I spent a lot of time on Michigan Ave. while I was in Chicago last week. Was that just last week? We stayed on the North end of Michigan Ave.

The Water Tower and nearby pumping station were the only two buildings in downtown Chicago that survived the Great Chicago Fire of 1871 which razed the whole city to the ground.

Just a few buildings away is the Hancock Building which has an observatory where you can see miles east, west, north and south of downtown Chicago. On the 96th and 97th floor is a restaurant and bar where you can have a meal or a drink and enjoy the views.

Our hotel, the Westin, was also on Michigan Ave. right next door to the Hancock Building.

At the Chicago River on the N. side of Michigan Ave. are two great buildings across the street from each other. This is the Wrigley Building.

The Chicago Tribune building on the opposite side of the Ave. has a Gothic top and Art Deco bottom.

Another view of the Wrigley Building taken on a different day. The next few photos are showing more of the detail on the Chicago Tribune building.

Hall of Inscriptions..
The soaring entrance area is known as the Hall of Inscriptions. Carved into the walls are famous quotaions expressive of ideals and obligations of the press. These record the spoken words of leaders like Votaire, Benjamin Franklin, Milton.. The Nathan Hale lobby has words of Abraham Lincoln, Arthur Miller and Thurgood Marshall..

Aesop’s Stone Screen..
By Rene Paul Chambellan
The three-story arched entrance is so overlooked. Over the doorway of the main lobby is this carved stone screen. It bears symbolic imagery of Aesop’s fables. One can see cartouches surrounded by animals, acanthus leaves, scrolls and ribbons..

Nathan Hale Lobby..
To commemorate the 150th anniversary of the Chicago Tribune in 1997, the Tower’s Nathan Hale lobby was renovated and inscriptions were added to include words of Abraham Lincoln, playwright Arthur Miller and former Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall.

If you ever find yourself in Chicago take advantage of the great tours that are offered on trolleys and sight seeing buses. You get information that will help you to choose what you’d like to see in depth. I’ll still be posting on the Architectural River Tour which is well worth your time, too. There are so many places to eat and so many things to see in Chicago it could be overwhelming without narrowing things down.

I’m looking forward to a full week at home to get caught up. What does your week look like?