Tag: chicago

  • Chicago wrap up and stray observations

    Last night I arrived in Omaha for the weekend, but before delving into that here’s a few parts of the Chicago trip that didn’t fit anywhere else. Yes, the Chicago Theater sign above is a landmark, and no I wasn’t the only person taking photos of it. The best place to get a clear shot…

    Read more

  • Riding the “L” in Chicago

    The easiest and most cost effective way of traveling in Chicago when walking isn’t practical is taking the “L” trains. They’re called the “L” because they’re elevated… except a few of the stops are actually underground. (Adding to the confusion, the regional Metra rail network also runs on elevated tracks in certain places.) Each “L”…

    Read more

  • The Art Institute of Chicago

    One block south of Millennium Park is a stately looking building housing the Art Institute of Chicago, an art museum with a vast collection of pieces from all over the world. From the street you might think it’s a small museum, but you’d be wrong. The building visible from the street is largely a facade;…

    Read more

  • Driehaus Museum

    Originally built as a second home for the wealthy east coast Nickerson family, today the Driehaus Museum focuses on home life in the Gilded Age of America. I realize that’s a lot of description crammed into one sentence so let’s break it down. Sam Nickerson and his wife built their Chicago mansion about a decade…

    Read more

  • Guided tours of Chicago

    In Chicago I took a few tours that were highly recommended online. There’s something said for the wisdom of the crowds, these are all solid tours I enjoyed and would recommend as well if the subject matter interests you. Second City Classic Food Tour from Chicago Food Planet My first tour in Chicago was this…

    Read more

  • The street art of Logan Square

    I almost skipped making a visit to Logan Square; it looked so far away on a map. Turns out it’s a fast, if somewhat cramped ride on the “L” from where I’m staying, and there were a few other places I had in mind to visit in the area. So off I went. And I’m…

    Read more

  • The Bean and Chicago’s Millennium Park

    Chicago’s enormous public downtown park on Lake Michigan is technically a collection of public parks. The newest one is Millennium Park which opened in the early 2000’s in order to cover up a sunken Metra train station. Millennium Park features various modern tourist magnets, the most famous of which is colloquially known as “The Bean.”…

    Read more

  • Review: Southern Gothic from Windy City Playhouse

    Production photo; audience photography is not allowed   In Chicago I made a point to see Windy City Playhouse’s immersive theater play “Southern Gothic.” It’s only my second experience seeing an immersive theater show, the first being Wonderland in San Francisco. This one is very different; the audience is expected to be a fly on…

    Read more

  • Kicking off my trip across America

    Back in 2017 I found a crazy cheap flight to Barcelona and built a month-long trip to Spain, Italy, and Greece around that lucky find. The following year my Greek friend invited me to his wedding, so I made a three week trip out of it to Stockholm, the Greek island of Hydra, and Oslo.…

    Read more