Postcard from Tucson – More Tohono

I had such nice comments on my last blog about Tohono Chul Park, that I thought I would share two more flower photos from there.

The first flower is I believe, some sort of Amaryllis (always remember when I discuss flowers, I seldom know what I am talking about). Such beautiful, large blooms that easily fill a frame.

The second photo is a cactus flower that I am totally unfamiliar with. I have never seen this type of flower before. Tohono Park contains a wide variety of cactus from all over the world, so it may be one of the exotic ones from parts unknown. I just thought it was worth a click of the lens.

By the way, my thanks to reader Jo Falls who identified all the flowers from my last blog. I was correct about the Mexican Daisy, but the cactus flowers were from a Claret Cup cactus. The unidentified purple flower was actually an Arizona Thistle. My grateful thanks to Ms. Falls for helping me with my botanical identifications. If she would like to help me out with these two photos, I would be very grateful.

Postcard from Tucson - Tohono

When my friend Susan came in mid-April to visit Tucson for the first time, I told her she could not have picked a better time. Not only were the wildflowers going stronger than they have in years, but most other flowers were kicking into high gear and we were beginning to see the first cactus blooms.

With that in mind, we headed over to Tohono Chul Park, here in Tucson, just two days before we departed for Chicago. This park is one of the great botanical gardens of the western world, especially for desert flora. The park is 37 acres and is divided into several sections, each with a theme. There are many trails throughout the park, some long, some short…and for the date of our visit, it was a treasure trove of gorgeous flowers, many from plants I had never seen.

And of course, it is also a photographer’s dream. I just wanted to keep shooting and shooting, which of course is what I did. Here are just three of the photos. Please don’t ask me the plant names, although the one that looks like a daisy is indeed a Mexican Daisy and I believe the cactus flowers are from a Hedge Hog Cactus, but I may be wrong. The third, I have no idea.

If you ever come to Tucson next spring, in mid-April, I highly recommend a visit to Tohono Chul Park.

Postcard from Chicago – Food

There is no denying I love good food…of all kinds. And when I go to the big city, I want to experience some really good meals with local ambience. I had some specific goals in mind for my Chicago trip and was able to fulfill them all. Now, I am not going to tell you about all my Chicago dining experiences…just a couple.

First and foremost is The Chicago Hot Dog. I looked forward to this one when I first planned my trip. What makes a Chicago Dog so special? Well it is unique and has to be made with certain ingredients in a certain way. Here is the recipe:

A Chicago-style hot dog is a steamed, boiled or grilled all-beef hot dog on a poppy seed bun, originating from the city of Chicago. The hot dog is topped with mustard, onion, sweet pickle relish (often a dyed neon green variety called "Nuclear Relish" or "Emerald Relish"), a dill pickle spear, tomato slices or wedges, pickled sport peppers, and celery salt. No variations are allowed and definitely no ketchup.

Oddly, I could only find these dogs downtown. I am sure they are available in other places, but I could not find them, even in Wrigleyville or in sports bars. So, how do they taste? Fantastic!! A little spicy thanks to the sport peppers, but definitely delicious. But be warned, they are messy to eat. Don’t try eating and driving with these babies. But, when in Chicago, put them high on your list.

Now, when I go to big cities, I love to eat in sports bars and enjoy sporting events with the local fans. And that is easy to do in Chicago as it is a sports-crazed city. So when I went over to Wrigleyville, there was only on place I wanted to eat…Harry Carey’s Tavern.

As I mentioned in a previous blog, Harry Carey, now deceased, was and is a Chicago icon…the voice of the Chicago Cubs for oh so many years. At his tavern, I had a “Holy Cow” burger, named after his favorite broadcast expression. It was very good…but more than that, this tavern was filled with sports memorabilia, photos of famous folks and even a bust of Harry.

But most important, the place was filled with sports fans, even though the Cubs were not playing that day. They were watching baseball and hockey, especially their Blackhawks who are in the NHL Playoffs. Such a great atmosphere for me to be a part of Chicago, even if only during lunch hour.

The final place on my original list was Ditka’s Restaurant. This restaurant owned by another Chicago icon, Mike Ditka. Now, for those who don’t know, Mike was a tight end for the Chicago Bears and later coached them to a Super Bowl Championship in the 80’s. He is a fiery, no-nonsense guy who you don’t want angry at you. But, he will also be honest and straightforward with you with no BS…no matter who he offends. He is currently a football analyst on ESPN and I always enjoy listening to his opinions.

Ditka’s is located downtown on Chestnut Street. It is not a true sports bar, although there is a very nice bar where I am sure you can watch games while enjoying a meal. Ditka’s is first an foremost a restaurant with a great menu and a very upscale decor…even though there is sports memorabilia (mostly football of course) everywhere.

I had a dish called a “Meatloaf Mash”…a thick slice of meatloaf, sitting on a slice of jalapeño cornbread…covered with BBQ sauce, mashed potatoes, and thin sliced onion rings. Oh my God, was it good! And I am not a meatloaf fan. My friend Susan had salmon which she said was absolutely perfect. I washed my meal down with two classes of Mike Ditka’s Ale, also very good.

From what I can tell, Ditka’s serves outstanding food, and I hear their steaks, although expensive, are to die for. I highly recommend you put this place on your list. And yes, that is me in the picture after lunch…my stomach was flat before I went in.

There is one other great meal that I at, but won’t go into detail…it was on the 95th floor of Hancock Building. The view was spectacular to say the least…all of Chicago was laid out before me. But the most memorable part was actually being with friends who I had not seen in a while and whose friendships I cherish.

As you can see, I lived and dined well in Chicago. And I haven’t even mentioned some of the other great meals I had, including some homemade ones. Don’t you just love it when all the elements of a vacation come together so perfectly leaving you with amazing memories that will last a lifetime?

Postcard from Chicago – Things You Can Do With a Bean

As mentioned in the last blog about Chicago’s Bean, here are a few additional photos taken there. It was so much fun playing around with my camera at this most unusual location.

Photo #1 is a distorted look at the Chicago skyline as reflected off of the highly polished surface of The Bean.

Photo #2 is of my good friend Susan, and her brother and sister-in-law. Look at the dimension the Bean adds to the photo. You can see their front, their backs, and even me shooting the photo. How cool is that?

The third photo is another of Chicago’s skyline taken from a different side of the Bean. But if you look in the lower left of the photo, you can see me taking the picture. What a great discovery the Bean was for me and my camera.

Enjoy.

Postcard from Chicago – Strange But Fun

Like any big city, Chicago has its share of unusual, sometimes strange objects you won’t find anywhere else. I am sure there are more than I know about, but here are three objects that I saw that were very unusual, but oh so much fun.

First, in Millennium Park in downtown Chicago, a short walk from the Chicago Institute of Art, is the city’s strangest, but most photographed object…lovingly known as “The Bean.” It is called that because it is shaped like a bean, and a giant one at that. It’s official title, given by the artist who designed it, is “Cloud’s Gate.” Sorry, fella, it is The Bean.

It consists of 168 stainless steel plates welded together, then highly polished to give it a reflective surface with no visible seams. Reflections off of The Bean are distorted to give you a strange, bent view of both the city’s skyline or of the people standing by it. It is interesting to take a picture of the skyline, or even of oneself from different positions to see what kind of distortions you get. I will publish more photos from the bean in a forthcoming blog.

Also in Millennium Park is Crown Fountain, two 50 foot towers made of transparent glass block bricks, standing at either end of a long, black granite plaza. Behind the glass bricks are high-tech LED video screens. When the screens are illuminated they show the faces of nearly a thousand individual Chicagoans. The faces move and blink, eventually puckering their lips, at which point of fountain of water shoots out where the mouth is. Very fun and a big hit with kids on hot summer days.

Finally, while wandering through Chicago’s most famous department store, Marshall Fields, I came across this interesting mobile hanging from the ceiling. It is three stories high and consists of five thousand balsa wood gliders, the kind you used to buy as a kid and sail through the air. It was an unexpected and unusual find, and I am sorry the photo cannot do it justice.

By the way, Marshall Fields has been bought out by Macy’s, but locals still refer to it as Marshall Fields. Many of us hate to see old traditions go away.

Postcard from Chicago

I’ve been fortunate to have visited some of the most famous art galleries in the world…The Louvre, the Orsay, The British National Gallery, the Uffizi and others as well as special exhibitions of great art. But, the Chicago Institute of Art can hold their own against any of them! It is a very special place, to say the very least.

This very large building, guarded by its two famous lions, sits on Michigan Ave. at Adams St. Inside you will find art of all kinds from all over the world. But be warned, it is impossible to see and appreciate it all, even over several visits. I know…I tried. Most every day of my Chicago visit, I spent two or more hours exploring the numerous wings and gallery rooms. I was able to see many of the worlds most famous paintings that were the most important to me, along with some pleasant surprises…but I had to be content with that.

The sad truth is that after about two hours, my head starts spinning and I can’t take in anymore art. So I would go do other things, usually coming back the next day, or sometimes even later the same day.

On many days, my friend Susan needed to be home and do some work as she had been away for a over a month. So, about 10:10 most mornings, I would walk a block and a half to pick up the #6 express bus to downtown Chicago and about 20 minutes later I would get off 1/2 block from the Institute and be there when it opened at 10:30. Talk about having my own transportation to and from one of the most famous galleries in the world! Later, Susan and I would meet up downtown and head out to other adventures.

Inside is a treasure trove of original art work of all kinds from all over the world. I focused mainly on paintings as that is where my passion lies. There are works here by some of the most famous painters that ever lived. From the early European works of Durer, Rembrandt, Caravaggio, El Greco, Rubens, Delacroix, David, Turner Constable…to the Impressionists and post-Impressionists such as Manet, Monet, Renoir, Degas, Cezanne, Morisot, Van Gogh, Seurat, and too many others to name. Then there are the modern painters led by Picasso, Matisse, Gris, Kandinsky, Modigliani, and Leger. No wonder my head was spinning!

The American painters are extremely well represented with the likes of Winslow Homer, John Singer Sargent, Frederick Remington, Mary Cassatt, James McNeil Whistler, Georgia O’Keeffe, and Edward Hopper.

This museum is an art lover’s dream. As my friend Susan is a member, I was able to get in free everyday to take in these treasures. For any lover of fine art, this is heaven. Would that I lived there…I would go nearly every day and focus on one painting, bringing a guide book with me so read all about it and appreciate it more.

It was difficult to decide what paintings to show you here, but I chose two of the Institute’s most famous…”Nighthawks” by Edward Hopper and “A Sunday on La Grande Jatte,” by George Seurat. Both are considered the finest works of the respective artists. By the way, I photographed these works as it is allowed, but without flash. Thank God for anti-shake lenses.

I will try and share more great works with you in the future, maybe sneak one in hear or there. If you love great art, I hope you can see this wonderful place sometime in your life.

Postcard from the U-505

There are only five German U-Boats left from World War II…and only one in the United States. It is found at the Museum of Science and Industry, on Chicago’s South Side. It was here that I first saw the U-505 and toured inside to get an all-to-brief view of what life was like aboard a WWII German sub.

The story of the U-505 and how it came to be in Chicago is as interesting as being inside it. Launched in 1941, it was on its 12th patrol when it was spotted off the coast of West Africa in June of 1944. A US Naval Task Force, led by the carrier USS Guadalcanal under the command of Captain Daniel Gallery (a Chicago native), went after it…and after several attacks by depth charges and from the air, it was forced to the surface. Gallery had formulated a plan prior to the battle on how a U-Boat might be captured in tact.

The German crew quickly abandoned ship, but opened a sea valve to scuttle her. But, the Americans moved rapidly to board the vessel and capture it before it could sink. Thankfully, the Germans did not properly set the additional explosive charges and the Americans found and disarmed them and shut off the sea valve and to prevent the boat from taking on more water.

The partially submerged boat was then secretly towed over 1,700 miles to Bermuda…the first time a ship of war had been captured at sea since the 19th century. The crew was eventually taken to a secret POW camp in Louisiana and kept incommunicado until the war ended. This was a violation of the Geneva Convention for treatment of war prisoners, but the U.S. did not want the German high command to know we had the boat and all of its secret codes and devices. If the Germans knew, they would change their codes and the US would no longer have access to German communications. The information gathered on the U-505 turned out to be quite valuable.

To make a long and interesting story very short, the museum eventually acquired the boat, restored it, and put it on display for all to see. I’ve only briefly covered the highlights of this fascinating war story. The whole history of the U-505, its patrols and eventual capture is worth a read and can be found on a special Wikipedia Web page…and of course on display in the museum.

The pictures I have here are only of the outside of the U-505. I was not allowed to take photos inside. I can tell you it was quite cramped and very hard to even imagine how these sailors lived.

A U-boat would go out on patrol for approximately 100 days. There were 59 crewmen aboard and each was given one uniform. No change of clothing, no baths or showers, and temperatures constantly in the 90’s or higher. The few bunks were shared by other crewmen on different shifts. Only officers had their own bunks. One can only image the smells. If by chance, one crewman came on board with lice, everyone had lice very quickly. This was not a good way to live, especially since U-Boat sailor casualties for the war were 75%!

Ventilation was done from hatches on deck when the boat was running surfaced, which meant no fresh air when the boat submerged. The engines used when on the surface were twin diesels which produce their own wondrous smells. When submerged, the boat switched to electric motors powered by batteries kept charged by the diesel engines when surfaced.

Serving aboard a World War II German submarine was most decidedly not a desirable life for a sailor. If you would like see why in graphic detail, I suggest you watch the movie, “Das Boot” (The Boat). It is rather gritty and oh-so-true to the real thing.

I must say I was a bit awe-struck being aboard the U-505, seeing how the men lived on their long patrols. I knew long ago it was a terrible life…and this visit only reinforced those thoughts and my admiration for all submarine sailors of that era. My own uncle served aboard an American submarine in the Aleutians during that war, but would never talk of it.

In the end, one can only conclude it is the average man, the ordinary Joe who fights in any war…it is he and his family that pays the terrible price for the ambitions of our supposed leaders, no matter what country.

Postcard from Wrigleyville

It was a cool overcast morning in Southside Chicago when my friends Susan, Kristen and I hopped on a #55 bus and headed west to the Garfield Station on the Red Line “L” Train. From there, we boarded a north bound train, above ground at this point, passing U.S. Cellular Field (AKA the new Comiskey Park), proudly displaying it banner that the Chicago White Sox were World Champions in 2005…a seeming taunt to the other team in Chicago who have not won a world championship in 102 years.

As we approached downtown, our train went underground for a while, eventually emerging on elevated tracks in Chicago’s North Side. We stayed on the train until coming to Addison Street, our destination. As we pulled into the station, I saw it on the left, right there by the station…94 year-old Wrigley Field, the second oldest baseball stadium in America and home to the Chicago Cubs.

At this point, you must understand that I am still a kid at heart. As a little boy, I lived and died for baseball and football. I was a baseball fan before the Giants moved to San Francisco, my hometown. I collected baseball cards by the hundreds, went to San Francisco Seals games, and watched the only weekly TV broadcast of a major league baseball game, hosted by Dizzy Dean and Pee Wee Reese. Major league ball players were almost gods to me at my young and tender age. So stadiums like Wrigley Field and Fenway Park in Boston, were the home of the gods which I had no chance of seeing, being a west coast boy. The major leagues were far away in a distant, almost fantasy land.

But, here I was, standing that fantasy world, at the real Wrigley Field. Of course I am a little more realistic today about baseball…I still love the game, but don’t really follow the major leagues anymore. They lost me after their second strike in the 90’s. But, on this day, a was a kid again, fulfilling a childhood dream to see this park and walk among its memories, and that is exactly what I did.

For $25, on days when the Cubs are not playing, you can take a guided tour of this grand old stadium. The tour lasts and hour and a half, although mine lasted nearly two hours.

But before taking the tour, my companions and I needed lunch, so we headed for Harry Carey’s Tavern across from the stadium. For those unfamiliar with that name, Harry was the long-time broadcaster of Cubs game on radio and TV who is a huge icon in Chicago. In fact, there is a statue of him in front of Wrigley. His most enduring expression was “Holy Cow,” so of course I had a Holy Cow burger for lunch.

At the appointed time, I enter the stadium for my tour. It was all I could have hoped for and more. We started out in the right field bleachers and heard stories of the famous Bleacher Bums of Wrigley and about the manually-operated scoreboard…five guys that work in there, changing scores by hand, without benefit of heat or air conditioning…or a bathroom (there is a garden hose with a funnel on it).

From there, we headed for the visitor’s locker room, a place filled with the ghosts of great baseball and football players (the Chicago Bears played at Wrigley until 1970). So, I was in a room that once held the likes of Babe Ruth Lou Gehrig, Dizzy Dean, Willie Mays, Stan Musial, Jackie Robinson, Vince Lombardi and countless others. This surprisingly small room was the epicenter of my childhood fantasies of the baseball gods who played here.

From there, we climbed up to the press box, and saw the view from high above the stadium. We were next to the guest box where a celebrity is selected to sing “Take Me Out to the Ball Game” at the seventh inning stretch. Of course, prior to his death, this was the sole job of Harry Carey.

From there we sat in the luxury seats, then on down to the holy of holies, the Chicago Cubs dressing room. All the time, our guide was giving us more stories about the park and its history. Finally, we made our way into the Cub’s dugout and onto the field itself where many of the great memories of baseball history took place. It was here that Babe Ruth pointed to center field, indicating he was going to hit a home run there…and did. It was the stadium where a man with a Billy goat was refused entranced and pronounced his now famous curse upon the Cubs. And it is here where ivy grows against the outfield wall and fans throw back home run balls hit by the visiting team.

It was a special day for me, a kid one more time, to see this place and be a part of it, even if only for two hours. At the end of my Chicago visit, my friend Susan asked me what was the highlight of my trip, and I chose this day.

PS: Exactly one week later I flew home to Tucson and when I landed, the first thing I saw upon exiting the plane were the concourse bars’ TV screens showing game from Wrigley Field between the Cubs and Arizona. As I watched a batter at home plate, I was filled with the memory of standing there myself and sitting on the low brick fence just behind him. What a day!

Postcard from Chicago – The Bottom Line

After 11 days in Chicago, here are my conclusions: It is a beautiful, vibrant, very clean city, full of excitement, friendly people, a great transportation system, and an unlimited supply of things to do and see. The city is alive with a fascinating downtown, numerous outlying neighborhoods with their own special flavor, great museums, sports, fabulous restaurants and much much more. It’s the best time I’ve had in a long time.

So what did I do there ? Well for starters, I visited all three of its outdoor major sports stadiums, including an in-depth top-to-bottom tour of 96 year-old Wrigley Field; toured a German U-Boat and a coal mine; saw some of the most famous and beautiful art in the world; got wind and rain in my face from a 4D movie; saw thousands of exotic marine animals; ate several Chicago Dogs; dined at the restaurants of two Chicago icons (Mike Ditka and Harry Carey); had lunch on the 95th floor of the Hancock Building; slept every night just a few blocks from President Obama’s home; took subways above and below the city; walked its most famous streets, including the Magnificent Mile; stood at the beginning of Route 66; listened to Beethoven’s Moonlight Sonata at a free lunch concert; photographed myself on “The Bean”; learned why it’s called “The Windy City”; and spent hours exploring a few of Chicago’s outlying neighborhoods…and loved every minute of it!

It was a dream trip, seeing someplace brand new and visiting with old friends. I am just lucky that I love Tucson or it would have been harder coming home.

Chicago is a very, very big place, centered around its large downtown area. It is the third largest city in America with nearly 3 million residents inside the city limits. There is the North Side and the South Side, with the downtown being the dividing line. Its sits on the shores of Lake Michigan, with the state borders of Wisconsin, Indiana and Michigan very close by.

Skyscrapers soar to great heights and the city keeps itself clean and well stocked with millions of flowers…this time of year it was tulips. And they are everywhere in the downtown, and in many of the neighborhoods away from the downtown.

I walked my legs off nearly everyday seeing and experiencing the sites, but it was worth it. Living in a large city like Chicago is so different. Most folks don’t own a car, or need one for that matter. You can move all over the city using buses, subways (called the “L” for elevated railway), Amtrak, and another train system called the Metra. There is also the PACE system that brings people from outlying areas to transportation hubs inside the city.

In the days that follow, I wll tell you more about my adventures in this great city and share some of my photographs. I hope you enjoy them.