Chicago with the family, 2014
In the spring of 2014
Ron and Carol took the overnight train to Chicago to visit for a week. Andrew,
Theresa and Zoe flew in from California to join them.
Newport News – Amtrak
Station. The train backing(!) in to the station. For
more information on the train ride see Carol's blog at http://carolbuckles.livejournal.com/29819.html
.
Washington DC – Union
Station. Ron and Carol had a 4 hour layover in DC. Union Station was built in
1907, but when the Roman Centurion statues (only 4 shown here) arrived to be
installed someone noted they were naked, historically correct, but not
acceptable for ‘turn of the century’ DC. The shields were added to fix the
problem.
An
Amtrak Roomette (and closet). The other half is the same. Tiny! Often Ron would have to go
outside just to change his mind.
Harper’s Ferry WV.
The train followed the Potomac almost to its head. It was flooding with brown,
churning water carrying trees and anything else that would float.
Chicago
– Central Library. Just
next to the hotel, this is what everyone saw everyday as they left. For
information on the first three days in Chicago please read Carol's blog at http://carolbuckles.livejournal.com/30052.html .
Chicago
– A bit of the ‘L’.
(Somewhere they dropped the ‘E’ for elevated.?)
Chicago
Institute of Art. Carol
and Ron got to Chicago the morning before the others and went to the art
museum. They also went back on the last day to finish it up. It is huge! The
two bronze lions are by sculptor Edward Kemeys, 1893.
Chicago
Institute of Art. A large mosaic of a camel from the eastern Med., probably Syria,
5th c. AD.
Chicago
Institute of Art. A head
shaped urn for cremated remains. One wonders if the person inside looked like
the person outside. Etruscan, 600 BC.
Chicago
Institute of Art. A Greek
wine cup (kylix) made so when the drinker raised the cup to his mouth, he
gained large eyes and ears. 530 BC.
Chicago
Institute of Art. People looking at Georges Seurat’s ‘A Sunday on La Grande Jatte.’ Late 19th c. Recall Ron and Carol saw a topiary of this in Columbus, Ohio: https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=4708461409400&l=61e7d29670
Chicago
Institute of Art. Jules-Adolphe Breton’s famous ‘The Song
of the Lark’, 1884. Breathtaking.
Chicago
Institute of Art. Simian (ape) Mother and Child, Java, 13th c.
Chicago
– Chicago Board of Trade. The next day everyone took an architectural tour of Chicago.
First up was this famous statue/clock, iconic of Chicago.
Chicago
– The Rookery. Books
have been written on this historical building. It is one of the greatest
surviving examples of the early commercial skyscrapers and simply beautiful
inside and out.
Chicago – Frank Lloyd
Wright’s ‘Robie House’ is a National Historic
Landmark on the South Side. It was designed and built in 1910 and is renowned
as the greatest example of the Prairie School style. It is across the street
from the Oriental Institute. 41.789754, -87.595870
Chicago – Soldier
Field, from the tour bus. In 2001 the stadium's interior was reconstructed
while the classic exterior was preserved. This renovation was described by some
as "a spaceship landed on the stadium". Leading one European visitor
to ask why they put those ugly columns on the pretty modern stadium.
Chicago
– The Navy Pier. A pier,
yes, but not the navy’s. Now ‘shoppertainment’. The family spent the afternoon
there. Top of the list was the Children’s museum.
Chicago
– The Navy Pier – Children’s Museum. Here Zoe gets to put out pretend fires, digs for fossils
with Andrew, and fixes a sandwich of chicken shaped bread and fish center. (Yum, yum!)
Chicago – The Navy
Pier – The Crystal Gardens. Carol and Zoe playing with one of
the many fountains.
Chicago – The Navy
Pier – The Crystal Gardens. Ron getting a drink from one of
the fountains.
Chicago – State
Street. Andrew teaching Zoe to look for the correct bus
number.
Chicago – Field
Museum of Natural History. One of the world’s best. Here a view of the main
gallery, including the recent T-rex called ‘Sue’ and elephants that go back to
the 1909. For details of the rest of the trip read Carol's blog at http://carolbuckles.livejournal.com/30324.html
.
Chicago – Field
Museum of Natural History. Here Andrew and Zoe are being [not] afraid of Sue.
Sue is the most complete T-rex ever found. Her skull was too heavy for this
display and is displayed separately nearby.
Chicago – Field
Museum of Natural History. A trilobite fossil from Morocco.
Ron was surprised by the many trilobites that had spines and eye stalks. (Ceratarges spinosus).
The huge, sudden Big Bang of life 530 million years ago is called The Cambrian
Explosion.
Chicago – Field
Museum of Natural History. Andrew and Zoe being mesmerized by
some of the fossils.
Chicago – Field
Museum of Natural History. Theresa and Zoe as chameleons.
Chicago – Field
Museum of Natural History. Andrew, my son, the squid.
Chicago – Field
Museum of Natural History. Theresa acting like the Giant
Ground Sloth behind her, and Andrew acting like the log. (Called a Megatherium, from South
America, late Pliocene through the Pleistocene.)
Chicago – Field
Museum of Natural History. One of six boats found the Egyptian pyramid complex
of Sen-wosret III at Dahshur. About
1840 BC.
Chicago – Field
Museum of Natural History. Ron reduced in size to explore soil at the
‘Underground Adventure’, a wonderful experience at any age: large moving
insects and worms!
Chicago – City view
and trains as seen from the bus.
Chicago – Oriental
Institute (at the University of Chicago). Colossal Statue of
King Tutankhamun. At 17'4" (5.3m) it is tallest ancient Egyptian
statue in the Western Hemisphere. And it weighs 6 tons. From
about 1334 BC.
Chicago – Oriental
Institute. From the throne room of Sargon II's
palace (ca. 721-705 B.C.). Two court officials - who are beardless and,
therefore, possibly eunuchs - are shown marching toward the king.
Chicago – Oriental
Institute. Ron and a really big bull! From Persepolis in the
reign of Xerxes or his son. 5th c. BC. The
horns went missing in antiquity.
Chicago - Dessa Kirk’s Magdalene is located at Congress Parkway and
Michigan Avenue. In the summer the sculpture becomes part of the surrounding
garden, as vines and flowers fill up the skirt of her dress.
Chicago – A visit to
Chicago would not be complete without dinner at The Berghoff. Beautiful interior and good food. Serving
food (mostly beer) since 1898.