Chicago part 2

We start the day with some breakfast in the room. The Best Western Grant Park does not serve breakfast so the kids are eating their tiny boxes of cereal that I brought with us. Melissa and I are eating yogurt. We had to change the schedule of activities up a bit because of the massive heat wave dominating the midwest. We decide to start the day at the Grant and Millennium Parks. This is a win/win for all of us. Melissa and I can enjoy the glorious gardens and the kids can run around. Grant Park was designed by Daniel Burnham in 1909. It was named after Ulysses S. Grant and is 319 acres in size. It has been expanded over the years using landfill from various transportation projects. Primarily landscaped in the beaux art style, the garden is divided into lushly landscaped "rooms". The American Elms planted in allees help divide the expanse of the park. After hitting the Starbucks for coffee and the Trader Joe's for a picnic, we start on the southwest corner of the park. We discover Agora by Magdalena Abakanwicz. A sculpture installation of 100 headless and armless figues walking in different directions. The kids really enjoyed running among the oversized rusty people. We continue to scroll in the gardens enjoying the colors and contrasts of the flowers. In the center of the park is the Buckingham Fountain. Designed in 1927 in the Rococo wedding cake style, it is dedicated to Clarence Buckingham. It is modeled after the Latona Fountain at Versailles. Interestingly enough, it is the eastern endpoint of Route 66.

We make our way to Millennium Park, a 25 acre parcel that is in the confines of Grant Park. The area was originally the home of the Illinois Central Railyards, parking lots and some park land. The parking was relocated underground and now houses over 2000 spots. It is now considered the largest green roof in the world because of the parking structure underneath it. Originally designed by Skidmore, Owens and Merrill but later to include the star architect Frank Gehry, it was fraught with cost and time overruns. However the end product is spectacular. Construction began in 1998 and originally scheduled to open for the millennium but it was not dedicated until 2004. The jewel of Millennium Park is the Pritzker Pavilion and the Great Lawn. Designed by Frank Gehry, the architect most known for his titaniun-covered Guggenheim Museum in Bilboa, Spain. The pavilion was named after Jay Pritzker whose family owned the Hyatt Hotels. It cost over 60 million dollars to build. It features 4000 fixed seats and a great lawn that accommadates 7000 more. The pavilion's orchestra shell space is 100 feet wide and 50 feet tall. It is is supported by a series of north-south trusses and east-west truss girders. The orchestra space is enclosed by glass doors 50 feet tall that resemble aircraft hangar doors. The pavilion is composed of 697 stainless-steel clad aluminum panels that are 14 inches thick. The bandshell is connected to a trellis of steel pipes in a parabolic grid that support the state of the art sound system. The sound quality is similar to an indoor concert venue. As we walk through the park, we hear the orchestra practicing for

an upcoming event. Frank Gehry hit the mark. You are cocooned by the music at the same time freed by the absence of a traditional roof. Best of all the street noise vanishes. This is accomplished by the BP bridge.

The BP bridge is also designed by Frank Gehry. It is a 935 foot girder pedestrian bridge that spans Columbus Drive. Gehry uses his signature biomorphic style as this bridge resembles a snake with its serpentine lines. His extensive use of stainless steel plates resembles the scales. The parapets have multiple uses--conceal the box girder design, act as sound barrier and are used as a hand rail. With its 5% grade, the BP bridge is barrier free and accessible. But this did not come easily. There were up to 10 different designs for the bridge. So what does the carful of kids think of the bridge. "Awesome! Because you can run really fast!" chime the boys.

After traveling over the bridge in both directions. We head to Cloud Gate by Anish Kapoor. With its 168 stainless steel plates that are highly polished with no visible seams, it is affectionally known as "the bean" and resembles liquid mercury. The sculpture weights whopping 110 tons but has a flowing lightness to it. There is a 12 foot arch under Cloud Gate that leads to a naval or "omphalos". With all the reflections and distortions, this sculpture is a magnet for children and tourists. The carful of kids ran their fingers along the metal and gazed at their own distorted reflections. I loved the fact that the kids were engaged with one of the most iconic sculptures of the new millennium.

Before we head to the Art Institute of Chicago, we sample a Chicago dog. It is an all beef frank that has "been drug through the garden" according to the largest manufacturer, Vienna. Common toppings are yellow mustard, white onions, sweet relish, tomatoes, pickle spears and celery salt all on a poppy seed bun. The kids love it. I have to admit I am not a lover of most hotdogs but this is probably the best street dog I have eaten. Just in case you are not a local...