Chinatown

Late in the afternoon, we caught the CTA Red Line to Chinatown. Although I was curious about Chinatown because my father lived and worked there for about 15 years after immigrating in 1925 at the age of 14, the most memorable part of our side trip was the dinner at Chi Cafe and the dessert at Captain's Cafe and Bakery. No offense to the ubiquitous Panda Express, but there are not many Asian restaurants within the downtown area. Regardless, Kay and I were more than ready for some good home cooking and these two eateries in Chinatown did not disappoint.

Beef Tripe with Sour Vegetables

Beef and King Mushrooms with Snow Pea

Fried Fish Fillet with Sweet Saki Sauce

Green Tea Mousse Cafe

On the Waterways

It's another cold day as you can tell by the way people were dressed, but the sky was blue for our 90 minute Architectural River Cruise aboard "Chicago's First Lady" hosted by a docent from the Chicago Architecture Foundation. If you love design, you'll appreciate the tour; plus you get to see the city from the waterways. We followed that with a walk along the "Magnificent Mile", or North Michigan Avenue, to Oak Street Beach. The few beach goers we saw must be locals because it was a cold day.

Our Apartment

Our 28th floor apartment within the downtown loop of Chicago near the corner of Washington and Wells. For visitors like us, it's a great location close to all the sights and activities. We'll be here through the Memorial Day Weekend when the summer fun kicks off with free music and a parade. I should also mention that the above ground rail tracks of Chicago's public transit system, the CTA, are noise and can easily be heard from the 28th floor apartment night and day, part of the ambiance of city living.

Pretty Move

Me at the United Center. Too bad the Bulls were eliminated from the NBA playoffs. The other two pictures are late afternoon views from our high rise apartment. The city center is like a deep gorge where you can't see beyond the steep canyon walls unless you are on a high point.

Cold Day in Chicago

The storm is finally winding down and blowing through the area, with tomorrow promising to be a great day, but first we got a cold one to get through with temperatures just above 40's to start and winds up to 20 mph plus. Feels more like 39 degrees according to the Weather Channel. Despite the cold, we were out and about with the highlight being Frank Lloyd Wright's Home and Studio as well as a walk through his former neighborhood to see some of his home designs.

From the Sky Deck and More

Art abounds in the streets of Chicago and views from the Sky Deck on top of Willis Tower.

Pictures from the Art Institute of Chicago

Art Institute of Chicago

Van Gogh, a self portrait

Art Institute of Chicago

Rooms in Miniature

Rooms in Miniature