Yesterday, I drove out to Oak Park, IL. Oak Park should ring a bell, that of Frank Lloyd Wright. In 1889, he purchased a plot of land on the corner of Chicago and Forest Avenues, at that time right on the edge of the prairie. He built his home in the "prairie style", which emphasized the horizontal and open spaces within the home in contrast the the many Victorians in the area which stressed verticality and "boxes within a bigger box".
The Prairie Style
I took a tour of Wright's home and also his studio, which he added on in 1898. After the tour, I picked up one of those electronic handheld tour guides and took a walking tour through the Oak Park neighboorhood in which Wright designed many homes.
Today, I went for a bike ride along Lake Michigan. Chicago has done a wonderful job of preserving its lakefront as parkland. The highrise apartment towers stand across the street from the beach and are not on the beach itself. There are numerous beaches along the lake and most importantly, a bike path that stretches nearly the entire length of Chicago's city lakeshore.
Alas, the two photos didn't line up, but I biked from 63rd in the South to Devon up north and then back again
The total roundtrip mileage was 32 miles. Thank god it was all flat. I now have more respect for Lance Armstrong, considering I was wiped after a LEISURELY 32 mile ride on flat pavement. There was great scenery along the way: The University of Chicago, the newly renovated Soldier Field, the McCormick Convention Center, Grant Park, Navy Pier, Oak Street Beach and Lincoln Park just to name some of the highlights.
I think I'll bike this again next week.
I took a tour of Wright's home and also his studio, which he added on in 1898. After the tour, I picked up one of those electronic handheld tour guides and took a walking tour through the Oak Park neighboorhood in which Wright designed many homes.
Today, I went for a bike ride along Lake Michigan. Chicago has done a wonderful job of preserving its lakefront as parkland. The highrise apartment towers stand across the street from the beach and are not on the beach itself. There are numerous beaches along the lake and most importantly, a bike path that stretches nearly the entire length of Chicago's city lakeshore.
The total roundtrip mileage was 32 miles. Thank god it was all flat. I now have more respect for Lance Armstrong, considering I was wiped after a LEISURELY 32 mile ride on flat pavement. There was great scenery along the way: The University of Chicago, the newly renovated Soldier Field, the McCormick Convention Center, Grant Park, Navy Pier, Oak Street Beach and Lincoln Park just to name some of the highlights.
I think I'll bike this again next week.
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