Thursday Doors: Sigma Alpha Epsilon National Headquarters (OHC 2018)

During Open House Chicago 2018, we visited several sites in Evanston, including the national headquarters of the fraternity Sigma Alpha Epsilon. Regardless of my personal opinion of this fraternity’s history of hazing (for which it has been disciplined at least nine times) as well as of fraternities in general, the headquarters building is an austere […]

Thursday Doors: Lake Street Church (OHC 2018, Part 7)

During the weekend of Open House Chicago (Oct. 13-14, 2018), we visited another of the Evanston sites, Lake Street Church. Although founded as Evanston Baptist Church in 1858, according to their welcome brochure, Lake Street Church is now a “progressive community of spiritual seekers from across multiple denominations” and is “rooted in the free-church tradition,” […]

December Squares: Macy’s

Becky has a new Month of Squares for December, with the theme of time. There is nothing so spectacular in Chicago as Macy’s (Marshall Field’s) at Christmas time! There are beautiful decorations inside and out, and there is a long tradition of families having a luncheon or dinner in the Walnut Room with the giant […]

Getting Our Kicks with Missouri Kitsch (Day 8-Part 1)

June 15, 2018 The previous night, before dinner and the big thunderstorm, we drove through Springfield to see the Gillioz Theatre at 325 Park Central East, which is also the historic Route 66, brand new in 1926 when the theater was built. It was one of the first theaters to introduce “talkies” to the Midwest […]

Thursday Doors on the Miracle Mile

Recently I had occasion to kill some time on the “Miracle Mile” of Michigan Ave. in Chicago. I wish I’d had my Sony camera with me, but as it was, I managed to get some decent photos using the camera on my cellphone. Most of them are more like facades than just doors. Wrigley Building […]

First Presbyterian Church of Evanston – Open House Chicago 2018, Part 5

One of the most beautiful churches in Evanston, particularly its stained glass windows, is the First Presbyterian Church, which we visited during Open House Chicago 2018 in mid-October. The architect of this building was Daniel H. Burnham, the same man who made Chicago famous for the design of the White City during the World’s Columbian […]

CFFC: Lights

Cee’s Fun Foto Challenge this week is lights. Symphony Center, Chicago Tiki Terrace Hawaiian restaurant, Des Plaines, IL Beatles tribute band, American English, in concert at Surf Ballroom, Clearwater, Iowa Park Inn Hotel, designed by Frank Lloyd Wright, in Mason City, Iowa: At a side entrance Café inside the hotel In a lounge Skylights Holiday […]

Thursday Doors: First United Methodist Church of Evanston (OHC 2018 Part 4)

During Open House Chicago on Oct. 13-14, we visited some beautiful churches in Evanston. The largest was the First United Methodist Church, the first church established in Evanston (prior to the building it is housed in today) in 1854. The current structure was built in 1910; the architect, Thomas E. Tallmadge, was a member of […]

A Photo a Week: The Bridges of Madison County

No, I am not talking about the movie The Bridges of Madison County, but the movie was inspired by the covered bridges in Madison Co., Iowa. However, the movie only featured two of these bridges, while we visited five bridges (a 6th was burned down) while we were in Iowa at the end of September. […]

Open House Chicago 2018-Part 3

Our third Far North Chicago destination during Open House on Oct. 13 was the International Society for Krishna Consciousness or ISKCON. This building, located on Lunt Ave. in Chicago, was formerly a Masonic temple. It was purchased by the Hare Krishna society for use as a community center and place of worship. ISKCON is a monotheistic […]