From Chicago, Illinois

I’m posting from Chicago, Illinois — a very interesting and vibrant city. The city has a spirit that is very much alive and can be seen in everything from the buildings to the people. I can’t think of the words to describe the architecture. It is really a mish-mash of tons of different styles, kind of like the people who come in all shapes, sizes, styles, colours and characters. This is really an interesting city and I can see why it has been dubbed by many as the “most American of American cities”.

Michael, who is an architect, has some really good insight into the architecture in Chicago vs. that in Calgary. In Calgary you have so many large natural creations that it is hard to make your mark on the landscape. You can’t compete with Mother Nature’s massive and awe inspiring creations. However, in a place like Chicago, which has existed for hundreds of years and doesn’t have many natural landmarks, it is easy to put something in amongst all the other buildings that stands out. You aren’t competing with nature to make your mark; just other buildings and other architects.

Nonetheless, I was in awe at all the buildings and the different styles when I arrived. Chicago’s history in a nutshell: Europeans showed up in the Chicago area in 1673, the first “store” was built in 1779, and Chicago was incorporated as a town in 1833. In 1871 (the same year the NWRMP began showing up in the Calgary area) Chicago burnt to the ground and within a few years had rebuilt itself into twice the glory.

The hotel of choice on this trip is the Palmer Hilton in the Loop. This is a Beaux-Arts style hotel that was built in 1871; it’s also the longest continuously running hotel in North America. The hotel has a lobby that looks like something straight out of renaissance Europe. It’s an excellent choice as far as hotels go.

In one day I managed to have coffee in every coffee shop / bakery I could find, eat lunch and beer in the Berghoff (built in 1898), attend the Chicago Celtic Festival, and people watch on the steps of the Art Institute. Chicago certainly isn’t lacking when it comes to interesting sights, sounds and smells.