Chicago Town

I attended a business conference in Chicago and, as is tradition now, my mom came with me! We spent the first few evenings trying fancy restaurants that my coworker, Greg, and his wife, Kris Tina, suggested ..... and we went shopping on the Magnificent Mile. I hit the jackpot at H&M! I just love that store. And I got a beautiful cream-colored, wool coat from United Colors of Benetton too.

Saturday was our day to play, and we packed it full. We took the El out to Oak Park to go on a tour of the Frank Lloyd Wright home and studio and to see the birthplace of Ernest Hemingway. It was an adventure just to get on the El. I couldn't figure out how to get the dang ticket into the machine so we could walk through! I tried a million times - I was expecting it to be like London (and I think Washington DC) where the ticket comes up on the other side of the stile so you grab it after you walk through. But it wasn't. We finally got some help from the lady in the booth. Very nice lady.

After we made it to Oak Park, we walked down their darling main street to Pot Belly's and shared a sandwich for lunch. Then we walked to the Frank Lloyd Wright home and studio and went on their tour. It was so neat. I really like his style of architecture and design. After we finished the tour, we walked down the street to look at the beautiful homes, and they were beautiful! We liked seeing some of the "bootleg" Frank Lloyd Wright homes. 

Outside of the Frank Lloyd Wright home

The studio side entrance to Frank Lloyd Wright's home

I loved these windows in between the home and studio

Maybe a bootleg Frank Lloyd Wright house?

I liked this house

Another bootleg house?

Mom and I liked these row houses

I liked this house too

The tour at the birthplace of Ernest Hemingway was fascinating too! His mom was quite the diva and had every right to be since she brought home $1,000 a month with her voice and piano lessons costing $8 per lesson - that was in the late 1800's! Can you believe that? It's almost as much as lessons cost today. Whereas, Ernest's dad was a doctor bringing home only $50 a month. Very interesting.

The birthplace of Ernest Hemingway

After the tours, we returned to downtown Chicago and did a little more sightseeing - we saw the Tiffany dome in the old Marshall Field's (now a monstrous Macy's), and we checked out some of the sights at Millenium Park. By the end of the day we walked 17,000 steps according to mom's pedometer. That fact is very important to her! Ha ha! :)

The Tiffany dome in Marshall Field's

Cloud Gate in Millennium Park

Can you see our reflection in the Cloud Gate?

A fountain in Millennium Park