The Windy City

After a longish drive across Minnesota and Wisconsin, I made it Chicago late at night. Now, imagine me winding through a crowded city with this 20 ft trailer on the back trying to find a place to park - it was rather amusing. Also amusing was the number of weirdly dressed people cruising the streets. I all sorts of humorous and grotesque-looking Chicagoans and I was thinking this place was even weirder than London when I realized they were costumes. and it was Saturday night before Halloween! So I took the metro down to the Wicker Park area and enjoyed all the crazy people.
The next day I walked all through the city and it was amazing; but I was never able to shake the feeling that I was always being watched by these towering steel guardians everywhere. I was very impressed with the Art Institute. Around every corner I found some piece of art I remembered from my 8th grade Art class by Monet, Picasso, or Van Gogh. Before long I tired of reminiscing on forced adolescent artistic pursuits and began to amuse myself in other ways. I found that by staring at some ridiculous modern art "painting" with my head cocked to the side and a knowing smile on my face I could collect quite a crowd of curious tourists wanting to be sophisticated. "It's like one of those Magic Eye things, just look harder," I'd say as I moved on barely holding the laughter in.
Then I met up with my cute Canadian friend and we explored the Navy Pier, Magnificent Mile, scaled the Hancock building, and the beautiful beaches lining the city. Overall, I was impressed with the beauty of the city. It is so well known for its architecture and mammoth monoliths and I guess those were cool, but I enjoyed even how the city was laid out with numerous parks and trees on every corner. If you have to live in a city that would not be a bad one.
The next day, with short but interesting stops at the Indy 500 track and Churchill Downs, I was back in Knoxville and surrounded by family; which is a very good place to be.