"An Artful Experience in the Second City"- Chicago Pt. 1

"This world is but a canvas to our imagination."

-Henry David Thoreau

The canvas of Chicago is adorned with the imaginations of its millions of inhabitants and predecessors, along with those who have the opportunity to visit. From the array of art in the beautiful architecture of the building themselves, formal pieces of art displayed in the awe-inspiring Art Institute, theatrical art forms in the theater district, food that is a mix of "Chicago staples" and unique flavor creations, and the natural beauty of the bodies of water preserved and parks throughout and surrounding the city, Chicago is infused with the art of life. Amusingly, I was informed that one of Chicago's many nicknames includes "The Second City." While this nickname arose due to the city being rebuilt after the Great Chicago Fire, I found a more relevant meaning for myself. This city is the second location that I have been able to visit on this year of exploration (technically the 3rd city, since we visited two cities in Finland...but that's less poetic...haha). Visiting Chicago was full of adventure, unknowns, and even some spare time to soak it all in.

Part I

On a brisk, blue-skied Sunday afternoon, our flight landed at O'Hare and our time in Chicago began. The combination of a Bears game ending, our hosts' beautiful home being located near Soldier Field, and our Lyft driver being lost resulted in a 3-hour ride from the airport to our destination. We arrived at a beautiful 30 story high rise with a second building seeming to mirror it to the left and an array of brick homes with jack-o-lanterns, skeletons and other ghoulish decorations placed precisely on lawns and front stoops, alike. We made our way through the revolving door and past the friendly front-doorman, up the elevator and down the hallway to the farthest corner of the 18th floor. We had made it to our Chicago residence.

With a few knocks, we were warmly greeted by my friend Camille, from my Finnish tour, and her husband Charlie. Upon entry into their beautiful apartment, we were immediately struck by the incredible art that decorated the front hallway. As Camille guided us to the room we would be staying in, I could not stop myself from staring gape-mouthed at the incredible works of art surrounding me. It was as though I had unknowingly walked into a professional art gallery. With the assurance that Camille and Charlie would share the stories of their distinct decor with us at sometime during our trip, Dustin and I went to our rooms to rejuvenate our flight disheveled faces and change from our travel-mangled clothing.

After eating a delicious and extremely quickly prepared Thai meal, we made our way to the University of Chicago. Sunday was the last day of the Logan Center Blues Fest being held at the university and we were able to experience the final show of the Festival, featuring Charlie Musselwhite, Billy Branch, and Matthew Skoller. These blues musicians and harmonica experts blew us away with a combination of soulful and exuberant performances. With each pluck of the guitar, each vibrato of the harmonica, and every lyrical story sung, we were welcomed to the city of Chicago, past and present. It was an incredible introduction to the city and finale to our first day.

Blue skies dominated the skyline as we began our second day in Chicago. This was a welcome sight as Dustin and I planned to discover what the city had to offer outdoors and by foot. Our first scheduled activity, and probably one of our favorites of the trip, was the Wendella architecture boat tour. Our double decker boat was outfitted with chairs and benches on the top level to ensure unobstructed views of the outdoor architectural gallery we would witness on the tour down the Chicago River. The art of storytelling was utilized brilliantly to provide us with the architectural education we desired from this tour. Stories that stuck in my brain most included an opera house created to woo an architect's mistress (but ultimately did not hold her interest) and a building created by a New York architect who paid homage to the Statue of Liberty in subtle design choices. There were dozens of other accounts of the buildings we drifted by that brought new meaning and prestige to the structural design.

Our tour selection included cruising out to Lake Michigan for an expansive view of the city and lakefront. Due to the pristine conditions of the sky and water, we had optimal views and cool but crisp weather to bask in the experience. Capturing the moments through both picture and mental imagery, we were in awe of the natural and manmade masterpieces displayed.

When our tour concluded, we walked to a nearby restaurant for lunch, The Purple Pig. It was a delightful culinary experience and lived up to the multiple recommendations we received from previous diners. It was such a success, we were immensely thankful we had planned to walk to our remaining destinations, in an effort to combat the imminent food coma.

Our walking brought us through Millennium Park, past the infamous "Bean" along with various art installations and an outdoor amphitheater. The park's pathway ended right across the street from our next destination, the Art Institute of Chicago. We quickly recognized that we had completely underestimated the time needed to explore the entirety of this incredible museum. One of our main intentions was to see the two pieces our hosts had loaned to the museum for a special exhibit highlighting a group of Chicago artists known as "Hairy Who?" from the 1960s. After exploring the entire contemporary section of the building and exploring the "Hairy Who?" exhibit, we had a brief amount of time to explore the rest of the behemoth-sized museum. As we hastened our steps, we were interrupted by a security guard informing us that the gallery was closing and we must exit right away. While feeling disappointed that we would not be able to see the vast array of art in the remaining areas, we also felt extremely appreciative of the time spent viewing the impressive pieces we were able to. Visiting the Art Institute was an inspiring and enjoyable excursion that continues to bring exquisite and impactful visions to my mind.

Monday concluded with a wonderful dinner at Gio's, a little Sicilian deli and restaurant that Camille and Charlie frequently visit. The food was delicious and the ambience was unique being set in a small deli and grocer cafe. Our dinner was another example of the diverse artistry of Chicago, set on a canvas of plates and glassware. This city was impressing us and building anticipation for what was to come from the remainder of our trip.