As the story has it, (current) Mayor Richard Daley tired of gazing on from the dental chair out the window and over a desolate sea of old railroad tracks, parked cars, and garbage dumps just east of South Michigan Avenue. His Honor declared his intention to turn this wasteland into an extension of the city's existing Grant Park and, in 2004, Millennium Park opened to blast of fireworks from atop the major buildings lining the thoroughfares surrounding the park. (Cloud Gate is the sculpture pictured at the left).
We began our day with a guided tour of the park, both a public gathering place and a serene escape from big city life. One of the park's highlights is the Crown Fountain --- two towers 50 feet high and 200 feet apart onto whose opposing sides gigantic faces of various Chicagoans are projected. Their eyes blink, their lips purse, and water comes shooting out of their mouths forming a shallow pool between the two edifices were kids and adults alike splash to their heart's content.
After a gustatory interval from touring to enjoy a hot dog lunch in the park, we made our way up to the Michigan Avenue Bridge to board the vessel Chicago's Fair Lady for a 90 minute cruise on the Chicago River. A guide from the Chicago Architecture Foundation pointed out the historic and famous landmarks on the city's skyline as we tooled up and down the river passing twice under nearly half of the 50-odd drawbridges that link one side of Chicago with the other.
As the day comes to a close, clouds are again gathering on the horizon and tomorrow will bring warmer weather with a threat of thunder showers. But this is Chicago, so it could just as well be snowing by noon! (This story is excerpted from Dick Jordan’s 2007 Chicago trip blog)
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