Chicago is first of all about its architecture -- it’s so in your face that you can’t ignore it. It all goes back to the Great Fire of 1871 that destroyed much of Chicago and attracted a wave of architects and engineers to the city. The styles that emerged, such as Beaux Arts, Chicago School, Gothic and Art Deco, to name a few, mix with the modern designs of newer skyscrapers, and the result is pretty spectacular. Mark and I spent a lot of time walking the city and looking up. And we found interesting buildings like the old Waterworks station and Fourth Presbyterian Church that I include here. I only wish the photos could do justice to the beauty of these buildings. As for the music -- “Take the A Train” -- imagine Wynton Marsalis and the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra playing in Chicago as they are scheduled to do next month. It’s worth listening to the whole darn thing. (Mark’s claim to fame: Duke Ellington visited his high school.) Awesome, I know.
