Election Night 2008 - Part Two

What a "high" to walk home amongst thousands of Chicagoans (and others) after the election!  Such a strange and incredible feeling to take over the city by foot.  You'll see that in some of these photos, scenes resemble some sort of revolution (i.e. crowd by the Art Institute lions).  So here is the journey from Grant Park to home:

(Click especially the last photo to enlarge)

Crowd from the Art Institute steps

Election Night 2008 - Part One

And as long as I'm thinking of home tonight, may I say what an experience it was to witness President Obama becoming President on that November night in 2008! 

Michigan Avenue was closed off to traffic so that the public could walk/bike down to Grant Park to witness the event.  Making our way down to the park, my friend and I ran into two of my former teaching colleagues (younger than I and not yet retired) who had taken the day off to come in.  Wonder who else in the throng we knew, but didn't run into?  Stuff like that always amazes me.  Like the time I was on a cruise and would have never known another colleague was onboard, too, had it not started to sprinkle one night on deck.  Upon moving our deck chairs under cover, I literally bumped into her!  But I digress.....

Back on topic, here are photos of pre-election results and the celebration when President Obama took to the podium in the park after having been declared the winner.

(Click to enlarge)

The crowd taking the field as the gates open

I stayed in the back corner, so that I could sit on the embankment rather than stand in the field.  I also wanted to be one of the first to "escape" at the event's end!

And it begins...

Listening to the coverage on television...

CNN showing us as Barack Obama is named President!

McCain's concession/congratulatory speech

President Obama takes the stage with his wife and daughters

What an exciting night I'll never forget!  And to think that I live just a few miles from the President of the United States' Hyde Park home. 

(Part Two next...)

Thinking of Home

I'm finding myself thinking of my city place tonight and looking forward to warm weather back in Shytown.  (Only problem with Chicago weather is that it is six months of winter, then two weeks of spring, then hot summer...sheese!)  But even in hot summer, mornings are perfect for walking/biking and early evenings are usually comfortable again for strolling by the lake or Buckingham Fountain in Grant Park.  (And I'm usually hot when others feel fine, so don't take my word as Gospel.)

Here is some of Chicago I am dreaming about tonight....the views and neighborhood around my condo:

Close up of one of the sights I see from my condo

(Click on these to enlarge)

Navy Pier from my window

(see the lighthouse way back there?)

Close up

As night falls...

Close up

"My" beach (Ohio Street Beach) and Olive Park

Close up on a summer day

City life behind my condo building

DuSable Harbor and Columbia Yacht Club

Baytowne Wharf II

Sadly, I have not recovered yet the dozens of photos of Christmas decorations on the houses in Sandestin that I spent about two hours one night taking from the car. 

But looking for something to blog about, I did find other photos of the little village on the resort.  It's a mile and a half walk through the property to reach from the condo I'm renting, a nicely landscaped walk past part of the golf course, over a boardwalk and past the marina and little island.  All of those I've already shown you, so here is a bit more of the village.

(Click to enlarge)

Great place for breakfast

Free weekly concerts on the square

Dining under the stars at the Marlin Grill

Cabo's Paradise Grill

Human-sized chessboard

Sushi Rocks

Your guess is as good as mine ;)

Graffiti's

No one's riding home on this one

Smokehouse BBQ

One of the condo buildings as seen from Hammerhead's deck

Dock of Hammerhead's

One entrance to Tupelo Court

(Comedy, Jazz, Bakery, Eatery, Martini Bar, Arcade)

And those gray skies?  Yeah, we've sure had a lot of 'em this winter.  I thought Florida was the "sunshine state!"

A Promise is a Promise

Received this photo of my granddaughter (4) in her first ballet class.  I blogged about this a couple of weeks ago and promised I'd post the first picture I got, so here it is:

Those precious young moments...

Cheap Eats in Chicago

Just read this on one of my favorite blogs, Solo Traveler.  I'm including the part about Chicago here, since that's home for me.  I look forward to being back in the city, biking along the lakefront, walking through Grant Park, Millennium Park and Lincoln Park, and just hangin' out at Bubba Gump's on Navy Pier warm summer nights.  Chicago is fantastic!  But I don't want to be there until the minimum daytime temperature is 65!  

And P.S. my cold is gone!  First time in my life I've ever had a 3 day cold.  Could it be that gallon of green tea I drank?

Solo travel, Cheap Eats and the Blues Highway

Posted on February 24, 2010 - by Janice

From the Chicago Downtown Farmstand

As I solo travel I find eating more of a necessity than a social event – so cheap is good. Healthy and cheap is better. Healthy, fun and cheap is the best.

On my trip from Chicago to Memphis, Jackson and finally New Orleans, I scouted out the best healthy, fun and cheap eats I could find. Here are my recommendations: city by city.


Solo Travel in Chicago

There are so many options in Chicago. When I asked around, Greektown came up a number of times but my wanderings didn’t take me there. They did, however, take me to a couple of great, inexpensive culinary options in the downtown area.

On the 7th floor of Macy’s on Washington St. is Frontera Fresco by award-winning chef-restaurateur, cookbook author, and television personality Rick Bayless. It offers Central Mexican cuisine using naturally raised meats, fresh ingredients and guacamole made every few hours. One person can easily eat great food for $10.

In good weather, my preference would be to gather up food for a picnic at Chicago’s Downtown Farmstand and take it, along with a discreet bottle of wine, to Millennium park. For less than $30 I filled my basket with a variety of fresh and locally made food that would easily do me for two meals. Add a free concert at the amazing Ghery designed bandstand in the park, and you have a great evening.

Beach Bummers

(Click photos to enlarge)

I hardly ever get sick.  But down here I had an upper respiratory virus for a month and when I finally got well, along comes a head cold.  I swear.  All I can attribute it to is the cold and damp we've had this year.  Yeah, these photos look sunny and warm (and I do admit the sun was toasty) but it was only in the 50's.

My posting skills have been sorely lacking lately.  My apologies.  I'll try to look for something more interesting to blog about, I promise.

In the meantime, isn't the water color stupendous here?  I'm thinking of renting right on the beach next season.  (I know, I know, I've complained about how cold it is here, but everyone, including the weather services, tell me it hasn't been normal.  I'll give it one more year.)