No More Sears

I was saddened to read earlier today that the Sears Tower in Chicago is no more. Luckily, it didn't meet the same fate as the towers of the World Trade Center in New York, they just sold the naming rights to someone else. I've got a feeling this new name, Willis Tower, will take a while to catch on. I was surprised to learn that Sears hadn't occupied the building in any capacity since 1992. I was there in March of last year and I just remember it being really, really, really tall.

Under McCormick Place

Ah, I knew I had pictures of the Chicago trains somewhere. Here's a shot of the train approaching the station under McCormick Place from March 2008. No doubt that poor engineer wondered why some tourist was pointing a camera at him. The line I rode in Chicago was all on the ground or under it. I didn't get a chance to ride the elevated trains, but I did get some pictures...

Last Month

Well, here we are, halfway through April, and it appears I never posted my calenadr picture from March. So here it is. This is Cloud Gate, the totally awesome sculpture in Chicago. That little white dot you see on it is a reflection of the moon rising over Lake Michigan to my left.

Riverside

I don't know if any of you remember my visit to Chicago last year about this time. I got ill when I was there, and got worse upon my return, culminating in a short hospital stay. Because of all that, I don't think I ever posted very many pictures of my trip. I took lots of pictures, even when I was sniffling and coughing, because I knew it was unlikely that I'd get to go again anytime soon. One night, I walked up Michigan Avenue, the Miracle Mile, and took a whole lot of pictures on my way to the top of the Hancock Building. This picture is looking west, I believe, along the Chicago River. There's a whole lot of city going on here.

Here There Be Lions

I've brought you pictures of lions before, but nothing as big as these guys. The fact that they are stone and guard the entrance to The Art Institute Of Chicago doesn't enter into it at all. A little internet research reveals that these two lions were created the same year as the hotel I stayed at while in Chicago, 1893. They stand at the edge of Michigan Avenue, one to the north of the museum, and one the the south. The northernmost lion is above and below, and is called "On The Prowl". The southern lion, at right in the bottom picture, is called "Stands In An Attitude Of Defiance" I'm not sure what all that means, but they sure do look cool. I've got some daytime shots of these guys I hope to share with you later, but these nighttime shots from my first evening in Chicago sure are neat. Tough to tell in these pics, but the lions are actually bright green. Oh, the artist for these fellows was Edward Kerneys.