Chicago

I passed through Chicago for a quick day, where I got to catch up with a very pregnant friend (she had the baby just a few days later!) and wander around the city.

 

I arrived at the tail end of the NATO protests. The police and protesters were both out in force.

 

The weather was perfect so I went to Grant Park to check out "Agora" by Polish sculptor Magdalena Abakanowicz.

 

Strolling north through Millenium Park, I headed to Buckingham Fountain and watched Segway tour after Segway tour roll by.

 

Nearby Crown Fountain is a much less traditional fountain. Two fifty foot tall glass towers flank an open space. Images of Chicagoans rotate on both towers year round. Thought the summer, the towers act as waterfalls, occasionally spitting out water, much to the delight of soggy children.

 

I've been to the city a couple of times before but this was my first time seeing The Cloud Gate, locally known as The Bean. I spent a good while taking photos and interacting with it.

 

Continuing, I passed by the Chicago Tribune building. The building is not only famous for its striking neo-Gothic architecture but also for the rocks and fragments of other famous structures worldwide.

 

About three hundred feet and ten stories shorter than the Willis Tower is the John Hancock Center. Also in this picture is the peak of the Chicago Water Tower. Built in 1869, it was one of the few buildings to survive the Great Chicago Fire two years later.

 

There were plenty of joggers and tourists out admiring Lake Mochigan.

 

As usual, Chicago has again impressed me with its beauty and friendliness.