Sweet Home, Chicago!

 

 Almost everything about Chicago seems to have a bit of a funky edge to it - like these painted picture frames that have been placed at rakish angles in the gardens along Michigan Avenue.  Many of the gardens are just being planted so should be in full bloom by the time you get here Mum and Dad.









One of our first walks was down to Millennium Park.  This was a really cool public space just south of the Chicago River with a concert area and plenty of green parklands and art.


 

 These sculptures in the Park were done by Jun Kaneko.  The creature is a Tanuki figure, or 'raccoon dog', most commonly portrayed as a large, stout badger. 

 The Tanuki is considered to be a trickster who causes trouble and mayhem in both the human and supernatural worlds.

 The Tanuki has big eyes to perceive the environment and help make good decisions, a big belly that symbolises bold and calm decision making and a friendly smile!

 It was fund seeing the various reflections of people and the Chicago skyline in the Cloud Gate sculpture in AT&T Plaza.

Crown Fountain was a really funky part of the park.  Difference faces from Chicago city are projected onto the screen, and every five minutes or so, they spurt water from their mouths.

 Buckingham Fountain on the way to the Field Museum of Natural History.








The Field Museum was a real hit and was a great collection of natural history pieces, including the largest and most complete skeleton of a T-Rex (named Sue).

Sue - the largest and most complete
T-Rex skeleton ever found.

 Fergus' favourite building on the Chicago skyline, the Marina City.  These buildings were considered to be highly innovative when they were built in the 1960's by Bertrand Goldberg.









Dougal's favourite was Lake Point Tower, the only high rise to be constructed on the Eastern side of Lake Shore Drive.  Described as 'quintessential Chicago modernism, exuding braun with stunning grace'.

We all loved the Chicago Tribune building, which has inlaid around it's base artifacts from other famous buildings and structures, including a stone from The Alamo, Abraham Lincoln's Tomb, 'Injun Joe's Cave', the Great Wall of China...

The Sydney Opera House...

And the World Trade Centre from 2001.