My last day in Chicago and my last city on my trip is today. It's back to the train in the afternoon to head home. Katrina and I just grabbed breakfast at the hotel and I returned to Argo Tea for an Iced Mate Latte. When I first had mate in Argentina, I did not like it. The mate I have since found that tastes more like coffee, as this one did, is so good. I'm a fan. And mate is supposed to have as much caffeine as coffee (although apparently it is absorbed slower so not quite the same kick).
We tried to find the water taxi that could take us out and after walking around and asking, we were told that the yellow Chicago taxi did not. We did not know how to find one that did, but we were told there was a free trolley to take us to Navy Pier, our morning destination. We walked to the the trolley, which was not running yet, but we did find a bus that for the fare of $2.25 (seemed expensive to me for the distance we were going especially since the Memphis trolley was only $1 Saturday and $.25 on Sunday since it was an "ozone" day and they were trying to encourage people to take the trolley).
When we arrived at the pier, I discovered why the free trolley only began at 10 am and that was because the pier didn't open until 10am. Well, I should way the businesses didn't open. We were able to walk down the pier, which was very pretty. It's a bit like an amusement park area with big flowering planter, fried dough stands, picture taking spots, rides, and shops. It had a great view of the city skyline. We saw where to get the water taxi from Navy Pier... so there are taxis.
The lake is so big that you can't see the other side of it. I saw sailboats off in the distance, just like I would out on the Pacific. They have a lighthouse out a ways from the pier. Also, knowing history, I know there have been battles fought on the Great Lakes, so it should make sense that there is a navy presence here, but I guess I just don't think of it that way. Most of the lakes I have been too are small enough to easily see the other side, certainly not places to be defended by the navy.
We did walk through a few shops, but after we had seen everything, we decided to catch the free trolley back and try to make it down to Millennium park before Katrina was going to be picked up on a shuttle for the airport. We had to walk a little less than a mile, and but the walk back to our hotel was fairly short.
On our way to the park, Katrina pointed out window washers - not on the platform, but just them individually attached by ropes from the top of the building, washing the slant of this skyscraper. How scary. Certainly not a job I could ever do!
I realized right away I liked Millennium Park (it was more impressive to me than Lincoln Park). We easily found the Cloud Gate (which is affectionately known to people as the Chicago "bean", but I like the name Cloud Gate better). I saw it and understood why this big metallic bean shaped piece of art is so amazing. It's not only fun to find yourself in this mirror (can you see me in the upper bean picture?), but it has these amazing views of the skyline and the clouds that happened to be in the sky that day (we were supposed to have thunderstorms the previous night and that day, but they missed us). Now I get the appeal of the Chicago bean.
We hurried back so Katrina could get her luggage and meet the shuttle and I could finish packing my belongings to leave with the bellhop while I continued my last two hours of exploring Chicago before I had to leave for the train station. Katrina left for her flight and I made sure this time I packed a train bag (I had bought one in New Orleans just for this purpose) and that way I would no longer have to fuss with my suitcase on the train, I could actually check it. (the picture is of a building we could see from our hotel and from Millennium Park and it fascinated me that it looked like waves...inventive architecture).
I returned to Millennium Park and walked the opposite side of their concert venue so I could see another side of the park from where we had been. I enjoyed the strains of music floating up from the symphony that I discovered were having their rehearsal that afternoon. It looked to be the same idea as our Hollywood Bowl, and it sounded great. I decided after seeing a post about the Chicago Institute of Art having a great Impressionist section, that I did need to see some of those, so I slowly walked on.
I was starting to get hungry, and had yet to have a Chicago hot dog, so purchased one in the park from a vendor there. I have to say that it was very tasty. I had seen a sign on the other side of the park that say it was "considered bad manners and harmful to your taste buds to put ketchup on your hot dog within the city limits of Chicago". I found this funny, and I didn't have to put ketchup on my hot dog, especially when I saw the picture of their hot dog having onions and other things on it. But, when they gave me my hot dog is was small with nothing on it and the only thing they had, hidden behind a pole, was ketchup and mustard. I'm not a mustard person, so I squirted on the ketchup and the ketchup was good, so was the vienna sausage (their name for it).
I walked through the Lurie Gardens at the end of the park leading up the to museum. It was pretty but I like the conservatory in Central Park better.
I walk just straight through them and into what I think may have been a back entrance to the institute. I checked my backpack and followed their guide for what to see if you only had an hour. It took me a bit to orient myself though, since I had not come in the front.
The first paintings I stopped at where the Impressionist and surrounding periods such as Cezzanne and Gaughan. There were several Monet paintings of his haystacks and a few of the lily ponds as well as others. The haystacks do a really great job showing how he played with the colors to reflect the different lighting throughout the day or the weather.
The big pointillism painting by Seurat, that I really like, was up. It's fascinating to look at the detail and how he used the dots of color to create his look. My favorite is Renoir and I wasn't disappointed. One of my favorites was up of the two girls, the older wearing a bright blue dress and red hat. I was also able to see a few Van Gogh pieces, but not my favorites.
I enjoyed seeing the pieces of architecture from Chicago's history that were hanging in the Grand Staircase (which is a beautifully designed area). I walked through the native arts and saw a few amazing headdresses from the Cheyenne. There were some incredibly detailed masks from Africa and the Pacific Islands. I saw an adorable carved dragon that reminded me of a dog ready to play fetch (reminded me of my pups). I don't think it was supposed to be adorable because I believe this dragon was created to guard a tomb. To me, though, it just did not look ferocious.
Another favorite was the American windows by Chagall. I don't necessarily find the design so much to my taste but the colors were so beautiful, being that it was amazing blue. I've always loved stained glass windows for the color and light that comes through and this was so beautiful. I think color has always been something I've enjoyed about Chagall's paintings.
I did get to see the famous Nighthawks by Hopper and the famous American Gothic (which seemed appropriate to see in Chicago in the heartland). I didn't stay after that though and left because I wanted to make sure I gave myself plenty of time to get to the train station, get my ticket exchanged, and find the train. I know start of the line boards early and Chicago was bound to be busy.
I had enough time to stop by a few stores to get some food items for the train, since the train is not cheap. I retrieved my bags, they got me a taxi, and I made it to Union Station at ten after two. My original ticket was scheduled for Wednesday, but I had decided to come home a day earlier due to several reasons, one of which is that we are leaving for my grandmother's farm in Arizona on Friday (originally I had planned just taking the train to Flagstaff where I'd get picked up instead of all the way back to LA, but transportation didn't work out and this way I get to go home first).
The line was long and while I counted six people behind the counter, only three were seeing people. I was able to switch my ticket out at an extra fee since the train was booked (the more people on the train, the more expensive the tickets get, as well as you have to pay extra with a rail pass because there are limited numbers of rail passes they allow on the trains). The extra fee was still less than getting a hotel by myself in Chicago, so I was grateful to get on.
We boarded and I was given a seat in the last car on the aisle, which isn't too bad since it's another double decker with the great observation car, where I will spend most of my time. I went to the observation car after too long to type my blog, especially since there was someone seated behind me that was loudly discussing on the phone with someone that he was artist at heart and using profanity to punctuate his statements at time. At times like this, earphones are good.
I sat at a table, but since it is community use, people may join you at the tables, and somehow, this particular fellow found me and sat with me. Even though I had earphones in and was typing away on my keyboard he decided to start up a conversation. Well, it was more of him talking all about his life and philosophies and me listening, answering the occasional question. I let him know I was a Christian, based on some of his questions and listened while he tried to explain to me his truth and that if I believe truth in my heart, that is my truth (relativism). The scary part to me is that belief is what gives horrible people like Hitler or the KKK the right to behave as they want because you take away absolute truth and therefore moral relevance comes in. That is scary.
Well, I listened and put in my thoughts where I could, but then when I was hungry enough, I excused myself to go get a cheeseburger and pita chips (my standard meal on the train). The rest of the evening went fairly uninterrupted and I was able to use the internet quite a bit and watched the first Project Runway (a favorite show). I did watch a beautiful sunset over the fields.
After traveling through four states - Illinois, Iowa, Missouri, and Kansas, I decided it was time to do my best to sleep in my reclining chair.
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