Chicago - Day 2 Thursday

I started out and about around 10:00 AM and just started walking. Dustin wanted more pix of us actually in the pix....but I'm by myself today while Mike is at work. So very few of us today. We'll get a lot of us on Sat. & Sunday I'm sure.


One of the oldest surviving buildings from the Chicago fire (water tower on left) next to the second tallest blding in Chicago (John Hancock on right). Past meets present.

You can go inside and see pictures of the complete destruction of the city due to the Chicago Fire. The pix resemble WW2 pix...with just shells of buildings or rubble. The pix would tell what the buildings were by the stone / brick shell left standing. An entire city, completely gone. This building and the one across the street were mostly the only ones left standing in their entirety because they were of stone. This building is said to be haunted. ;) The water works man stayed and manned the water pumps until the fire came too close. He chose to kill himself in the tower instead of being burned.













The surviving pump house across the street.


A water fountain outside the water tower. I suspect that the larger water area at the bottom used to water horses?



The inside of the pump building with some original pumps I think.




Across the street at the Water Tower....
You'll have to click on the picture to enlarge it to see why this the GREATEST STREET CORNER IN THE WORLD!!!


The two ladies in the picture AGREED with me and we visited both places.

Decisions...Decisions....

On the left:


On the right:


Inside of Hershey:




Inside of Ghiradelli:


Who do you think won??
This is my view from the window while eating a homemade waffle cone dipped in Ghiradelli Chocolate with Ghiradelli Chocolate ice cream in it. ;) :)

From CHICAGO TRIP 05/2009

Inside of church/university (very small of course) next door to Hershey's. What a location!


For all you little girls or little girls at heart.


I saw the original store about 7 years ago. It was smaller, but much more quaint. This new store is huge and modern, but lost it's quaintness.



Well enough of shopping...on to the Lake!





(no I didn't cross that busy highway. There is a large tunnel underneath. I crossed with a group of people.)

I toured a little bit of an old Presbyterian church I thought was pretty.

However, the majority of these pix are of the manse. (parsonage)
I didn't go into the sanctuary proper. Just the gardens and the hallway where they had a free art exhibit.






















Back to the art show....I didn't take pix...I could have if I wanted...there were no restrictions...but....I started noticing all the art that the art was "different". Respectable art...but different. Such a beautiful church...unfortunately....they have left their First Love.

This was the sign that explained it all.



I ate lunch at an unusual place. A hip food court that you entered and they gave you a card like a credit card. They escorted you to a table and flipped a card that said it was reserved. You then found the type of food you wanted and gave the person the card and they swiped it. After you ate, you flipped the card to say that you were done and took the card and paid at the gate. Different.

I got back to the hotel about 3:15 pm. I had walked at about 3 miles and was tired. I knew Mike would want to go somewhere that night.

We went to Navy Pier to eat: We ate on a sidewalk cafe and once the sun went down, the temperature dropped from 70 to 50 in a matter of minutes. Wow! I will really bundle up on our sailing trip!




Yes, I will ride this this weekend. ;)



What a view!
















Inside Crystal Gardens after dark.



A kiddie Pirate Show:


By this time, it was almost 9:00 at night and I was very tired. We had walked the 1.5 miles to the Navy Pier and still had the walk back in the cold. I was exhausted from the whole day of pounding the pavement. Of course, my sweet husband grabbed a cab to take us back to the hotel in nothing flat! I think I would still be on the street this morning if I had to walk back!!!

You can click on the pix and it will take you to picassa and you can see the pix I didn't post.