Dispatches from the Backporch: Chicago: Day 4

We went to Oak Park first thing in the morning, and we managed to get to Frank Lloyd Wright's Home and Studio before it was even open! We made it to one of the first tours that morning, and had some time to explore the streets adjacent to the home before our tour. The home and studio are both very interesting, and the entire home and studio are included in the tour. Following the tour, we used our Oak Park map to hunt out other Wright-designed homes and other notable homes in the area. I really had a change of heart through the course of the day. I had previously been so anti-FLW, and I had turned myself off to anything that he had done. But seeing how forward thinking and how advanced his designs were in contrast to the overly Victorian influences that were present at the time, I was blown away. The man was so far ahead of his time. There were several homes, including the Martin house, that I was particularly impressed.

We had another great lunch and went over the Unity Temple. This church is in quite a state of disrepair, and it was sad to see such a significant architectural work in this state. They are working to get funds to repair it, but there is a growing list of items that need attending.

We had time to hang out in the room for a bit before going to check out the Chicago Tribune building with it's pieces of notable historical and international landmarks. We had traditional Chicago-style pizza at Pizzeria Due, thanks to the suggestion of our friend Nick. It was good, but I think I am still partial to the New York style pizza. Finally, we finished the evening by going to the Signature Lounge at the John Hancock building. This Lounge is two floors above the observation deck, and we enjoyed seeing the city at night and having a drink. It was stunning seeing all the glittering lights of the city from that height.