in Pennsylvania. We’re not in a hurry to get back to The Pearl since our marina doesn’t open till May 1 and spring is only beginning in upstate New York. Our migration lets us enjoy two springs. This blog is about our first two stops.

We had a wonderful time catching up with family we haven’t seen since 2020…lots of talking, laughter and food.

Iowa welcomed us with a little snow…luckily it didn’t last too long.

My friend Karen calls her beautiful property near Albia, IA Cabinland…it’s a little piece of heaven. We really loved the parts of Iowa we saw. It’s a beautiful part of our country.

Looking towards Karen’s home from her pond.

We visited Pella, Iowa, it was a little visit to the Netherlands. It’s a cute little Dutch town full of Dutch heritage, architecture and food. It also has the tallest working grain windmill in the United States and tulips…lots of tulips.

Just a few of the beautiful tulips in Pella…there are 180 flower beds of tulips throughout the town. In May they celebrate the tulip with an annual Tulip Festival.

Central Park in Pella.

We went to Jaarsma Bakery, which was founded in 1898 with family recipes brought from Holland. One of the most popular items they sell are Dutch letters cooked in a brick oven. They feature almond paste inside puff pastry. The sugar-coated treats usually come shaped like the letter “S” for Sinterklaasavond, the Dutch name for the night of gift-giving from Saint Nicolas. In the Netherlands, the holiday is much like Christmas, but celebrated with gifts on Dec. 5 or 6. Dutch immigrants who landed in Pella in 1845 brought the tradition to Iowa. Visitors to Pella’s Annual Tulip Time Festival stand in long lines to get a taste of their famous Dutch Letters.

The Sunken Gardens Park in Pella.

Karen and I had fun painting a few rocks and then hiding over 30 in the area. We love to spread a little kindness wherever we go. We even got to see white pelicans on the Miami Lake, which is behind her property. They are migrating north too.

What a treat it was to see these white pelicans…I wonder if they are the same ones that winter in Rockport.

Monroe County courthouse in Albia, IA.

This Monroe County’s Freedom Rock there is one in each of the 99 counties in Iowa. They are painted to honor America’s Veterans and to promote Iowa tourism.

The Welcome Home Soldier Monument is a public monument in Albia of national magnitude to honor all the United States Veterans, living or deceased, in the nation’s heartland. It was very impressive…I haven’t seen anything like it except in Washington DC.  

Feb. 17 – Old San Juan, PR

“Travel has a way of stretching the mind. The stretch comes not from travel’s immediate rewards, the inevitable myriad of new sights, smells and sounds, but with experiencing firsthand how others do differently what we believed to be the right and only way.” —Ralph Crawshaw
Like yesterday, we tried to visit places we didn’t see on our first visit. We wandered through town taking in the sights and history of the town. Today’s post is some of the history we learned.

Catedral Basilica Menor de San Juan Bautista is the second oldest church in the Western Hemisphere and the oldest church on U.S. soil. The history of the church dates to 1521 and the beginning of the Spanish colonization of the island. The original church was demolished by a hurricane and the current structure dates to 1540. The elegant gothic facade has evolved over centuries. It’s the final resting place of Juan Ponce de León, the first governor of Puerto Rico.
The church is located on Cristo Street, just a short walk from the San Juan Gate. It was the first stop for many travelers who landed on the island and walked into the city through its only seaside entry. Sailors and travelers visited San Juan Bautista as soon as they got off the boat so they could thank God for a safe voyage.

The sculpture La Rogativa (the procession) tells the story of Puerto Rican patriotism. The monument, located in Plazuela La Rogativa near the San Juan Gate, commemorates one of the most evocative legends of the island. When the British attacked Old San Juan in 1797, a quick-thinking priest took it upon himself to lead the outnumbered soldiers and civilians on a religious procession through the city. Apparently the British mistook the citizens’ prayer march for reinforcements and abandoned their attack.

Just one picture of the beautiful streets of OSJ.

Save A Gato (SAG) was created in 2004 to address the booming cat population around historic Old San Juan, particularly around the Paseo del Morro pathway. SAG is the only non-profit organization that has an agreement with The National Park Service to manage a colony of cats on national park land. Trap, neuter and return (TNR) has worked wonderfully to reduce the size of the cat colony around El Morro by 50% since 2004.

Views from the city wall. Looking south to the La Fortaleza and the governor’s mansion and looking north to the El Morro and Casa Rosa.

Quincentennial Square – built in honor of Columbus’ first voyage. 
La Perla (The Pearl) was named after a little Spanish fort that once stood there. It’s a historical shanty town astride the northern historic city wall of Old San Juan stretching about 650 yards along the rocky Atlantic coast immediately east of the Santa Maria Magdalena de Pazzis Cemetery. The community has a lot of history and perhaps the most unique on the island. It was originally the site of a slaughterhouse built in the 18th century. Slaves, the homeless and non-white servants were required to live outside the city walls, so that was the beginning of homes being built here. Back in those days, living on the water was for the poor and landless.

Even before Hurricane Maria hit Puerto Rico, La Perla started painting its houses in bright colors and adding murals to the squares to improve the looks of their community. The neighborhood has a history of crime and isn’t a place we would go after dark, but we felt very safe at the restaurant and walking along the waterfront. Locals don’t seem to bother tourists if they are respectful, stay close to the water and don’t take individual photos of their homes.

La Garita gives diners the best view in OSJ while enjoying a great meal.

It was a perfect day to enjoy a few Mojitos and a little seafood. I don’t think we could have found a better view anywhere on the island.

The colorful homes of La Perla.

The views from the waterfront.

Looking west to El Morro.

Feb. 17 – Old San Juan, PR

“Travel has a way of stretching the mind. The stretch comes not from travel’s immediate rewards, the inevitable myriad of new sights, smells and sounds, but with experiencing firsthand how others do differently what we believed to be the right and only way.” —Ralph Crawshaw
Like yesterday, we tried to visit places we didn’t see on our first visit. We wandered through town taking in the sights and history of the town. Today’s post is some of the history we learned.

CONTINUE READING HERE…»

Feb. 16 – Old San Juan, PR

“It is not the destination where you end up, but the mishaps and memories you create along the way.” ~Penelope Riley 

Old San Juan has a lot to see and do, and we covered a lot of it on our first trip in 2020. This time we’re wandering, at a slower pace, taking in some of the sites we didn’t see then.

This was our favorite place for breakfast on our first trip. It’s a little kiosk in Plaza de Armas just a block from the apartment.
Looking up our street early in the morning before the traffic and tourists arrived.
After breakfast we walked along the harbor. Taking in the views from the park that runs along the water. This is where the cruise ships dock. Luckily today there was only one ship in port. We saw this pretty seahorse statue, but there was no info on it.  

Casa Blanca was the first governor’s residence in Puerto Rico. It was built in 1521 and served as the first fortification of the San Juan islet. It was the residence for Juan Ponce de León and his family, although de Leon died in an expedition to Florida without ever getting to occupy the structure. It was used as the residence of his descendants, until the mid-18th century. This is the gate into the property.

This pretty home was built later and surrounded by beautiful gardens.

This was the original home. Parts of it have been restored and are open for viewing. It’s hard to believe the buildings in Old San Juan are so old. Even harder to imagine all the people who have spent time walking these same streets.

A few pictures of the inside of the original home.

Each room in the home had views like this of the San Juan inlet and harbor.

Part of the grounds close to the newer home.

Looking up at Casa Blanca from the city wall.

This is the Institute of Puerto Rican Culture. We were able to walk through the building. It’s full of government offices. The views from the upper patio were amazing.

From the top of the building looking towards Castillo San Felipe del Morro and it’s lighthouse. We visited this site in 2020.
Later in the afternoon I did a little shopping on Calle de la Fortaleza (Fortress Street).
We’ve been enjoying the fresh seafood and Puerto Rican specialties all week, but tonight we found a wonderful little Italian place for dinner. Bacaro has about ten tables, very intimate, and the food was amazingly good. I had the Spaghetti Carbonara and Stan had the special fish of the day.

Feb. 16 – Old San Juan, PR

“It is not the destination where you end up, but the mishaps and memories you create along the way.” ~Penelope Riley 

Old San Juan has a lot to see and do, and we covered a lot of it on our first trip in 2020. This time we’re wandering, at a slower pace, taking in some of the sites we didn’t see then.

This was our favorite place for breakfast on our first trip. It’s a little kiosk in Plaza de Armas just a block from the apartment.

CONTINUE READING HERE…»