The end of April 2007 found Jake and Susan traveling to the windy city for the ART Chicago, an international art show and Artropolis, a City wide celebration of the arts, antiques and culture in Chicago.

Art Chicago takes place at the amazing Merchandise Mart, which itself is a work of art. Art Chicago takes one entire floor and the International Antiques Fair and the Intuit Show of Folk and Outsider Art takes up another floor. Art Chicago is a blend of cutting-edge contemporry art and high-end traditional and deceased art attracting Galleries from around the world. We enjoyed seeing Henry Moore, William Wendt, Renoir along with Chuck Close, Andy Warhol, Picasso and Miro along with many emerging artists. Truly an extraordinary collection of art works. Jake was particularly taken with a Korean artist named Yong Deok Lee who does mixed media pieces that are life-like relief pieces. We also were very impressed with the Anituqes Fair.

Artropolis is an amazing example of a collaborative effort between various arts organizations along with public and private funding. Art Chicago is an annual event, which we will definitely visit again. For more information visit www.artchicago.com. If you plan to go, wear your walking shoes, there is a lot to see! We spent all day Friday and went back for more on Sunday to try to take it all in.

Another favorite of our trip was a visit to Millenium Park. Millenium Park has some of the most interactive public art we’ve seen. You must go visit and see the Crown Fountian with faces that smile and move and then shower the people beneath with water! Our favorite piece of all, though, was the Cloud Gate sculpure by Anish Kapoor, a 110 pound elliptical, reflective piece that reflects the Chicago skyline along with all of the people viewing it. It is an ever changing view of the city. Captivating!

Other highlights included a visit to Shedd Aquarium, a trip to the top of the Hancock Observatory and a fabulous Architecural Tour on the Chicago River. The amazing talent and competative spirit of the architects throughout the years makes this tour on Wendella Boats a “must-do” while visiting Chicago. Visit www.wendellaboats.com to learn more.

The other added bonus on this trip was a chance to visit with Jake’s nephew, Sam, who lives in Chicago and two of Jake’s sisters who came up from St Louis to join us for part of our trip. Spending time with family and getting the inside track on what to do is always a great bonus! Thanks, guys!