It is a beautiful late winter morning in Chicago.
On our way into the city, we stopped at the Cal City Bakery for some donuts and pecan rolls.
We decided to hike at Ping Tom Memorial Park in Chinatown at 18th Street and the South Branch of the Chicago River. I love the views here. Chicago's old industrial past can be seen in the railroad bridges over the river and the warehouses along the river. The downtown skyline view is incredible from this park. Chinatown offers a different style of buildings than the rest of the city...
...and even though the Red Line elevated tracks are visible from the park and you have to cross ground level railroad tracks to get into this park, while walking the trails you can find yourself lost in a natural setting and temporarily forget that you are surrounded by a big city. That is why I love this park.
My dogs love every park.
I have long been fascinated by industrial areas and their historical importance to America's cities.
I can see the incredible beauty of this park and that steel railroad bridge tower. And I can see my idiot dogs pulling Chrissy apart like a wishbone.
The waterways are why a city was founded here and the railroad is what made Chicago one of America's great cities.
Looking toward the lake where there has been a lot of new construction in the past decade.
Oslo is doing surprisingly well after a long hike at the dunes yesterday.
Nola on extra high alert in the city.
I really like this picture. I wish I included the top of the old style light posts.
Yes, I was obsessed with this train bridge. I kept hoping a sailboat would come down the river so they would have to lift the bridge. Plus today had a spectacular blue sky for photos.
The 18th Street Bridge
Oslo resting in the shade of the pagoda.
Nola standing guard as the rest of us relaxed along the river.
Nice view of the city from here.
I just love these old movable bridges.
Our dogs drinking from the Chicago River on the kayak launch and water taxi dock.
After we left Ping Tom Park, I remembered there was a New Orleans coffee shop on State Street and Archer. So we stopped at Akirah's Praline Candy & Coffee House and had some tasty beignets.
Since we drove home down Lakeshore Drive to enjoy this beautiful sunny day, we stopped at the Steelworker's Park on 87th Street. This used to be US Steel's South Works Plant. I believe it is now the largest undeveloped area in any big city in America.
The city already made this area on the lakefront a park dedicated to Chicago's steelworkers.
We could use more businessmen like Daniel Burnham nowadays.
Nola didn't even notice this possible aerial attack.
Information about how they covered the slag base here with Illinois river silt to nurture the trees.
We hiked over to the huge concrete ore walls that seem to be all that is left here.
The dogs were happy to do a second hike today. It is a beautiful late winter day.
This area is fenced off but easily accessible for those that want to venture past the gate.
Lake Michigan was very calm.
The immense size of the walls made the history geek in me search for photos of them in use. I couldn't find any pictures of these filled with iron ore.
I jumped up into a broken section of the wall to take pictures.
Since we were so close, we picked up a late lunch at Calumet Fisheries. We had fried shrimp for lunch and brought home smoked shrimp and pepper and garlic smoked salmon for dinner. A great way to end our Sunday Funday.
