A cold front passed through and it is a perfect day to walk around the downtown. I can’t help but look like a tourist as I gawk up and down at the incredible architecture of the buildings. Not many cities are able to combine the old with the new. But Chicago’s buildings seem to accent each other. Of our travels so far, Chicago has the most beautiful skyline from the water.
Besides the stonework of the old buildings and the shapes of the new buildings, there is artwork everywhere. This was the first modern art sculpture in the city. You’ve probably guessed the artist was Picasso. I have no idea what it is. I thought it was a horse, but others say a woman or bird. Picasso never said. It was scorned and ridiculed when unveiled, but it ended up beginning Chicago’s love affair with modern art. It has become the unofficial symbol of Chicago.
Any one growing up in the era of the cartoon, The Jetsons, can appreciate the design of this apartment building. It is called the Marina City Towers. The price of a 1 bedroom 725 sq. ft apartment will set you back about $285,000. George Jetson must be making some good money at Spacely Sprockets to afford his 3 bedroom place!
We wandered through Millennium Park in search of Cloud Gate. A sculpture of highly polished stainless steel plates. If you come to Chicago, “the bean” is a must. I don’t think we’ve ever seen anything that makes adults act like little kids so fast as they take photos of their reflections. 
Some the gardens in the park were starting to bloom. God’s artwork.
When we stopped for lunch we figured we better experience a Chicago Style hotdog. For those of you who don’t know what they are, and we didn’t, it's a hot dog that is simmered and never boiled. It is served on a poppy seed bun and topped with mustard, sweet pickle relish (ours was a freaky green color but tasted ok), onion, tomato, pickle spear and peppers. And yes, it is a mess to eat! It is a widely shared strong opinion that ketchup on it is unacceptable. Some vendors will not even offer it. Others use it as a litmus test. Guess I could never be a Chicagoan because in Nancy World ketchup is a separate food group of its own on the food pyramid. Right along with French fries!
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