For our last day in Chicago, it was still too cold to linger outside, so we had to come up with some indoor plans. It wasn’t the easiest task, because we’ve already seen so much, but we settled for the museums on the southern end of the city.First we took the L down to Museum… Continue reading The Field Museum, the Museum of Science and Industry
Author: Martin Towers
The Richard Driehaus Museum, Chinatown (briefly)
Today the temperature was a downright hostile -3°C, so it being Sunday and us having seen pretty much all of Chicago already, we took our sweet time in the morning and emerged only for brunch at the nearby Southport Grocery Café. Calling it brunch is a bit disingenuous because we’d previously had breakfast and we… Continue reading The Richard Driehaus Museum, Chinatown (briefly)
Oak Park, Chicago Cultural Center
(Cold update: Less cold, I guess. But still cold!)Day trip tiiiiime! After a couple of very intense days of urban exploration, today we took off to visit sleepy Oak Park, a small town on the outskirts of Chicago with two illustrious natives: Frank Lloyd Wright and Ernest Hemingway!Oak Park can be easily accessed from downtown… Continue reading Oak Park, Chicago Cultural Center
The Magnificent Mile, Navy Pier, Old Town
(Cold update: still bloody cold.)After our walk around the Loop yesterday, today we focused on Near North, the area north of the Chicago river. We took the train down to Chicago station (I notice a naming pattern here) and took a walk down the Magnificent Mile, a commercial stretch of shops, department stores and malls… Continue reading The Magnificent Mile, Navy Pier, Old Town
The Art Institute of Chicago, Millennium Park, the Rookery
For the purposes of this entry, please imagine that every paragraph is prefaced by: it’s bloody cold in Chicago! The temperature hovered around 4°C, with sharp, chilly winds all day long, and not for nothing it’s been spring for a week now, just sayin’.Today we decided to start from the top and go to our… Continue reading The Art Institute of Chicago, Millennium Park, the Rookery
Arrival in Chicago: the Willis Tower
I left sleepy Richmond, Virginia this morning, its airport a blessed 15 minute drive away, and began a long trip to my next destination, Chicago. There is actually a direct Richmond-to-Chicago flight, but it was prohibitively expensive, so I took a combination that had me connecting at New York’s LaGuardia airport. It should have been… Continue reading Arrival in Chicago: the Willis Tower
Richmond museums: Poe, Valentine, the Confederacy
Today it was rainy and cold, not particularly inviting for walking around, so I sought refuge indoors and spent the best part of the day going from one museum to another.First on the list was the Edgar Allan Poe Museum. Unbeknownst to me, Poe lived in Richmond and may even have written The Raven here.… Continue reading Richmond museums: Poe, Valentine, the Confederacy
The Virginia Museum of Fine Art
Today, greeted with a sunny if rather chilly morning, I was left to my own devices, and so I took the chance to walk over to the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts. I arrived shortly after they opened at 10:00, and I figured I could see the whole place at my leisure in a couple… Continue reading The Virginia Museum of Fine Art
Monticello, Thomas Jefferson’s house
My first day in Richmond, my first day of this trip, was cold but sunny. Ed, Sudha and RJ regaled me with a king’s breakfast (homemade pancakes included, forever grateful) and then we set off for our first adventure: Monticello, the retirement home and plantation of the 3rd US president, Thomas Jefferson.Monticello is about an… Continue reading Monticello, Thomas Jefferson’s house
Back to the US
It’s time for my next adventure! I am going back to the United States, to keep exploring this enormous and diverse country! Over many different travels, I’ve been slowly crossing off states from the list: as of now I’ve been to New York, D.C., Massachusetts, Illinois, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, Tennessee, South Carolina, California, Nevada, and… Continue reading Back to the US