From Oak Park, I took the train (the “El”) to downtown Chicago, IL (map link), where my firs stop was the Willis Tower, formerly known as the Sears Tower, the tallest building in America. They have several glass boxes that protrude from the side of the building called Sky Decks. I did go out in one, but the person I gave the camera to to take my photo only took the photo from my chest up, so it just looks like I’m next to a window. 🙁
I then took the Water Taxi as a convenient, and cheap tour of some of the major sites overlooking the Chicago river. I got off near the River Walk and headed over to the Millenium Park, where I took some obligatory photos of the “Cloud Gate” also known as the “Bean”.
After a quick stop at the Art Institute of Chicago, I headed over to my favorite building in Chicago, the Carson Pirie Scott Building, also known as the Sullivan Center. An interesting thing about the Carson Pirie Scott building is that one of the owners, John Pirie was one of the founders of my first church, and where we got married, the Sea Cliff Gospel Chapel, on Long Island, NY. So it was exciting to see the building in person. This building was designed by Louis Sullivan (Frank Lloyd Wright’s second employer), and although it is only 12 stories tall, in 1899, when it was built, it was considered an early “sky scraper.”
I then hoped on the train back to Oak Park for some sunset photos of Unity Temple, and continued my road trip South to St. Louis.