Sunday, September 4, 2011

Out and About in Chicago

Here are but a few of the pictures I took
while in Chi-town.

We stayed on the north bank of the river,
about a block from the lake.

There was lots of walking involved.



Heading north towards downtown Chicago.




The Willis Tower (formerly the Sears Tower).


Looking up at the Willis Tower.
More on that later.




Marina City towers.


Marilyn Monroe statue.


The view you never saw from the movie.


The Centennial Fountain shoots an arc of water
out into the river at the top of the hour for ten minutes
during the summer months.












This part of the fountain is known as the 
Water Arc.

Centennial Fountain.
This fountain was built to celebrate the
reversal of the flow of the river in 1900.


Looking through the fountain.

View east from the fountain.


The back side of the fountain.




The NBC Tower was kitty-corner from
our hotel.


New buildings were going up
around the city.



Inside the Fourth Presbyterian Church
on Michigan Avenue across from the John Hancock Center.


The church was built in 1914.




View of the John Hancock Center from the front steps
of the Church.


Plaque on the front of the church.


Courtyard next to the church.





Beautiful stain glass in the church.









The altar of the church.







John Hancock Center.

The old water tower (behind the trees)
and the John Hancock Center.


The water tower
(a second building across the street 
from the taller structure),
Water Tower Place (a ritzy shopping mall)
and John Hancock Center.




A Presbyterian church across the street
from the John Hancock Center.


Plaque commemorating the old Water Tower.


The sidewalks on Michigan Avenue are wide
and the planting beds are large.





The Water Tower.
This was one of the few structures
to survive the Great Chicago Fire.


Another view of the historic Water Tower.


Water fountain in front of the other water tower.


That water tower.


The old and the new.






Each bed is planted with different plants.


The Master Gardener in me loved these
planting beds.











The plantings are lush.


These beds are well maintained.





Some even had waterfalls, streams 
and/or fountains.


Soldier Field, home of the Bears.


Front of Soldier Field.



U.S. Cellular Field,
home of the White Sox.








Buckingham Fountain in Grant Park.


Millenium Park.



Chicago River, looking west.


Chicago River, looking east.


View from our room
on the 25th floor of the Sheraton Hotel,
looking west.


Trump Tower.








View from the 7th floor balcony at the hotel.
Looking west.




Looking east.


Ornate railing on one of the many bridges.


Looking towards the lake.


The NBC Tower lit up at night
as seen from our hotel room.


The Chicago Tribune Tower
from our hotel room.

Chicago is a beautiful city and
the weather was absolutely gorgeous
while we were there.


The people were friendly and
we had a wonderful time.

Thanks Chicago!