Unfortunately today is the day A has to work, so Rob and I are off for a boy's day.
The day started with us walking down towards the Field Museum of Natural History, where we are to take in a great display of history, before heading down to see the White Sox take on the Orioles. This building is grandiose at best. From the overwhelming size, to the columned frontage, to the spectacular view of downtown and Lake Michigan from the front door, it is a building that can match some of the great buildings of Europe. However the building is nothing compared to the collection inside. From the moment you step in and see "Sue" the most put-together T-Rex, you are in awe. So much so, we spent the next fours and a half hours inside. We didn't even get around to the featured Real Pirates, and Water exhibits. We spent a long time in the Evolving Planet Hall, with it's dinosaurs and timeline of the world. There is also a fantastic exhibit of the Americas, which finishes with artifacts from Pacific Northwest Native Americans (my favorite). All the masks, totems and imagery really catches my imagination (again like the Dali Museum in St Petersburg - I don't know art but I know what I like). Another highlight was a photographic retrospective of the Civil Rights Movement. 150 black and white photos, each more powerful than the last. The photo that summed it up for me was a Will Counts photo of Elizabeth Eckford, who on her own, tried to enter Little Rock Central High School in an attempt to desegregate the school, even when the rest of the Little Rock Nine did not show due to a miscommunication. It is a compelling image of a strong and proud woman holding her own in the face of the worst adversity. The picture can be found here.
The day started with us walking down towards the Field Museum of Natural History, where we are to take in a great display of history, before heading down to see the White Sox take on the Orioles. This building is grandiose at best. From the overwhelming size, to the columned frontage, to the spectacular view of downtown and Lake Michigan from the front door, it is a building that can match some of the great buildings of Europe. However the building is nothing compared to the collection inside. From the moment you step in and see "Sue" the most put-together T-Rex, you are in awe. So much so, we spent the next fours and a half hours inside. We didn't even get around to the featured Real Pirates, and Water exhibits. We spent a long time in the Evolving Planet Hall, with it's dinosaurs and timeline of the world. There is also a fantastic exhibit of the Americas, which finishes with artifacts from Pacific Northwest Native Americans (my favorite). All the masks, totems and imagery really catches my imagination (again like the Dali Museum in St Petersburg - I don't know art but I know what I like). Another highlight was a photographic retrospective of the Civil Rights Movement. 150 black and white photos, each more powerful than the last. The photo that summed it up for me was a Will Counts photo of Elizabeth Eckford, who on her own, tried to enter Little Rock Central High School in an attempt to desegregate the school, even when the rest of the Little Rock Nine did not show due to a miscommunication. It is a compelling image of a strong and proud woman holding her own in the face of the worst adversity. The picture can be found here.
Once we'd finished, and missed the start of the baseball by 2 hours, we opted to walk over to the the Adler Planetarium - because one museum a day is never enough. While the Adler had some interesting stuff - I particularly liked the Apollo 11 and Telescope exhibits - it was a bit benign after the Field Museum.We walked back to The Essex Inn for a drink, while deciding on where to eat dinner. Not a lot of thought was put into it as we ended up back at the Weber Grill for burgers and beer. By the time we finished the day it was near 9pm and we'd walked at least another 4 miles, as well as trekking through an amazing museum. Sad there is only one day left.
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