Thursday, September 30, 2010

road trips and art escapes

We can't seem to stay in one place for long, so the fall travel season (my favorite time to travel) found us hopping a plane to Chicago and points south. We had long imagined a road trip across the country, but for various reasons it shrank down to 10 days so we decided on a loop from Chicago. This trip we discovered some new finds, one of which was the water taxi ride which was a great bargain, starting at $2 for a short trip and $4 to Chinatown. It was a lovely day, not at all Fallish, and we also walked along the river for several blocks. We heard that there is another water taxi that goes along the lakefront, which will have to wait for another trip.

There seemed to be a shortage of hotels available in downtown Chicago, so we stayed in the suburb of Oak Park, very close to the neighborhood where Frank Lloyd Wright built many homes. This is a lovely, tree lined area and it was nice to get out of the bustle of the center of the city. It is only a short train ride away.
What's this doing here? Well, another area we stopped in was Andersonville, with lots of good shops, including Brimfield. The owner was not crazy about me taking photos, but I couldn't resist these vintage wool blankets, like the ones that kept me cozy as a child.
This is one of several Wright houses, very modern for their time.
I rather liked this one, though, with all its' curves. NOT a Wright home, but very charming, and in the same neighborhood. We enjoyed seeing various neighborhoods this trip, each with its' own character. That is the advantage of having a car, but Chicago is very easy to get around just on public transportation.

1 comment:

  1. Oh my that last house is fantastic, it looks as if a hobbit would come out of it.

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