Chicago (no kids) - FRIDAY

See you soon, CN Tower and Toronto. We are about to embark in our newest destination: Chicago, a totally new city for me.

This is our first trip alone (no kids) in 7 years, since we became parents!

FROM WIKIPEDIA: 

Chicago, officially the City of Chicago, is the third most populous city in the United States, after New York City and Los Angeles. With over 2.7 million residents, it is also the most populous city in both the state of Illinois and the Midwestern United States. It is the county seat of Cook County. The Chicago metropolitan area, often referred to as Chicagoland, has nearly 10 million people and is the third-largest in the United States. 

From the Midway Airport we took an easy train (L Train, The Loop Line) for $3 each and it took us right downtown. No problem finding the station and no crowds - middle of the day.

The next few shots are from the train window.

Chicago is know for its old and new architecture. 

The elevated train ride is an attraction itself. 

FROM WIKIPEDIA: 

The buildings and architecture of Chicago have influenced and reflected the history of American architecture. The built environment of Chicago is reflective of the city's history and multicultural heritage, featuring prominent buildings in a variety of styles by many important architects. Since most structures within the downtown area were destroyed by the Great Chicago Fire in 1871 (the most famous exception being the Water Tower) Chicago buildings are noted for their originality rather than their antiquity.

Chicago is world-famous for its plethora of unique architectural styles, from Chicago Bungalows and Two-Flats to the grand Graystones along Logan Boulevard and Lawndale Avenue, from the skyscrapers of the Loop as well as a wealth of sacred architecture such as the city's ornate "Polish Cathedrals".

Street art - from inside the train still.

Downtown

The elevated train does a loop around the downtown court, where we are staying.

We got trapped for about half an hour in the lower street level. We could see outside, but had no access to it. It's pretty interesting how they have THREE street levels downtown.

We finally found a way out to the upper street level, where the hotel and the buildings are.

In this photo Mike is in the middle level. We can't see the outside level.

Our hotel: Radisson Aqua Blu @ N. Columbus Drive.

One of the best things in the USA: Mexican food.

We had an amazing meal at the Broken English.

Cheers!

A block away from our hotel is the Millennium Park, one of Chicago's main attractions. 

These people are waiting for a concert to start and it was really cool to see them eating from picnic baskets and drinking alcohol in a public space. 

FROM WIKIPEDIA: 

Millennium Park is a public park located in the Loop community area of Chicago in Illinois, US, and originally intended to celebrate the third millennium. It is a prominent civic center near the city's Lake Michigan shoreline that covers a 24.5-acre (99,000 m²) section of northwestern Grant Park. The area was previously occupied by parkland, Illinois Central rail yards, and parking lots. The park, which is bounded by Michigan Avenue, Randolph Street, Columbus Drive and East Monroe Drive, features a variety of public art. As of 2009, Millennium Park trailed only Navy Pier as a Chicago tourist attraction and by 2017 it had become the number one tourist attraction in the Midwestern United States. In 2015, the park became the location of the city's annual Christmas tree lighting.

MORE FROM WIKIPEDIA: THE PAVILION

The centerpiece of Millennium Park is the Jay Pritzker Pavilion, a bandshell designed by Frank Gehry. The pavilion has 4,000 fixed seats, plus additional lawn seating for 7,000; the stage is framed by curving plates of stainless steel, characteristic of Gehry. It was named after Jay Pritzker, whose family is known for owning Hyatt Hotels and was a major donor. The Pritzker Pavilion is Grant Park's outdoor performing arts venue for small events, and complements Petrillo Music Shell, the park's older and larger bandshell. The pavilion is built partially atop the Harris Theater for Music and Dance, the park's indoor performing arts venue, with which it shares a loading dock and backstage facilities.The pavilion is seen as a major upgrade from the Petrillo Music Shell for those events it hosts

The Bean.

FROM WIKIPEDIA:

Cloud Gate, dubbed "The Bean" by Chicagoans because of its legume-like shape, is a three-story reflective steel sculpture. The first public artwork in the United States by world-renowned artist Anish Kapoor, the privately funded piece cost $23 million, considerably more than the original estimate of $6 million. Composed of 168 stainless steel plates welded together, its highly polished exterior has no visible seams. It is 33 by 66 by 42 feet (10 m × 20 m × 13 m) and weighs 110 short tons (100 t; 98 long tons).Its smooth shape and mirror-like surface were inspired by liquid mercury. It reflects the city skyline^[ particularly the historic Michigan Avenue "streetwall", and the sky. It provides striking reflections of visitors, who can walk around and under its 12-foot (3.7 m) high arch. On the underside is the "omphalos" (Greek for "navel"), a concave chamber that warps and multiplies reflections. The sculpture builds upon many of Kapoor's artistic themes, and is a popular photo subject with tourists

Right inside of the Bean.

The Bean and I.

Kids were having a blast playing in the water, cooling down from over 30 degree temperatures, with art!

FROM WIKIPEDIA:

The Crown Fountain is an interactive work of public art and video sculpture, named in honor of Chicago's Crown family and opened in July 2004. It was designed by Catalan conceptual artist Jaume Plensa and executed by Krueck and Sexton Architects. The fountain is composed of a black granite reflecting pool placed between a pair of transparent glass brick towers. The towers are 50 feet (15 m) tall, and use light-emitting diodes behind the bricks to display digital videos on their inward faces. Construction and design of the Crown Fountain cost $17 million.

Down the road we could see all kind of activities happening, including public chess games.

When I think of Chicago, I think of Blues. 

We had a small list of suggestions for live music venues in the city (Green Mill, Underground Wonderbar, B.L.U.E.S), but we chose Buddy Guy's Legends, closer to us. We had a great time!

buddyguy.com @ 700 S. Wabash

I regretted for not writing down the name of this gentleman, but he sure was a great story teller and sweet man.  I was very touched by his smooth voice and mellow way to connect with the audience. I wish my girls were there listening to him too.

The menu is filled with cajun and soul food. 

I ordered a Jambalaya and loved the corn bread that came with it.

FROM WIKIPEDIA:

Jambalaya s a Louisiana-origin dish of Spanish and French (especially Provençal cuisine) influence, consisting mainly of meat and vegetables mixed with rice. Traditionally, the meat always includes sausage of some sort, often a smoked sausage such as andouille, along with some other meat or seafood, frequently pork, chicken, crawfish, or shrimp. The vegetables are usually a soffritto-like mixture known as the "holy trinity" in Cajun cooking, consisting of onion, celery, and green bell pepper, though other vegetables such as carrots, tomatoes, chilis, and garlic are also used. After browning and sauteeing the meat and vegetables, rice, seasonings, and broth are added and the entire dish is cooked together until the rice is done.

After another band played, finally the main attraction of the night came on stage past 11pm (way past my bed time). Bryan Lee is a 75 year old blind man who got the crowd going, performing old style blues while attached to his oxygen tank. I've never heard of him before, but he sure has his fans in Chicago who were there supporting him. Bryan Lee lives and still performs on Bourbon Street, in New Orleans. Great show. 

FROM WIKIPEDIA: 

Lee completely lost his eyesight by the age of eight. His avid interest in early rock and blues was fostered through the 1950s by late night listening sessions via the Nashville-based radio station WLAC-AM, where he first encountered the sounds of Elmore James, Albert King and Albert Collins.

By his late teens, Lee was playing rhythm guitar in a regional band called The Glaciers that covered Elvis Presley, Little Richard and Chuck Berry material. Through the 1960s, Lee's interest turned to Chicago blues and he soon found himself immersed in that scene, opening for some of his boyhood heroes. In 1979 he released his first album named Beauty Isn't Always Visual.

In January 1982, Lee moved to New Orleans, eventually landing a steady gig at the Old Absinthe House on Bourbon Street becoming a favorite of tourists in the city's French Quarter. For the next 14 years, Lee and his Jump Street Five played five nights a week at that popular bar, developing a huge following and a solid reputation.

Today Lee continues to perform in New Orleans. He also tours several times a year in the Midwest, Eastern Seaboard, Rocky Mountain States and recently Europe and Brazil. Lee appeared with Kenny Wayne Shepherd as the musical guest on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno on February 14, 2007.