Saturday
Arrival and walk with our luggage to our hotel, the famous Palmer House on East Monroe. Its heydey was in the 1920's and it has now been refurbished to even greater splendor. This is the lobby - our room was nice but not quite this spectacular.
Sunday: Don's number one thing to do in Chicago was the Architectural river boat tour. We walked to the river, found some breakfast, met with our friend Wynne and her sister Melanie. It lasted 1 ½ hours and the volunteer tour guide from the architectural foundation, almost did not stop talking. He knew when the buildings we
re built, the architects, the styles, and all the owners. Our necks became sore from swinging up, sideways and up again. Even before we left the dock, he was explaining how the water supply of Chicago was saved by reversing the flow of the dirty Chicago river that flowed into Lake Michigan. What they did was create a 26-mile long canal that connects to the Missouri River. This happened over 100 years ago and took 10 years to build. All before earthmovers and bulldozers - only horses, mules and hand labor were available.
Wynne and Melanie afterwards gave us another tour of the Lakeshore Drive, the north end of Chicago, gave us a great dinner and dropped us off back at our hotel about 8 o'clock. A most enjoyable day with wonderful company and weather.
Monday (Labor Day)
Up for a quick walk to breakfast, checking out the hours of the Art Institute (open 10:30 am), too early, so a quick walk through Millenium Park and around the (huge) block. Then to the Art Institute for a brief visit. Five and a half hours later we finally made it out. There is so much good stuff to see and a lot of acreage to cover. Highlights: Impressionists, of course with MANY Manets, and Monets, and several Mary Cassatts; Grant Wood's American Gothic, Edward Hopper's Nighthawks, Marc Chagall's America Windows, etc. I especially enjoy the Miniature Rooms plus the decorative arts (furniture, glassware, ceramics, etc.) and Don enjoyed the Russian War posters exhibit. http://www.artic.edu/aic/exhibitions/current.php
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