Jeannie's Travel Addiction

July 2016

Chicago – a wonderful mix of the new  with the old.

Recently my good friend, Donna, and I took a last minute weekend  trip to Chicago, determined to see as many  of the sights as we could.  We had a super time while logging in  A LOT  of  steps into my FitBit.

First off, let me tell you, there are CROWDS  of people everywhere in Chicago, but we tried to fit in as much as we could.   That city  also  has….

Dinosaurs !!!

Walking to our 1st destination, we stopped to see Buckingham  Fountain in Grant Park .  Dedicated in 1927,  the fountain was  made with Georgian  pink marble and contains 1,500,00 gallons of water.  During a display,  more than 14000 gallons per minute, are being pushed through  193 jets.

Two Sisters, by  Pierre Auguste Renoir, 1881

Our  1st official stop was  founded  in 1879 and is one of the oldest and largest in the US – the Chicago  Art Institute.  There were endless  works of art  I fell in love with, but  here are just a few favorites:

Paris Street, Rainy Day,  by Gustave Gaillebotte, 1876

Bust of Queen Luise of Prussia , by Johann Gottfield Schadow, 1819

Art in all forms can be enjoyed at the Art Institute.

As we strolled and navigated the streets, we  also saw many  beautiful old buildings…

…..tucked in amongst the sky scrapers.

The Old Water Tower, 1869, is a memorial  to the great Chicago Fire in 1871.  That fire burned for 2 days destroying more than 2000 acres, killing  300 people and made 100,00 people homeless.

It started in the O’Leary’s barn, and though, there were many speculations as to how the fire started, the exact cause was never determined.  But blame  quickly circulated  that  O’Leary’s cow  kicked  over an oil lamp, which Catherine O’Leary denied.   There was  anti-Irish sentiment in Chicago  at the time and Catherine O’Leary was the perfect scapegoat being poor and Irish.  The story spread and it was even  noted in the  Chicago Tribune’s first post-fire issue.  In 1893,  reporter Michael Ahern retracted the story, admitting it was fabricated, but even his confession  did not  put  an end to the legend.  The O’Learys were never officially charged with starting the fire,  but the story became so ingrained  that Chicago’s city council officially exonerated them—and the cow—in 1997.

A visit  to the Water Tower,  followed by  consuming a  sinful amount of Ghirardelli  ice cream, then standing in line for an hour at Garrett’s Popcorn Shop and waddling back to the hotel was the close of day one.  You can probably understand now why we chose to walk everywhere.     : )

Stay tuned to Day  Two !