A Bit of Chicago--and a million photos

Today, we went to the Garfield Park Conservatory. (Doesn't it make you feel British to say "conservatory"? Maybe that's just me.) It was a church activity and we went with the 8-11 yr old boys and girls. It was fun. I printed out random directions from Mapquest though, and ended up taking regular streets the whole way instead of the Expressway. Here's a little taste of what we passed.
This is a movie theater from the Art Deco era. It's fabulous. I really need to go to a movie there someday, it's not too far from our apartment.
Here's the Carl Schurz High School that we drove by. It was a really cool building. If you could see this picture close up, the roof has red tiles, and has an Asian looking design to it. It was just interesting altogether. I read online that it was built in 1910 and is the 3rd largest high school in IL. It reminded me of OHS (not in size though). See, here's Ogden High School. I never went there, although my sister graduated from there. Just another cool building.
The Field House. We drove by, I just stole this picture off the internet. Close to the Conservatory it was pretty scary going though. Not a place I would like to be out walking. Not at all. Casey and Ana started discussing what "hobo" meant, if that gives you a clue. The Conservatory guide says the area is "redeveloping." They put it so nicely. It's actually supposed to be going through "gentrification," but apparently the recession has halted that. Ana and Casey didn't want to get out of the car when we finally arrived, they thought I had mixed up the directions. Yeah, it was that bad.

The Garfield Park Conservatory. (The front of it anyway from the side.) It was completed in 1908 and was the largest conservatory in the world, at that time. I had to add this photo of a chocolate tree. Later Elena played forever in some chocolate bean shells. They smelled so tasty!!!
My camera was fogging up in the Palm House. This is Ana and Casey. So beautiful! I feel so elegant even walking through such a historic place. Carolina, one of the girls in my Sunday School class.
Hermana Blanca and Isabel. She holds Isabel for me every Sunday. Her and her daughters are crazy about her. :)
Oh, I love Chihuly. I saw and exhibit of his at the 2002 Olympics, and then toured the Belagio in Las Vegas where he did a ceiling/skylight sculpture, and I've seen some of his work in Scottsdale. Love it here most of all though. Anything paired with nature is just 20x's better.
The Arid House.
Foliage.
Hey Mr. Tallyman, tally me bananas.
Ana was enthralled with a boa constrictor, and petted it for a long
Even Elena petted it.Okay, this is my absolutely favorite thing at the Conservatory. It was made by a Moroccan artist. Isn't the tile work exquisite? Someday I will go to Morocco. I've always wanted to.
I love orchids. So beautiful.
My favorite part, the Fern Room.
Elena wore out after a while.
Ana enjoying the waterfall.
It was absolutely beautiful. I loved it!
Elena loved the goldfish.
An Abraham Lincoln statue for you all, after all, this is the Land of Lincoln. Now, Obamaland.
If you can look close you can see the ugly cramped together houses of Chicago. I'll never get used to that. Notice also, that I was at a dead stop on the "Expressway." Joy. Chicago traffic, and it was almost 7 PM.
You know how there's Chicago style hot dogs? For your edification, a Chicago style hot dog consists of:mustard, onion, sweet pickle relish, a dill pickle spear, tomato slices or wedges, pickled sport peppers, and a dash of celery salt; sometimes, but not always, cucumber slices. I never realized how popular that was until I moved here. If you can make it out, that's a hot dog sign. There are actually more hot dog fast food places here than Wendy's, Burger King, and McDonald's combined. I'm serious. So weird. I love gyros though and they usually serve those too, so all's good.
Maybe that's Leo flying in. Maybe. It was a United Express plane.
Some days, I really like Chicago and think I will miss it, possibly because of these delicious cookies from Germany that I bought in a nearby store. Yum... sorry, the little Keebler elves have nothing to compare to this. On a side note, when Brett and Kayli were here recently, Brett asked me if I only shop at ethnic stores. It made me laugh. I told him that mostly I do, except for Meijer and Walmart. Anyway, he asked if I was sure they were selling me the meat that they said they were. To which I pointed out that he better hope so, as the "beef" he was eating at the moment was from Fiesta Market. Hee. Hee.